The Gambling Roots

Gambling existed from medieval times at all societal levels in various forms. The freedom of engaging in these games was hugely dependent on the social hierarchy state of the individual. Gambling sustained state and church criticism. A traditional community life element included contests that were accompanied by general revelry, drinking and heavy betting.

Bearbaiting and cockfighting in the blood sports range were popular with peasantry sectors. In other social spectrum areas, horseracing pastimes were confined to the upper classes. Horse racing and ownership operated almost exclusively in private affairs for royal patronage systems and monarchs. They organized races and entered horses to compete, personalizing them with assigning their names.

Lotteries initiated in the 15th century, and were popular but arbitrarily illegal in most cases. A widespread gambling form was dice playing and it was the standard game of the medieval period. All society sections inclusive of the clergy-despite many bans and prohibitions, pursued it. The Saxons, Romans and Danes introduced many varieties of games and playing styles, most of the games fell into two types, moving board counters (like checkers), or games that were based on dice throws. The eastern Europeans introduced playing cards toward the end of the 13th century; it became a leisure activity from an elite pastime that was popular with all social classes.

Professional painters, who received patronage from aristocrat households, handcrafted early cards on ivory and copper, wood and card. The first woodcuts on paper were, in fact, playing cards. Gambling was a status marker and leisure pursuits amongst prestigious groups. Games and cards were symbolic of cultural climates and social orders surrounding them. The printing press development in the 15th century played a crucial role in the history of cards and transformed them from aristocratic play things to mass-produced products that were enjoyed by every rank of society.

The state and church continually outlawed or limited gambling despite its growing popularity. Designed to restrict excesses of the general population resulted in legislation being targeted at the poor and therefore uneven in application. Prohibitions imposed from Catholic Churches were aimed at steering people away from idle activities and were pragmatic towards organized exertion like sports. The aim was to rally a workforce into the indigenous army, which served as an advantage to the violent Middle Ages climate.

Card playing was banned on workdays since 1397, and was further criticized. Criticism of gambling continued and the emphasis shifted to effects of disorder within rational societies aimed mainly at the mass of the population, the poor. Legislation in the 17th and 18th centuries attempted to eradicate gambling from the mass populations, by fiscal means of imposing taxes on both dice and cards, charging huge horse races entrance fees and increasing prices of lottery tickets.

European countries also introduced laws that limited public gambling to take place in licensed premises and restricted license granting to upper classes and nobility members. The poor were restricted to playing illegal, unlicensed tavern gambling while upper classes were free to a variety of games. In recent years there have been a diagnosis of gambling addiction condition, which is a progressive illness, it initiates as a recreational activity then becomes destructive with mental, spiritual and physical consequences. The main symbol is loss of control through tendencies towards bigger risks.

Gambling in excess causes depression anxiety, muscular tension, headaches and fatigue. Many addicts even engage in criminal activity to fund the habit.

Efforts to Legalize Online Gambling Again in the USA

The lobbying efforts to get Online Poker legalized in the country are only getting stronger. Poker lobbyists are backed by the multi-million dollar offshore gambling companies which are based in Antigua, Malta and other foreign sanctuaries. The lobbying efforts have been successful to some extent with the Obama administration agreeing to delay the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) til June 2010. This has given some reprieve to online gaming operators who argue that if gaming is regularized in the United States it could generate billions of dollars of tax for the Administration. However not all are convinced. Opponents argue that online gambling would increase crime rate, threaten children and increase the overall percentage of Americans addicted to gambling. Some of the major opponents are National Football League, Focus on the Family and Republican Senators like Jon Kyl from Arizona.

The primary support for legalizing online gambling are from Rep. Barney Frank (Mass.) and other Democrats who are leaving no stone unturned to legalize online gambling in the United States. Till this time online gaming lobbyists have spent more than $4 million in lobbying efforts to convince lawmakers that prohibition of online gaming is not a great idea. Other supporters include former Republican senator Alfonse M. D’Amato (N.Y.), chairman of the Poker Players Alliance who is the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance. The Poker Players Alliance has 1.2 million members and funded by the Interactive Gaming Council, a Canada-based trade group for offshore gambling firms. John Papas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance feels that prohibition is not going to succeed in any of the objectives for which it is intended. Another strong supporter of online gambling is Richard A. Gephardt whose firm is lobbying for PokerStars, a large poker gambling firm based in the Isle of Man.

The opposition to online gaming is also very vociferous and strong. It includes the four major US sports leagues, religious groups and some casinos. Their argument states that online gambling and poker will take gambling right into the living rooms of Americans which is a dangerous proposition. It is fair as long as gambling is confined to ‘brick and mortar’ casinos or a lottery store. In US online gambling is illegal under a 1961 law which was focused on bookies using telephone lines for taking bets. The UIGEA is aimed to iron out any ambiguities that are present with Internet gambling. The new law will prevent banks from accepting credit card payments, checks or any other form of electronic payment related to online gambling. However, the hard lobbying by Poker Alliance and even the financial institutions has put it on hold til June ’10. Though the Obama administration is officially neutral on the issue, it needs to be seen which direction the boat sails after June.

How to Safely Gamble Online

Safety is among the biggest concerns when it comes to surfing the Web, especially when it comes to doing business online. There is no shortage of disreputable websites intent on stealing your money or identity. Therefore, staying safe online should be your primary objective when looking for an online casino to patronize. Here is a guide to help you do just that.

Regulation

Online casinos do not have a single regulatory authority to which they answer, due in part to the fact that they exist in many different jurisdictions. However, they are still regulated. Regulatory groups exist as government agencies and third-party groups, such as the e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation Assurance (eCOGRA). These groups test the websites for safety and fairness, investigate complaints, and determine whether or not they are safe for players. You should only gamble on the website if you see proof that is has been approved by such a regulatory authority.

Software

Though some online casinos use their own game software, many buy licensed software from third-party developers with a reputation for fairness, safety and innovation. The presence of some of the biggest software names in the industry, such as Microgaming, CryptoLogic, Playtech, to name a few, can help assure that the website is legitimate and safe. These software designers have been around for a while and have built a level of trust with the players worldwide.

The games on which you gamble are controlled by a random number generator (RNG), which is a computer program that uses a complex algorithm to select a series of numbers. The numbers are generated hundreds of times every second, including when the game is not being played, and each number represents a specific outcome. The RNG is designed to guarantee that the outcomes of the games are random and that they payout within the proper percentage of time. The software is routinely tested for accuracy and fairness by the aforementioned regulatory authorities.

Banking

Banking security is vital for an online casino, since you routinely make deposits and withdrawals and share sensitive financial and personal information. All transactions on an online casino should just as safe and secure as transactions with your bank. You should expect the same level of encryption, firewall and other protective measures. Many websites buy licensed banking security software from the same companies that design the software for their games. Like the gaming software, the banking software is tested to ensure its security. Aside from encryption and other security measures, you should make sure the website will provide you with your transaction history upon request.

Money Management

Even if you find a reputable and safe online casino to join, your gambling is only safe if you manage your money wisely. If not, then you are not safe from yourself. The most important money management strategy is to never bet money that you cannot afford to lose. If losing the money would cause some type of burden for you, then do not wager it. No matter what game you play, the odds are not in your favor, which means you have a better chance of losing than of winning. Whenever you bet any money, you should do so with the understanding that you could lose it all. With that in mind, a good idea is to determine your spending limit before you ever start gambling. Determine the maximum amount you are willing to spend and then set it aside and do not spend more than that, no matter what happens when gambling, either good or bad.

Also remember that betting strategies, such as the popular Martingale strategy, will not improve your chances of winning. The odds are the same no matter how you bet. Don’t let any tricks sold by books, videos or other sources fool you.

The most common mistake people make in gambling is to lose all of their winnings by wagering it in the hopes of doubling their money. Some even see it as no risk, since they’re “playing with the house’s money.” That is poor strategy. It is a good idea to protect your winnings. Set aside some or all of it and do not wager it. Stick to wagering the money you started out with and don’t risk losing your winnings. This can lead to a happier gambling experience. Even if you lose money in the long run, you will still have some winnings left, which should leave you with some satisfaction.

Social Media Marketing And SEO

The digital world is an increasingly crowded but mandatory field that businesses owners must play in. As a Tampa business in today’s world it is now not enough to just have a website and Tampa social media marketing strategy, you also must employ a comprehensive search engine optimization plan. For this reason, the smart option is to work with a company, like Webhead Interactive that does both.

Webhead social media strategies are designed in a way to complement their SEO work. This way each end of the marketing spectrum maximizes the work of the other. The result? More traffic to your site and more customers to your business. Tampa social media is a very crowded field. Most businesses are active on one or more of the popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, even Pinterest and Instagram. For this reason it is important that your business not just be active in your Tampa social media marketing, but also be found through comprehensive SEO efforts.

Webhead Interactive, known as not only a top rated Tampa SEO company, but also the premier Tampa social media marketing agency, has the experience and expertise necessary to help businesses reach their market audience through a fully integrated and optimized social media management strategy. They work on multiple levels to be able to not only help your customers find you, but also interact with you through your social media channels. Since Webhead social media doesn’t just focus on one aspect of your digital marketing, but instead takes a 360 approach, they far surpass the impact of other social media companies in Tampa. Quicker, more powerful results and a proven track record of success.

As the leading full-service Tampa social media agency, Webhead Interactive will help you identify how your business and brand can benefit from an optimized social media presence. An example of some of the services they offer and might recommend include; custom Twitter, Google+ and YouTube backgrounds to help you promote your brand, Facebook timeline design and implementation to increase visitor click-through rates, Pinterest set-up and board strategy, content distribution and sharing strategy to maximize exposure and much more. They will also help you with your digital and social media promotional advertising strategy to further encourage engagement and fan development.

In order to make sure your Tampa business is found by the customers that are looking for you the best strategy is to maximize your online exposure by using both social media marketing and SEO as part of your communications strategy. By choosing a company like Webhead Interactive and Webhead social media, you know you are working with a team that understand and excels at both. The author has an immense knowledge on Tampa social media marketing. Know more about Webhead social media, Tampa social media marketing related info in his website.

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