Month: March 2023
Women at the Casino Online
The fairer sex is fast becoming a dominating presence at nearly every casino online, and not merely as some man’s “lucky charm”. Back in 2002, a study revealed that women made up about 60% of all casino online players. The pit boss only knows what the numbers are today (though one study puts it at 53%) but one thing is for certain: long gone are the days of gambling, whether online or off, being purely a man’s world.
The anonymity of the web makes it easier for women to be taken seriously as they sit down at the casino online table — though for certain many a lady has taken full advantage of not being taken seriously at the casino and wound up rolling the table over. Many male gamblers, in fact, present themselves as women in order to profit from the deception. Likewise many female gamblers disguise themselves at the casino online as men in order to reap the rewards deception garners. The popular name for these gender-bending players, incidentally, is Betrosexual
Take the game of multiplayer poker — one of the many multiplayer games where Betrosexuals run most rampant. 62% of all women surveyed in the U.S. play the game as often as 4 times each month, with 5 out of every 6 of them preferring to play at the casino online. Statistics suggest that at least 1 out of every 6 online poker players is a woman, with that number widely expected to grow. But Betrosexuals and multi-player games notwithstanding, gals still enjoy a good adrenaline rush as much as any guy, and it’s nowhere more apparent than at the casino online.
At least one casino online hosts a Ladies Only Player Forum and there’s at least one casino online that caters strictly to women players. Many others run weekly Ladies Night promotions highlighting particular games with fabulous bonus prizes — slots, video poker, craps, etc. — all of which seem to attract women gamblers in droves. And if a casino online offers online bingo, you can be sure the numbers are even higher. There are even ladies-only casino online portal/directory sites.
A recent U.K. study conducted at the University of Dundee found that a high percentage of women in Scotland have turned to the casino online to combat depression and other emotional difficulties as well as to cope with failing relationships.
Whether it’s the comfort and safety of playing from their own computer, the anonymity of sitting in with a bunch of men who otherwise may not treat them as equals (or even let them join in), or the confidence and wealth that the long-overdue emergence of women in business and leadership roles has brought, women are here at the casino online, and they’re here to stay.
One likely consequence of this female infusion in the casino online industry will be in the way online casinos are promoted. Before long, we’re bound to see svelte male models displayed on the landing pages of every casino online right alongside the buxom female models who have so successfully enticed new players through their virtual doors for oh so long.
Australian Elite Compete At The Championships
Australian racing's equivalent of the Breeders' Cup commences this Friday night, as Day 1 of “The Championships at Randwick” showcases global Group 1 talent across a multitude of conditions and distances. The two-day elite event, which concludes next Friday night, features AU$20 million in purses. Sky Racing World's Jason Witham and FanDuel TV's Andrew “Dubbs” Anderson will be broadcasting live from Sydney's Royal Randwick on FanDuel TV. First post is 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT.
The TJ Smith Stakes (Race 7) exemplifies Australia's status as the world's premier source of turf sprinters. Nature Strip (7-2), who crushed his rivals at Royal Ascot last summer, appears to be finally succumbing to the reality of aging. Yet, after two subpar efforts this campaign, trainer Chris Waller is bullish that the 8-year-old has rebounded and is fully capable of a record fourth victory in this race.
The performance by Godolphin mare In Secret to win last month's G1 Newmarket Handicap rated so highly that connections of sixth-place finisher The Astrologist sent their horse to Dubai. The Astrologist, ignored in the wagering at 26-1, went within a head of upsetting the G1 Al Quoz Sprint last Saturday. There is no question that In Secret would have won comfortably, but she's only the 5-1 third wagering choice for the TJ Smith! Giga Kick (5-2 favorite) won last October's The Everest, the world's richest race on turf, at just his 5th career start while still three days short of his actual third birthday. Giga Kick's comeback race from a layoff was tremendous, as he savaged the finish line from well off the pace in a G2 five-furlong race on March 3.
Giga Kick will have the services of Australia's international riding star, 40-year-old Zac Purton, who has spent the past decade dazzling racing fans in Hong Kong. Purton secured a release from Hong Kong to ride at the “Sydney Autumn Carnival,” and made an immediate impact by landing a G1 double on March 3. Purton has enjoyed an epic Hong Kong rivalry with Brazilian Joao Moreira, holding a 5-4 edge in riding titles after outdueling Moreira on closing day last season. Moreira is now in semi-retirement, but rode on Dubai World Cup night and has now joined Purton in Sydney for The Championships. Moreira rides 50-1 longshot Paulele in the TJ Smith.
Friday night's richest race is the AU$4 million Doncaster Mile (Race 8), a time-honored handicap dating back to 1866. The Doncaster Mile features the delayed Australian debut of star U.S. mare Going Global (40-1), who was profiled in last week's article before being scratched. Going Global was withdrawn from a Group 1 race for fillies and mares after drawing an extremely wide gate. While faring much better in the Doncaster draw, her 19 opponents include numerous top-quality males.
Mr Brightside (9-2 favorite) is the defending Doncaster champion, and will be another first-time ride for the in-demand Zac Purton. Joao Moreira, Purton's Hong Kong sparring partner, rides Fangirl (6-1) for champion trainer Chris Waller. A high-class mare, Fangirl has three straight minor placings behind Australia's best horse, Anamoe. Waller also prepares 3-year-old filly Zougotcha (7-1), a G1 winner at the Randwick Mile last October. Alligator Blood (10-1), whose popularity borders on a cult following, is 5-for-10 in Group 1 races.
The Doncaster Mile's handicap conditions make Protagonist (9-1) the horse to beat. With solid, but non-stakes, form in England, the William Haggas trainee has snuck under the radar of the racing secretary. Protagonist will carry only 110 pounds, versus highweight Alligator Blood's 126. Protagonist won a G3 at 1 1/4 miles in his Australian debut, beating impressive subsequent winner Zeyrek. His biggest obstacle is cutting back to below his typical distance range. While Protagonist's English form lacks Group status, his last race there yielded a second-place finish to Algiers, runner-up last Saturday in the Dubai World Cup.
The Australian Derby (Race 9) looks to be at the mercy of ace New Zealander Sharp 'N' Smart, who boasts Group 1 wins on both sides of the Tasman Sea. Sharp 'N' Smart is already lurking near the top of future book markets for November's Melbourne Cup. He won last October's Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick, and showed he's right on song with a last-start victory in the New Zealand Derby at the same journey (1 1/2 miles) as Friday night's assignment. Bookmakers eased his odds fractionally to 5-2 after Smart 'N' Sharp drew a horrendous post position. However, the tough Kiwi gelding has overcome wide trips previously – including in the Spring Champion when ridden by Hugh Bowman (of Winx fame), who again is entrusted with the navigational duties this Friday night.
Golden Slipper runner-up Cylinder headlines the Sires Produce Stakes (Race 6). Two weeks after finishing second as favorite in the world's richest 2-year-old race, the Godolphin colt (6-5) will aim to go one better while rising from six to seven furlongs.
The Randwick card will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV this Friday night (First Post: 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Hawkesbury, Doomben and Ascot. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances, and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.
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Kentucky State Senate Resolution ‘Urges’ Federal HISA Funding Review
Kentucky's state senate adopted a resolution by voice vote Mar. 29 that will “urge” the overseers of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and elected federal politicians “to review the funding methodology of HISA and ensure that they provide uniform treatment to all states,” according to a summary of the measure posted on the web page of the Kentucky General Assembly.
Senators Damon Thayer and John Schickel sponsored the resolution, which was both introduced and passed on Wednesday.
The resolution describes itself as a means of “expressing concerns regarding the unintended consequences of the current funding methodology of HISA.”
A phone message left for Thayer on Thursday seeking details about what impact he believes the state resolution might have at the federal level did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story.
The text of the resolution reads as follows:
“WHEREAS, the Senate recognizes the need for the safety and welfare of horses and jockeys, confidence in the fairness of competition, consistent oversight and regulation, and national uniformity and harmonization in the rules of the horse racing industry; and
“WHEREAS, the Senate believes that HISA, IF implemented properly, can achieve these objectives and enhance the reputation of horse racing in the United States; and
“WHEREAS, the Senate is aware that concerns have been raised by others regarding the unintended consequences that may arise from the current funding methodology, which does not provide uniform treatment to all states and may place undue economic pressure on horsemen and the racing industry in Kentucky; and
“WHEREAS, the Senate acknowledges that it is important to the prosperity of Kentucky horse racing that the safety of the human and equine athletes and the integrity of the sport be paramount;
“NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
“1. The Kentucky Senate urges the Federal Trade Commission and the HISA Authority to review the funding methodology of HISA and ensure that they provide uniform treatment to all states.
“2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission, the Board of Directors of the HISA Authority, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and Kentucky's Congressional delegation.”
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