Definition of Gambling

[ulbkumn]

the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes

Examples of Legal Gambling.

Buying insurance (Life, Auto, etc...)
You are betting that something bad happens and the insurance company is betting that nothing bad happens.

Driving to work everyday.
I betting my life that everybody else will drive safely or that there will be no drunk drivers.
In live in a city so my chances are higher than someone living in a small town.

Stock Market
Buying stock of a company in which I have no control of and hope that the company makes the right decisions.

Deciding what country to live in.
Im betting that the congress and senate here in the USA is competent enough not to do anything stupid. (might be the biggest gambling I ever do in my entire life)

Please everybody stop gambling and hide out in a bunker somewhere. Never take any chances in life. What is the point of living if you never take any chances?

[Don Draper]

one correction to your post. it's spelled CONgress

[Greg Ambrosius]

The government is always there to protect us from ourselves.

[BigBlueNation]

the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes

Examples of Legal Gambling.

Buying insurance (Life, Auto, etc...)
You are betting that something bad happens and the insurance company is betting that nothing bad happens.
you don't have to buy any insurance, if you choose

Driving to work everyday.
I betting my life that everybody else will drive safely or that there will be no drunk drivers.
In live in a city so my chances are higher than someone living in a small town.
you don't have to drive to work everyday, if you choose

Stock Market
Buying stock of a company in which I have no control of and hope that the company makes the right decisions.
You don't have to buy stock in a company,if you choose

Deciding what country to live in.
Im betting that the congress and senate here in the USA is competent enough not to do anything stupid. (might be the biggest gambling I ever do in my entire life)
You can exercise your right to vote, accept what happens, move on, if you choose

Please everybody stop gambling and hide out in a bunker somewhere. Never take any chances in life. What is the point of living if you never take any chances?

Sorry Brian, one of the greatest options we have in this country is "Freedom of Choice". I think your analogies are a little off base. We have options. If the/our government deems something wrong or unconstitutional, we can sit and complain about it, or attempt to do something about it. That's the purpose of the Supreme Court. That is another choice we have.

[kjduke]

If the/our government deems something wrong or unconstitutional, we can sit and complain about it, or attempt to do something about it. That's the purpose of the Supreme Court. That is another choice we have.

That may have been slightly true before this ... https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html ... and more so the corporate campaign-spending decision from 2010 which is referenced therein.

Lots of goverment injustice, very little can be done as individuals without monetary influence.

[ulbkumn]

I live in a state where I can bet on football or go to the casino and gamble on games that are in favor of the Casino. But I can't play DFS. Where is my choice?

[BigBlueNation]

I live in a state where I can bet on football or go to the casino and gamble on games that are in favor of the Casino. But I can't play DFS. Where is my choice?

You have a choice, but I'm sure it's not feasible for you. I can bet on horses, Lotteries and DFS in Ky, but I can't gamble on sporting events Where there's a will, there's a way.

[Greg Ambrosius]

I live in a state where I can bet on football or go to the casino and gamble on games that are in favor of the Casino. But I can't play DFS. Where is my choice?

I just posted this on the NFBC boards and I'll post here. I agree with you Brian:

Today I'm heading to Lambeau Field to enjoy a day of football. I'll spend more with the family on game tickets than most people will spend sitting at home watching all of the games and playing a few DFS lineups. We both are choosing our forms of entertainment today the way we'd like. It's the American way. I'll spend more than most people, but that's my choice.

I'm not sure we need the government to tell us how to spend our entertainment dollars. Now there's no doubt they need to protect us from unscrupulous business practices and from illegal actions. We can all agree to that. But this is an industry that is six years old, had the leagues and mass media companies investing in it for years and nobody said anything about the business model. Now it's on every state's radar as an illegal activity?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but if DFS can be attacked so quickly what game of skill is next?

[Greg Ambrosius]

I think everyone should read the Nevada Attorney General's opinion of DFS:

http://www.legalsportsreport.com/wp-con ... AG-DFS.pdf

His thoughts on the skill vs. chance for DFS is interesting, for sure:

"As a preliminary matter, there may not need to be a determination of skill. As skill is generally understood when analyzing a lottery, the skill at issue is the skill of the individuals determining the actual outcome of the event. With daily fantasy sports, although the owners select a lineup for their simulated team, the owners have no ability to control how many points their simulated teams receive from an actual player’s performance. The actual players in the actual games control their own performance. As a result, after an owner places a bet and sets a final lineup, the owner simply waits to see what happens based upon the performance of the actual players involved. Given that the owners’ skills do not determine the outcome of the simulated games, there may be no skill involved as that term is traditionally understood in the context of lotteries. If that is the case, then daily fantasy sports constitute lotteries and are prohibited in Nevada."

[Fourslot40]

That logic would apply to every legitimate investment whether it be stocks, business startup or house purchase. Management, staff and market characteristics dictate results.