The summer of 2018 has seen several states step up to offer sports betting – both live and online – to their constituents. But one thing that some thought would be swept up in the passage of sports betting regulations – the regulation of online casino gaming and poker – has failed to materialize.

Rhode Island is one step away from entering the fraternity of sports betting states in the U. S. On Wednesday, the Rhode Island Senate approved the state’s 2019 budget, complete with $23.5 million expected in revenues from a regulated sports betting industry. All that is necessary for Rhode Island to become the fourth state to enact regulations on the industry is the signature of Governor Gina Raimondo, who was expected to sign the legislation.

A s a spectator sport, poker traditionally isn’t the most engaging thing to watch. I realised this when I found myself in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas a few years ago. So, is poker 'gambling?'. Semantically, 'yes' because poker, like most other activities involves taking risks for possible ultimate reward. Legally, the answer used to be 'yes' but slowly it is becoming 'no.'. Pragmatically, 'yes' and 'no' depending on the player's ability to exploit the inherent flexibility in the game. For me poker is sport, like bridge. Unless someone wants to make gambling of it, but we can make gambling of anything. But one thing that some thought would be swept up in the passage of sports betting regulations – the regulation of online casino gaming and poker – has failed to materialize.

Live sports betting will take place in The Ocean State’s two Twin River casinos, with the betting software provided by IGT. IGT also is responsible for the operation of the state’s lottery. While it might not be thought that Rhode Island will generate a great deal of revenues, $14.75 million is expected to go to IGT and the casinos take will be around $8 million, with wagers coming in to the two casinos of slightly more than $900 million. The first bets aren’t expected to be registered in Rhode Island until October, however.

Mississippi Joins the Game

While Rhode Island passed their law first, Mississippi will officially become the fourth state to accept sports bets in their state. Last year, politicians in Jackson amended their state regulations on gaming to include sports betting, with the provision that the bets be placed in one of the state’s casinos. Those regulations were put on hold until this May, when the U. S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 and opened sports betting for individual states.

“We’ve been exploring options and locations for at least the past two months expecting it (the SCOTUS decision) to happen,” Golden Nugget general manager Chett Harrison told the Biloxi Sun Herald. “It’s definitely going to be a good boost for Mississippi.” It is expected that the first bets will be placed in Mississippi by the end of July, but no estimates have been made on what revenues will come in for the Magnolia State’s coffers.

No Go in 2018 for New York

Although success can be claimed in Rhode Island and Mississippi, the big prize of New York is going to have to wait a bit. Wednesday was the end of the legislative session and, although there was sports betting legislation in both houses in Albany, neither body’s leader wanted to pull the trigger and bring up a vote. With the close of the legislative session, it means that New York – with its 20 million citizens – will not be able to offer sports betting to its constituents.

What New York legislators will get is an example of how much money the Empire State is going to lose in the next six months. With New Jersey’s sports betting windows open for business – and mobile betting coming soon – and Pennsylvania’s online casino gaming and poker industry opening later this summer, New York is going to miss out on millions in revenues. Thus, it is thought that Albany’s legislators will quickly pass sports betting regulations in 2019.

But What About…

One thing that isn’t in the discussions regarding sports betting (and there are several other states considering passage of regulations, including Massachusetts and Michigan) is online casino gaming and poker. Once thought to potentially ride the coattails of sports betting into law, it doesn’t appear that this is the case. In New York, online poker regulation passed in the last two legislative sessions but wasn’t even under consideration in 2018.

Why aren’t the legislatures looking at both options? Perhaps it is something as simple as perception. Sports betting is a billion-dollar industry that is an “acceptable” form of gambling (and if you don’t think so, go talk to whoever won your NCAA pool this spring). Sports betting is something that has become common in the world; casino gaming and poker, whether live or online, still have a stigma attached to them.

And what about other states? It was suggested after the SCOTUS decision that, within five years, more than half the country would have regulated sports betting. In only the first two months since the SCOTUS decision was rendered, the number of states has gone from one (Nevada) to five (Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Mississippi) and shows no signs of slowing down.

Table Of Contents

Las Vegas is a gambler's paradise because it provides so many unique ways to bet, and hopefully win.

Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling in Vegas, and often times the sportsbooks will be filled with poker players.

That is because there are several skills you pick up in poker that also apply to success in sports betting.

Below you will see five of those skills. Let us know if you think we missed any by telling us in the comments!

Spotting Trends

One of the most key factors that many successful professional poker players will point to is their ability to read people and spot tells.

Tells are slight mannerisms that will often hint at whether a player is strong or weak.

Spotting these kinds of trends is often useful in sports betting as well.

Keeping an eye on key line movements will often show where the big money is going on a line, and doing homework like looking up % of individual bets compared to % of money placed is essential to being a successful sports bettor.

Being Aggressive

Poker players know when it's time to pump the breaks, and when it is time to press the gas. This also applies in sports betting.

No two betting lines are created equal.

You may have no strong feelings on one spread, while others you will be willing to place your mortgage on it.

In poker, it's key to sometimes 'save up and take a shot' at a big tournament, and the same can be said for betting.

If everything lines up for you on a particular game, don't be afraid to place a large bet on that, rather than spreading smaller bets to cover your bases.

Having said all of that, the next trend is one of upmost importance.

Bankroll Management

The #1 reason why many poker players go broke is due to poor bankroll management.

Players will often play in bigger tournaments and cash games when they are starting out, and it can often lead to funds draining away quickly.

The same can be said in sports betting.

If you have a budget of $1,000, you probably shouldn't be spending $500 on the opening weekend of the NFL season.

In fact, you shouldn't be spending any more than $50 at a time, and in this case, it would be wiser to spread your bets around, to cut down on the inevitable variance of sports betting.

Dealing with Variance

In poker, you can often do everything right, get your money in good, and you will still lose.

It is impossible to avoid getting unlucky here and there, and it can often come in waves.

That is called variance, and being able to understand what it is, and cope with that, is another key component of being a professional poker player. Again, the same applies in sports betting.

There is an insane amount of variance in sports and sports betting, and that was perfectly on display this year in the NFL.

The Eagles managed to cover their spread over the Redskins after returning a bad lateral for a touchdown against the Redskins on the final play of the game.

The same situation happened in the 49ers Falcons game, though that final touchdown flipped to the over 49 points on the game.

If you aren't prepared to be on the wrong side of those fluke coin flips once in a while, sports betting and poker probably isn't for you.

Is Poker A Sport Or Gambling Odds

Thrill of Competition

Competition. It's the reason why sports, and poker, are so popular.

Sports fandom presents the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, with a roller coaster of emotions along the way that is unlike any experience.

Now with the ability to place bets on any sporting event, you can immediately have a dog in the fight, and a team to pull for.

Poker also provides incredible competition, as only one player is truly happy at the tournament: the winner. Sports betting and poker will always be linked due to this common bond.

Oddschecker provides an odds comparison service so you can see all the odds, offers, and promotions from every single sportsbook in one place. They also provide free picks and analysis across every single sport. This means that at Oddschecker, you will always be able to see the best NFL odds and picks the market has to offer.

Is Poker A Sport Or Gambling Winnings

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