Yesterday we explained how legal sports betting continues to gain popularity, but even with these trends, there are tons of illegal gambling websites out there. The problem with these sites is that you really have no idea which ones are legitimate, and you have little recourse when things go wrong.

This article by Richard N. Velotta in the Las Vegas Review-Journal shines a light on the problem. Velotta explains how the American Gaming Association has made it a priority to encourage the public to bet responsibly with licensed operators and avoid illegal offshore websites. Despite this, illegal gambling websites continue to operate and can be difficult to track down and shut down. He describes the case of a Canadian gambler who has been unable to collect his winnings on a $225,000 jackpot he won playing blackjack on BetOnLine.ag, an internet domain in Antigua. Read the story and you’ll see the details.

Why do betters still use illegal gambling websites?

There are plenty of reasons why these sites are still in business.

Firstly, you have to consider that betting hasn’t been legalized everywhere, so many betters are still shut out of the legal betting market depending on their state of residence or jurisdiction.

Secondly, illegal gambling websites often offer better odds and higher payouts than their legal counterparts. This can be attractive to bettors looking to maximize their winnings, even if it means breaking the law. This also applies to local bookies.

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We’ve all been there. You’re playing blackjack and some idiot at the table keep making idiotic decisions. And sometimes those decisions negatively affect your hand. If you’re betting big dollars, that can really hurt.

More often than not, someone at the table will get really pissed off at the novice player, and that often leads to silly shouting matches.

Avoid being the angry player at all costs.

This scene from the television show “Entourage” offers a good example of why you shouldn’t get angry.

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Part of the fun of being a high roller is just the ability to let go and enjoy the ride. You can bring a big stack to the casino and life isn’t going to change at all if you blow it. The same goes for the ordinary gambler who wins a big parlay early in a casino trip and then lives like a high roller for a while with those winnings.

The key of course, as with most things in life, is knowing when to stop. This may be tricky, as we can all get a little wild when we’re in the zone. But there’s a difference between wild excess and sheer stupidity.

Which brings us to the latest example of high rollers taking things way too far. This story takes us to the historic city of London where one can find plenty of ways to enjoy your vices. A 62-year old gentlemen went on a 72-hour gambling bender which resulted in separating himself from £3.9 million of his net worth. That’s around 10% of his claimed net worth, so naturally this one stung a bit. Can you imagine losing that much money playing baccarat? It’s absurd.

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As more and more states rush to get in on legalizing all forms of gambling, we continue to see success stories as state start to see the cash roll in. Detroit has had casinos for years, but Michigan expanded legalized gambling and added sports gambling to the mix, and the results have been very positive:

Internet casinos, poker and sports betting in Michigan generated $1.4 billion in revenue in 2021, the first year online gambling was operational in the state.

Internet casino gaming generated $1.1 billion in revenue while internet sports betting produced $292.2 million, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Meanwhile, bettors wagered $3.7 billion at online sportsbooks last year.

Michigan became the third state in U.S. history to generate more than $1 billion in annual revenue from online casino games and poker, and the first to do so in its first year.

At some point states will start to cannibalize each other’s revenues, but with sports gambling most players are state residents. So each state is just adding to the overall pool of players. Let’s see how this trend plays out . . . Ohio will be joining the party in 2022!

That primal scream you just heard came from Atlantic City . . .

Yes, there’s a chance we may casinos some day soon in New York City. It’s certainly not definite. At this point it’s just a proposal in Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget, but this could have huge repercussions across the East Coast. New York state recently launched app-based sports betting, so the trend in the state is certainly for gambling expansion. It will be fascinating to see what kind of reception this gets and how far this goes.

Atlantic City won’t implode of course, but the entire dynamic from a lifestyle and travel point of view will change in this region. New York is already a huge destination spot, but adding casino gambling really shakes things up. Imagine a night on the town that ends at a casino at 3 AM? The possibilities are endless. High rollers will flock to New York to get their gambling fix while also having the rest of this dynamic city and its nightlife at their disposal.