Golf's prince of darkness?

[robnplunder]

It is hard for me to grasp the numbers, but with a net worth approaching 300 million 3 million gambling stash is a drop in the bucket. I have had more than one percent of my net worth out on bets all the time and didn't expose me to any undue stress. There is always a fine line, but generally if you are a sports bettor you got to have enough on it "to feed the competitive juices" but not enough to hurt you. I have to budget for mine each year to keep me in line, but Im sure he doesn't have to.


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Gambling is often a lifelong addiction, pots getting progressively bigger. Phil (anyone) shouldn't be messing with gambling to the extent of being in this kind of investigation. That $300M can disappear before he knows it. OTHO, I guess we will see Phil playing golf for long time to come to support his habit.

 

[gcgang]

Isn't his "habit" against the law, assuming you're not in Nv.?


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[Mulligan]

Isn't his "habit" against the law, assuming you're not in Nv.?


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Nope, not in the Feds eyes anyways. Taking the bets and the processing end of it is though. And before the 2006 law that was attached in the fine print as a rider with an unrelated shipping bill you could bet online through a regulated out of country sportsbook website. The free economy at work as they had better lines and lower vig. But the regulated offshore ones abandoned US because of fear of seizure of assets, leaving only the private and dubious ones left. Technically it is still not illegal for the bettor, its just illegal for them to take your money or credit cards to process your request. It is a constant game of cat and mouse now getting the money processed and returned.
Some states have it on the books but it is never enforced. From what I have read no one has ever went to jail for making a bet. Though I am sure a few people may have died from not paying!


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[harley]

Gambling is often a lifelong addiction, pots getting progressively bigger. Phil (anyone) shouldn't be messing with gambling to the extent of being in this kind of investigation. That $300M can disappear before he knows it. OTHO, I guess we will see Phil playing golf for long time to come to support his habit.

This is strawman logic, and doesn't take into consideration that most gamblers, just like most drug users, aren't addicted. They are just doing something that they enjoy, and are well able to handle it. Not saying there are no addicts, just that there is an often unacknowledged difference between participants and abusers.

Phil is being investigated for money laundering, not for gambling. Again, similarly to the war on drugs, if it wasn't illegal it wouldn't be an issue. As long as he isn't betting against his score, I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to do whatever gambling he wants. Heck, betting on himself to win would give him even more incentive.

 

[Mulligan]

This is strawman logic, and doesn't take into consideration that most gamblers, just like most drug users, aren't addicted. They are just doing something that they enjoy, and are well able to handle it. Not saying there are no addicts, just that there is an often unacknowledged difference between participants and abusers.

Phil is being investigated for money laundering, not for gambling. Again, similarly to the war on drugs, if it wasn't illegal it wouldn't be an issue. As long as he isn't betting against his score, I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to do whatever gambling he wants. Heck, betting on himself to win would give him even more incentive.

I love betting on golf pairings in majors if I am out in Vegas during a major. Especially on Sunday. Take the guy opposite the one who went low on Saturday. Or even better pray Jim Furyk is leading a tournament on start of Sunday and fade him. Its like an annuity! Now Phil....If he announced he had a $50,000 bet to win on a Sunday I would join him. But if he said its 3 million I would fade him. Too much pressure makes the golf swing crumble!


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[Big_Hitter]

I think most of us that regularly play in club tournaments, whether it's league, a medal or match play event, bet on ourselves. Heck I usually throw in $5 for the skins game. Just paying the entry fee is a form of gambling.


Last year the Calcutta at our member/guest was mid 5 figures for 60 teams. I usually pay $200 to buy 1/4 of my team and I'll buy my team if the bidding is low enough.

 

[Mulligan]

I think most of us that regularly play in club tournaments, whether it's league, a medal or match play event, bet on ourselves. Heck I usually throw in $5 for the skins game. Just paying the entry fee is a form of gambling.


Last year the Calcutta at our member/guest was mid 5 figures for 60 teams. I usually pay $200 to buy 1/4 of my team and I'll buy my team if the bidding is low enough.

Those are fun. I am in one or two a year also. But my favorite local tourney you have to do a little thinking. There are so many sandbaggers and the shootout numbers are low at 3-4-5. So sometimes you dont even bother with Calcutta because if you have major baggers they will shoot out on purpose just to win the calcutta and leave the first place prize available to the scrubs like me to collect.


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[Running_Man]

When Phil Mickelson bets millions of dollars, I am highly confident it is not possible Phil is not be betting on himself. And he wouldn't even have to be betting against himself for this to be wrong, he could not bet on himself for several tournaments and golf bad then when odds improve, bet on himself and go all out to win. Horse racing stables have run this scam for years.

 

[Mulligan]

When Phil Mickelson bets millions of dollars, I am highly confident it is not possible Phil is not be betting on himself. And he wouldn't even have to be betting against himself for this to be wrong, he could not bet on himself for several tournaments and golf bad then when odds improve, bet on himself and go all out to win. Horse racing stables have run this scam for years.

If he is a logical person I would guess his bets are the usual suspects of football, NBA, and maybe a major fight. Golf is a very tiny betting market. In Vegas I have hit $500 limits. Betting to win a golf tourney with 150 other participants is a hard way to go. I would be shocked if his biggest golf bets aren't on the pretourney practice rounds with other pros, skipping the bookie.


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