Monthly Archives: April 2020

What American Sporting Fans Can Look Forward To After Quarantine

Whether it be American Football, horse racing, golf or indeed any other sport, the American sporting calendar looks full to the brim of excitement and entertainment. Here’s what a sporting fan can look forward to in the USA in 2020.

Triple Crown Horse Racing

The summer of 2020 does not get any more thrilling for horse racing fans. With the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes – or, in racing terms the Triple Crown – taking place in September now – racing and betting enthusiasts will not be disappointed.

The Triple Crown has been won just 13 times in its history. The first came in 1919 with Sir Barton and the most recent in 2018 as Justify romped home. Game Winner appears to be the best to win all three with odds of 40/1. Racehorse Improbable also looks a decent punt at 66/1, but you can monitor the odds at online casino US sites as the Crown approaches.

The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is one of the most celebrated events in the world, never mind just North America.

The Super Bowl will hopefully go ahead in the New Year giving sports fans across the world something to look forward to.

Masters Golf

When the golfing calendar is sent out, the event that the majority look out for is the Masters. The toughest and most entertaining competition of the professional golfing year, the Masters has everything, even that elusive green jersey.

The Masters will now take place in September at the Augusta National Golf Club with Tiger Woods the reigning champion – 22 years after securing his first Masters. Woods is 10/1 with gambling and casino games sites to defend his title with favourite Rory McIlroy not far ahead at 9/1.

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500 – or, simply the Indy 500 – is THE event for racing fans. With 33 cars racing 200 laps on a 2.5 mile circuit in a 257,000-capacity stadium – the world’s largest spectator sporting facility – everything is on a huge scale. This includes the astonishing $2.5 million prize money.

The U.S Open

It is the final competition that makes up the tennis Grand Slam and therefore, arguably, the most important.

A $57 million prize fund is an incredible amount of money; no wonder then that viewing figures and attendance records continue to tumble as American tennis’ standout competition continues to pull in the interest.

Unlikely, yet brilliant winners: the best Grand National upsets

The Grand National: horse racing’s most popular contest. In fact, last year’s Randox Health Grand National had over 600 million viewers around the world. Gambling sites and real money online pokies have dubbed the race the “ultimate test of horse and rider” due to the extremely lengthy four-mile distance and menacing jumps, the National has been a feature in the horse racing calendar for over 200 years. And, that shows little sign of slowing down.

Its £1 million prize fund is an incredible earner for jockeys, but the National is also responsible for taking in over £300 million in bets from punters hoping to get lucky.

This years event has been cancelled and replaced with a virtual version, and odds will be available on the day across bookmaker sites and online casinos United Kingdom.

There have been some unbelievable Grand Nationals over the years, and with this year's event cancelled, we’ve decided to look at the horses which have created the greatest upsets.

Foinavon – 1967 – 100/1

Winners that have been rated at 100/1 don’t really tend to pop up that often. 1967 was, however, the exception. Foinavon, ridden by John Buckingham, was able to avoid a pile-up – later called “a battlefield” – at the 23rd fence caused by loose horse Popham Down to screech to an unlikely if superb victory. In fact, Buckingham was so unfancied that neither his own nor trainer made the journey to Aintree, making the victory even more sweet.

Mon Mome – 2009 – 100/1

Wind the clock forward 42 years and the next 100/1 winner was finally found: Mon Mome. Jockey Liam Treadwell rode a perfect race as Mon Mome thrashed the rest of the field to streak home, a dozen lengths ahead of Comply Or Die in second. That old cliche of a horse not knowing his price stands true as Mon Mome secured one of the easiest National victories in history.

Ayala – 1963 – 66/1

Ayala was given no chance at the 1963 National – that prediction was epitomized by the fact that a 19-year-old was given the reigns. Pat Buckley was the rider, with Ayala thought to be lucky if it even made it round a circuit.

But, the applecart was well and truly upset as Ayala and Buckley rode to glory, having been given odds at 66/1. Keith Piggott – Lester’s father – was the owner – as Ayala finished half a length in front of Carrickbeg.

Auroras Encore – 2013 – 66/1

Hardly given a chance before the race began, Ryan Mania on Auroras Encore – trained by Sue Smith – defied the 66/1 odds slapped upon him and his horse to win by a comfortable nine lengths. Cappa Bleu finished second, but no one could deny Mania victory in what was one of the most memorable triumphs in recent years. Though, few people cheered as bookmakers secured victory.

Last Suspect – 1985 – 50/1

Back to the archives and to the 1980s as Hywel Davies on Last Suspect shocked the field and blew fellow competitors out of the water to take home the National in ‘85. 11-year-old Last Suspect triumphed by one-and-a-half lengths over Mr Snugfit, with the tense finish ensuring backers held on to their breath until the last possible second.

Are These The Best January Transfer Window Signings Ever?

A much more risky and often hastily approach is taken by clubs in January. If things are going worse than expected then new recruits are looked at to stem the flow of bad results. On the other hand, if things are looking good then a signing or two is desired in order to push the club on to greatness – whether that be promotion or Premier League European spots.

The likes of Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll are all too familiar with the pressure heaped upon a January transfer window target, but what about those signings that actually succeeded?

Danny Drinkwater – Manchester United to Leicester 2012

One of those players that seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth since moving to Chelsea is Danny Drinkwater who began his career at Manchester United. The midfielder progressed the club’s youth system only to find first-team chances extremely limited.

Following a series of successful loans to Championship clubs, United sold Drinkwater to Leicester for £1m in January 2012.

Positioned at the beating heart of the Leicester side, Drinkwater proved key in the Foxes’ promotion to the top tier and then the title-winning season under Claudio Ranieri when they defied the odds of bookmakers and top online casinos around the world.

Clint Dempsey – New England Revolution to Fulham 2007

Carlos Bocanegra and Brian McBride had already shown Fulham that the American market was worth looking at. Yet, they were nothing on Clint Dempsey. Signed for just £2m in January 2007, Dempsey became one of Fulham’s greatest imports, scoring 50 goals in 184 appearances.

The physical demands of the Premier League mattered little for the striker. Fulham defied bookmakers and best online casino sites odds on the way to the 2010 Europa League Final which will forever be etched into Fulham history. Dempsy departed in 2012 to join Tottenham for £6m.

Yakubu – Maccabi Haifa to Portsmouth 2003

Portsmouth were set for promotion in 2003, but Harry Redknapp couldn’t resist a deal to bring free-scoring Yakubu to the club.

He scored on debut against Grimsby Town and then netted seven times in 14 appearances, joining Pompey permanently in summer 2003. Yakubu ended up scoring 29 in 65 appearances for Portsmouth before moving to Middlesbrough in 2005.

Nigel Reo-Coker – Wimbledon to West Ham 2004

Wimbledon’s financial plight saw the vultures circle and West Ham took advantage, signing under-21 England international Nigel Reo-Coker at a discount price.

Then Hammers coach Alan Pardew made Reo-Coker captain as the midfielder led his side back to the Premier League and the 2006 FA Cup Final, but left after three years to sign for Aston Villa at £8.5m.

John Stones – Barnsley to Everton 2013

Now an England regular, John Stones began his career at Oakwell, leaving the club on the last day of the transfer window to Everton for £3m.

Stones eased himself into the centre-back position in the Premier League, earning a reputation for being a confident, ball-playing defender. Stones was then sold on to Manchester City for £47.5m in 2016.

How Florida’s economy would boom with the legalization of gambling

Gambling has always been a sore spot in the United States. Whilst there is no federal law that prohibits gambling in general, individual states differ greatly in their attitudes towards the industry. The states of Utah and Hawaii, for example, have declared gambling illegal. The legalization of sports betting in May 2018 by the Supreme Court has, however, changed a lot of attitudes as more states move towards more gambling-friendly stances.

As gambling becomes an incredibly lucrative industry through the development of the online gambling world, there has been pressure applied through many channels. As the online world continues to grow elsewhere, the US could well be left behind.

In many states, including Florida, laws on gambling can be tough and restrictive with sports and online betting heavily controlled and many land-based casinos licensed. But, there have been continuous efforts from senators and campaigners to change these restrictions, improving the chances of legalization and regulation in the near future. But, just how would this affect Florida?

Financial benefits

Native American tribes tend to profit from gambling and the same can be said of the Seminole tribe in Florida which nets approximately $2.5 billion a year from gambling. Even non-tribal gambling groups hit the $500 million revenue mark in 2019.

Combined, this is a remarkable amount considering the limits placed on the industry by the state. Just imagine, therefore, if those restrictions were lifted. In fact, that figure would rise to an eye-watering $10 billion.

People can play an array of online games ranging from traditional roulette and blackjack, to free spins on the latest themed slots.

Though sports betting is not as lucrative as online casinos, it does still make up 20% of gross gambling revenues in those nations with complete legalization. With that in mind, legal sports betting in Florida could churn out as much as $500 million to a billion dollars a year. All in all, the gambling industry would generate an incredible amount of revenue for the Sunshine State.

Taxes

Florida currently has a revenue-sharing agreement with the Seminole tribe, which amounts to around $300 million a year, but, even in 2019, the tribe decided to withhold their money from the state. This highlights the trouble that the government has had with tax revenues from tribal gambling.

A fully licensed and regulated online gambling and sports betting industry would provide the Sunshine State with a more reliable and larger source of tax income that could then be diverted into public spending.

Jobs

Floridians can still gamble online with no specific law to stop them, with the law mainly concerned about stopping those wanting to create online gambling companies within the actual state.

Not only does this encourage money to leave the state, job growth is also stunted. Legalizing online gambling in Florida would substantially improve the chances of job opportunities for Floridians. Indeed, at least 30,000 extra jobs is the figure that has been touted which could certainly help a state with over 350,000 currently out of work.

Problem gambling

With every pro for introducing gambling, there is of course the con of the issues that come with it. That, of course, includes problem gambling. More gambling facilities in Florida has been opposed because it would lead to a greater number of problem gamblers and thus a spike in social issues. But, if one looks at the UK’s example of providing well-developed safety nets and monitoring tactics, it does not have to be a huge issue.

Five Premier League Young Guns To Keep An Eye On

The Premier League prides itself on the elevation of young talent from scholarships to reserve to first-team with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tammy Abraham and Marcus Rashford all having come through top flight youth systems. But, sometimes, youth players find it difficult to breach the first-team glass ceiling. Here are five that are worth keeping an eye out for:

Phil Foden

Touted as the next David Silva, Phil Foden has found game time difficult to come by for Manchester City this season, despite head coach Pep Guardiola labelling the midfielder the “most talented player” he had ever seen and one that he wouldn’t sell him for £500 million.

Foden has played over half an hour in a Premier League match just once – away at Arsenal on the 15th of December – and just over two hours all season. Though signing a new five-year contract in December 2018, the 19-year-old has failed to make his mark on City and the top flight just yet.

Rhian Brewster

19-year-old Liverpool starlet Rhian Brewster has failed to penetrate Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad who are current 1/100 favorites to win the EPL with the best usa sports betting sites. In fact, the Golden Boot winner from the Under-17s World Cup Final in 2017 and now six-times capped Under-21s international, has not represented Liverpool at all in the Premier League so far this season – and just twice in the EFL Cup – and has only ever made two top flight appearances in a Liverpool jersey.

However, when looking at the competition in front of him – Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino – there is perhaps no surprise that Brewster has not yet been given the nod by Klopp.

Oliver Skipp

It is never a welcoming sight for a youngster when your club goes out and smashes their club-record transfer for a player specialising in your position. But that’s exactly what Oliver Skipp has had to face since Tottenham’s capture of £65 million-rated Tanguy Ndombele.

Three times capped by the England Under-21s, Skipp has accumulated a grand total of 12 minutes on the field for Spurs so far this season In fact, the midfielder played more games in 2018-19 with eight than the three he has mustered so far. And, with the arrival of Jose Mourinho whose blocking of youth has sometimes been questioned, Skipp could face a lengthy wait for another opportunity.

Morgan Gibbs-White

Whilst the three above have failed to crack the first-team, Morgan Gibbs-White has cracked it and then fallen out of favour. The midfielder played 26 games for Wolves in 2018-19, but has managed just three this season.

Another member of the England Under-17s that won the Euros two years ago, 19-year-old Gibbs-White seems to have been dropped out of head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s reckoning, playing just two hours of soccer in the top flight.

Ben Johnson

Given West Ham’s defensive frailties, they currently find themselves at 3/1 with gambling sites and real money slots platforms.

Many Hammers fans are still wondering why Ben Johnson has not been given an opportunity. At 19 years of age, Johnson made his debut against champions Manchester City last season, man-marking Riyad Mahrez as West Ham lost just 1-0. Though playing at left-back that game, Johnson’s natural position is a right-back, having made the change from winger.

Johnson has failed to make an appearance for Manuel Pellegrini in the top flight this season, but all that could change when the Premier League season resumes.