Who Bets and Why?
There are various opinions on whether gambling is a good or bad thing. We do know that it has been in existence since time began and probably involved two men seeing who could pee or spit the furthest.
Women have been known to gamble quite a bit, too. Ever heard one say, “I’ll bet you I can get him to ask me on a date by Friday?” A lot of people believe that unless there is an actual wager involved, the words (I’ll bet you) doesn’t constitute gambling.
Personally, I think that anytime anyone says I’ll bet you there is at least an implied prize. It could be something like, “I know more than you or I’m manlier than you.” I guess that’s a psychological payoff. Sometimes there’s a case of beer involved or a steak dinner. To me, it’s all gambling.
Then there’s the no-holds-barred, take no prisoners, bet your bottom dollar wager for hard-earned cash. I would imagine that sort of wager got its start way back with some donkeys or camels involved. But where we take interest is from the bygone kings who gambled their fortunes, daughters and what not for the sport of horse racing. It later became a sport of the genteel and evolved to a point where high fashion was introduced at times.
And here we are centuries later with horse racing and betting available to the common man or woman. We view going to the races as not only a way to lose or win money but as entertainment to be shared our friends. And as luck would have it you don’t even have to pick the winning horse to make a profit.
You can have a few drinks, socialize and eat, too at the track. And since you can now make bets on number two or three horses as well as other interesting wagers, it’s a lot more fun to watch those elegant horses and laser-focused jockeys try their hardest to end up in the winner’s circle.
As racing forms were readily available at local news stands people would study them and then place their bets with a bookie or go to a secret betting parlor that was wired in by phone to race tracks across the country. This old underground system of betting is what eventually gave birth to off-site betting. And even though the old ways of betting on the ponies was illegal it didn’t stop those who were intent on getting a chance to win on their favorite horse.
Nowadays because of higher technology and computers there is off-site betting that is legal in some states. Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada are fine examples. You can go there, get yourself a cocktail, place your bets and watch the races from big monitors. If you win, they pay you right there. If you win too much, the I.R.S. will get its share at the same time.
Now, if you don’t want to hit the Vegas strip you can stay home and still play the ponies. Just crank up your P.C. or laptop, go to your favorite site and scope out the online racing form. Place your bet and watch the race in real time. It’s legal now and all you have to do is take a few minutes to set up your account. You’ll need to be of legal age and have a credit card but that’s all.
Although horse racing is referred to as the sport of kings, we commoners love it, too. In fact, I’ll bet you that so long as we continue to compete with one another that we’ll also continue to play the ponies. It’s in our nature. Others can decide if it’s moral or not.
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The Top Sports Betting Sites
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