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Text Messaging Bets? End of the World According to One Bored Blogger


TechCrunch reports today that Balderton Capital, a top venture firm, will be providing an undisclosed amount of financing to betNOW, a gambling website. Balderton has already invested in other websites such as Bebo, Codemasters, and Setanta, so this is not a new arena for the firm. Balderton's Tim Bunting will join betNOW's board as well.

This new arrangement bothers the blogger at TechCrunch, Michael Arrington, who opines, "Generally speaking, anyone who's placing bets on sporting events via their mobile phone probably has a gambling problem, which betNOW is exploiting." I would think the opposite, since the ease of new technology makes it easier for casual gamblers to indulge in the interest. Arrington then goes on to proclaim that "Gambling in general has a taint to it - historical ties to organized crime doesn't help." Again, the concern seems a bit overblown. Organized crime was tied to casinos decades ago, but these websites were obviously not around then.

The truth is that betting and gambling have taken new forms because of technology. Placing bets by text messaging is nothing compared to what the internet has done for poker games, casino games, and the like. Overall, games of chance have enjoyed renewed popularity in the United States, but not just in traditional casino cities. The average joe is now able to square off against computers and online players in web-based, software, and video games. He or she may also host personal poker parties in their garages or attend casino nights at work, church, or charities. These games have returned not only in traditional forms, but also in ways that are refreshing from the old-fashioned stereotypes of gambling.

Even now, a person can purchase affordable gambling supplies that run the gamut: poker tables, casino tables, custom chips, and playing cards. It has become, in a way, more democratized, diverse, and more distant from the seemingly seedy world of Vegas casinos where the "house always wins."

How to Throw a Great Holiday Casino Party!

Everyone is rounding up invitations to house parties, office parties, and family reunions for this holiday season. Most of us have been to so many that it'd be nice to avoid the clichés (mistletoe, egg nog, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" playing in the background) and try something new. Because poker and other casino games have become so popular lately, why not throw a Casino Night for your office, place of worship, or home?

But wait, you say, places of worship? Not a problem. Hollywood Poker has a great article on how to use poker as a means for charity. For example:

Your buy-in and re-buy’s will cost you money, but the prizes you win will be something the organization has bought, or was fortunate enough to have donated by a business or community member. Prizes can range from gift certificates from a local restaurant all the way up to something like an iPod or flat screen television. All the money that is made from a poker charity event will go directly to what cause the organization is dedicated to working for.

But not everyone is into poker. Diversify the entertainment by having other card games and casino tables and offer games like craps or roulette or even raffles. Don't cheapen the party by renting used equipment or buying dollar store accessories! You can find some great items in a wide range of price, including in the clearance sections.