icem blog

In the UK and America there are a multitude of ways to gamble. Exorbitant sums of money are involved with respective governments receiving substantial income in the form of taxes. Socially, gambling has been exposed to opposition morally and singled out legally as a corrupt trait in some societies. Never the less gambling continues to rise as a major form of relaxation and as a way either, legally or illegally, of making money.

As long as there have been human beings gambling, or games of chance as they are commonly known, has been in existence. It was around the mid thirteenth century that dice first came to prominence in Greece, although a similar form of entertainment was used by the Ancient Egyptians called “Knuckle bones.” Playing cards were first attributed to China in the ninth or tenth century. They were then taken up by Europeans in the fourteenth century, probably Italy, using a pack with 78 cards. It was a hundred years later before the standard pack of 52 cards became accepted as the norm. But as well as these games, betting on sport such as horse racing and dog and cock fighting enjoyed popular appeal. In all of us there is a the appeal of winning money for little or no effort but, there are still mixed feelings toward the various forms of gambling available today like sports scores.

Religion is prominent in many societies today. In some it is more dominant than politics and influences many of the decisions governments make. In fact many religions condemn gambling. Although Catholic countries were the first to start playing lotteries seriously. It is the fact that gambling can be attributed to greed and corruption and can be the downfall of many that fosters the beliefs of the anti-gambling faction. Gambling has also been linked to alcoholism with many games of chance taking place in public houses. The fact that drinking alcohol can also be associated with violence and lust does nothing to help the pro gambling lobby. The fact also that there are winners and losers with the winners gains offset by the loser’s losses (although the poker games I have played in this never works out!).

Here in the UK things are a bit more relaxed. Have a look at these figures:

8% of adults play bingo

11% of adults use licensed betting shops

62% of all households play the National lottery on a Saturday

33% play on a Wednesday

The above figures were taken from Social Trends 1998 so today those figures could be considerably more. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, had forthright views on gambling. He said “that a Christian should be a steward of money and not own it” and “money should not be gained through means which could harm one’s neighbour” i.e. pawnbroking or charging excessive interest on loans.

Not everybody connected with religion has taken such a stance. The soon to be Anglican Bishop of Exeter, Robert Mortimer, said in 1933 that not all forms of gambling were immoral. He actually did some research into the various forms and decided that some forms of gambling were a “legitimate indulgence” which no institution had the right to ban completely.

In 1948 an international congress of Anglican Bishops were concerned about the after effects of gambling on not just gamblers but their families as well. In fact, when Premium Bonds were first introduced in 1956, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, condemned them as private gain divorced from responsibility.” This was backed up by the then shadow Chancellor, Harold Wilson, as a”squalid raffle.”

Many governments now take a back seat when it comes to deciding issues on gambling, realising than prohibition would condemn the problem to underground activities, therefore losing revenue.

One more point in gambling’s favour. As early as 1569 it was used as a means of raising funds for public projects.

So there it is, not all forms of gambling are bad.In fact some are quite therapeutic. As long as indulgences are not taken to excess there is not much harm done. It is when gambling takes over one’s life that problems arise. The motto is “know your limits and stay safe”.

It is called March Madness for a reason; there are few sporting events in the world like the NCAA college basketball tournament and particularly the excitement of the final four teams. This is why many sports betting enthusiasts enjoy placing a bet on final four action. At this point in the tournament the teams are generally evenly matched and it can become a real challenge to choose the teams that will make the championship game and the team that will ultimately win it all. Therefore in order to bet on final four action you need to look carefully at anything that might have an impact on a game.

This information can include such factors as any injuries to key players that might affect their performance and how individual players on the teams appear to match up against each other. If you have this type of information you can bet on final four action with more confidence. Another factor to be considered is the betting odds and betting lines on the games. You want the best odds when you bet on final four games and you can usually get them from a good online sportsbook. The sportsbook will also have experts who analyze every aspect of the games and make solid recommendations for you to consider.

These experts can give you such information as a team’s against the spread (ATS) record. With this information you’ll know if a team that usually wins its games also usually beats the spread. If it doesn’t, then you’ll probably want to bet on final four teams that have a better ATS. The key is, the more you know, the better your chances of cashing in on the final four.

One of the most exciting times in sports is the NCAA basketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness free sports scores. This can also be an interesting and exciting time if you’re into sports betting. The NCAA tournament offers many opportunities for you to make some significant money on your basketball bets. This is particularly true if you bet final four teams because these teams tend to be evenly matched and the betting lines can offer only minimal insight. This is when you want to have as much information as possible in order to bet final four teams.

Unlike some other team sports there aren’t as many factors that affect basketball games. For example you don’t have to worry about weather conditions, but you still want to know about injuries, even minor ones, that might affect your bet final four decisions. Another thing to consider when you bet final four teams is where the games are being played. Although the final four is usually played in a “neutral” site there may often be at least a slight home court advantage.

If the final four is in San Antonio, Texas for example, and Texas is one of the teams it will certainly have the largest group of fans present, particularly if the other teams are all from the Midwest or East Coast. If Texas has played better at home all year and beaten the point spread more often at home, then you may want to consider Texas when you bet final four. A good sportsbook can give you the information you need about the final four teams so don’t hesitate to consult with the experts when you place your bets.