sports betting infomercials from the 1990s
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:29:33 PM
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Just curious if anybody ever did an analysis (or knew how to discredit) all the sports betting infomercials that used to be broadcast on stations like the USA Network back in the 1990s.
I remember being a kid and seeing Wayne Root (only name I remember, now I saw on wikipedia that he's high-up in the Libertarian Party) and others on a "panel" where they'd discuss the football games of the week, and maybe one person on the panel would give you his pick, but the rest would ask you to call their hotline and pay $60 to hear all their 5-star picks that week, along with their once-in-a-lifetime super-mega-lock guaranteed winner. They always bragged about picking 75% winners or going undefeated the week prior.
I've heard about how sketchy stockbrokers would cold call people, make wild predictions, and for the few where their prediction came true, they'd call back the next week and ask for them to pay to hear their next pick. But that was cold-calling... this was an infomercial for a recorded telephone message. Wouldn't it be false advertising (and thus subject to FCC regulations) if they fudged their numbers, considering how somebody could rat them out saying "you told the world you were 5-0 last week, but you were actually 2-3"...?
Have to believe that these infomercials made the bulk of their money from repeat customers, as opposed to getting a new sucker every week, so what's the catch? They couldn't possibly have all been hitting on 60-80% of their recommendations like they claimed.
I remember being a kid and seeing Wayne Root (only name I remember, now I saw on wikipedia that he's high-up in the Libertarian Party) and others on a "panel" where they'd discuss the football games of the week, and maybe one person on the panel would give you his pick, but the rest would ask you to call their hotline and pay $60 to hear all their 5-star picks that week, along with their once-in-a-lifetime super-mega-lock guaranteed winner. They always bragged about picking 75% winners or going undefeated the week prior.
I've heard about how sketchy stockbrokers would cold call people, make wild predictions, and for the few where their prediction came true, they'd call back the next week and ask for them to pay to hear their next pick. But that was cold-calling... this was an infomercial for a recorded telephone message. Wouldn't it be false advertising (and thus subject to FCC regulations) if they fudged their numbers, considering how somebody could rat them out saying "you told the world you were 5-0 last week, but you were actually 2-3"...?
Have to believe that these infomercials made the bulk of their money from repeat customers, as opposed to getting a new sucker every week, so what's the catch? They couldn't possibly have all been hitting on 60-80% of their recommendations like they claimed.
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:51:41 PM
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I don't know that much about it. One problem I have with today's touts is the lines on the picks they give are nowhere to be found.
Wayne Allen Root, by the way, was the vice presidential nominee for the Libertarian ticket in the last election.
Wayne Allen Root, by the way, was the vice presidential nominee for the Libertarian ticket in the last election.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:35:54 PM
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Quote: FlavorFlav
Have to believe that these infomercials made the bulk of their money from repeat customers, as opposed to getting a new sucker every week, so what's the catch? They couldn't possibly have all been hitting on 60-80% of their recommendations like they claimed.
One of the most popular methods for touts is just to give out both sides of a game. Suppose they get 1000 calls on their game of the week. In a game of A vs. B, give 500 people team A, and 500 team B. Team B covers. The next week the 500 who got B call back for the C vs. D game. Give 250 of them Team C, and 250 Team D. Team C covers. Those 250 call back for next week, and you give 125 of them one team and 125 the opposite. You get the picture. After 5 weeks or so you have a core group who think you are 5-0, and will be willing to pay a large amount for the next pick. And by the way,
Quote: FlavorFlav
once-in-a-lifetime super-mega-lock guaranteed winner
is awesome.
