Mission146 Articles

I knew someone who opened up an Internet Cafe that was nothing but a disguised slot parlor in NY about ten years ago. He leased the machines and split the profits. It went really slow for a few weeks and then the neighborhood realized what was going on and the complaints started. He had some cute scheme where you win points and sell the points to a third party so it was quasi-legal. He was in a small strip mall and the landlord didn't want to deal with the hassle so they mutually tore up the lease.
It was a financial fiasco for him and his family. He had paid almost $30,000 for an exclusive territory that was supposed to become a revenue stream as he sold or rented
to new operations. It turned out to be worthless.

Quote: billryan

I knew someone who opened up an Internet Cafe that was nothing but a disguised slot parlor in NY about ten years ago. He leased the machines and split the profits. It went really slow for a few weeks and then the neighborhood realized what was going on and the complaints started. He had some cute scheme where you win points and sell the points to a third party so it was quasi-legal. He was in a small strip mall and the landlord didn't want to deal with the hassle so they mutually tore up the lease.
It was a financial fiasco for him and his family. He had paid almost $30,000 for an exclusive territory that was supposed to become a revenue stream as he sold or rented
to new operations. It turned out to be worthless.
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They had the same things going on sometimes in South Carolina and Florida and maybe still do here and there. Similarly, it tends not to end well when State Police catch wind of it. I guess one interesting thing about the, "Skill Games," is that maybe the operators do get something by way of deniability...unless they are stupid enough to actually advertise it as a casino.

Apparently, PA is bandying about the idea of just taxing the Skill Games now as some bars and fraternal organizations say it would have been game over for them (coming out of Covid) without the games. Why they wouldn't go the Limited VLT route instead, I have no idea.

Unless they recently changed things, Pennsylvania has arcane and out dated liquor laws. The State maintains a monopoly on it.

Quote: Mission146

Apparently, PA is bandying about the idea of just taxing the Skill Games now as some bars and fraternal organizations say it would have been game over for them (coming out of Covid) without the games. Why they wouldn't go the Limited VLT route instead, I have no idea.
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I think the percentage the operator gets on a skill game may be greater than on a VLT.

Quote: billryan

Unless they recently changed things, Pennsylvania has arcane and out dated liquor laws. The State maintains a monopoly on it.
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That remains correct, though Harrisburg is more reasonable about giving beer licenses other than to distributors and restaurants, these days.

Quote: Dieter

I think the percentage the operator gets on a skill game may be greater than on a VLT.
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It depends on whether or not the operator owns the Skill Game outright. They would do better with a VLT than a Pace-O-Matic, but on the ones they own outright, the operator would get to keep all of the revenues (win). The downside to that is VLT's would probably get more action and a simple (used) skill game console/cabinet goes in the mid-$2000's, or so. These are original models as of seven or more years ago that aren't even sold new anymore and wouldn't have warranties on the resale market.

We have some Pragmatic Advice for Recreational Players today:

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/advice-for-recreational-players/

This one is light on the math, but might be of some use to many players...especially ones who might find themselves losing more than they planned to or, "Giving back," wins and then regretting it. Even if those things don't apply to you, you might still get something out of it....I don't know. I'm not exactly the best self-promoter...lol

I breezed my way through your article in about thirty seconds and didn't see anything harmful in it. After twenty-plus years of play, I don't expect to learn much from articles geared towards beginners and occasional gamblers but it seemed well written and concise.
I am curious though as to why you don't sign your articles with your real name. It's not a big deal but it struck me as a curious move.

Quote: billryan

I breezed my way through your article in about thirty seconds and didn't see anything harmful in it. After twenty-plus years of play, I don't expect to learn much from articles geared towards beginners and occasional gamblers but it seemed well written and concise.
I am curious though as to why you don't sign your articles with your real name. It's not a big deal but it struck me as a curious move.
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In addition to being Doxxed on one occasion (which is less important), I lost both online casino and land casino offers that were extended to me because I was searchable. Most online casinos, including regulated ones, have provisions where winnings can be refused if you are a, "Gambling professional," so being a gambling writer was obviously enough to fit that bill for them. I've also written specifically about beating online casino promotions, so yeah...

Similar thing with the land casino offer that was pulled.

You wouldn't learn much from it with your level of skill and thank you for the compliments! That's probably the first time I've ever been described as, "Concise."

Anyway, I used to write under my actual name and that's why I switched everything to a pseudonym.

Quote: Mission146

Quote: Dieter

I think the percentage the operator gets on a skill game may be greater than on a VLT.
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It depends on whether or not the operator owns the Skill Game outright. They would do better with a VLT than a Pace-O-Matic, but on the ones they own outright, the operator would get to keep all of the revenues (win). The downside to that is VLT's would probably get more action and a simple (used) skill game console/cabinet goes in the mid-$2000's, or so. These are original models as of seven or more years ago that aren't even sold new anymore and wouldn't have warranties on the resale market.
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When I had my two machines in NY, it was almost impossible to own your own machines. While there were a few machines for sale, they tended to be older and the companies that controlled the machines also controlled the spare parts and techs needed to keep the machines going. Leasing your machines gave you access to both of those things, and I believe they also provided some support in the event someone was arrested for possessing the machines. That was their promise, anyway. I never had a problem, but we were very discreet. The games were not where the public would see them and they were by invitation only.

Quote: billryan

When I had my two machines in NY, it was almost impossible to own your own machines. While there were a few machines for sale, they tended to be older and the companies that controlled the machines also controlled the spare parts and techs needed to keep the machines going. Leasing your machines gave you access to both of those things, and I believe they also provided some support in the event someone was arrested for possessing the machines. That was their promise, anyway. I never had a problem, but we were very discreet. The games were not where the public would see them and they were by invitation only.
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Thank you for sharing the experience! You mentioned one thing that I probably should have touched on which was the cost of repairs---which are also a factor in whether or not to own the machines outright. I don't know how everything included would break down, but my thoughts on the best setups from a pure revenue (for the operator) standpoint would be:

1.) Unregulated Skill Machines Owned Outright.

2.) Limited VLT.

3.) Unregulated Skill Machines Through a Distributor.

And, that's percentage of revenue rather than actual gross revenues. In terms of Gross Revenues, there's a reason that you don't tend to see very many (if any) Skill Games in states where Limited VLT is available. Limited VLT is pretty much best for everyone, except for those individuals where convenience gambling turns into a personal financial problem for them...I guess it's not best for the Commercial Casinos already existing in those states, either, but I certainly haven't seen any of those close in states to add VLT.

It's not just the cost of the repairs, it's the loss of revenue during the downtime. We leased our jukebox, cigarette machines, pool tables, video games and Broadway machines from the same people. If anything but the jukebox and Broadway machines broke, we'd get a tech out the next day or two. If the Juke or Broadway broke, they'd have a guy there as fast as possible, almost always the same day.

Concerning your new series on NFL schedules, to be fair to the league, I hope you'll include an article from a show business point of view. Pro sports is, after all, part of the entertainment industry. It's all about getting butts in the seats and, most importantly, TV ratings. Everything else is a distant second. (This is why there's silly rules designed to protect expensive star quarterbacks or to keep the clock running when it shouldn't to speed up the game, or to (God help us) allow for the "TV time out".

A schedule that's completely fair at a high school or collegiate level might be disastrous at the pro level in terms of, say, marquee matchups. The trick is to make things as fair as possible without sacrificing ratings.

So the divisions, once used to ease travel time on road trips, are still useful as they provide the league with eight 1st place teams to hype every week. They also give every geographical region a team to root for during the post season or, at the very least, a hated rival to root against.

I guess my point is a pro league is way better off with some silly rules, a somewhat unfair schedule, and lots of money than they are with complete fairness in all things while fighting the dodgeball league for airtime on ESPN 8 the Ocho.

Quote: Gialmere

Concerning your new series on NFL schedules, to be fair to the league, I hope you'll include an article from a show business point of view. Pro sports is, afterall, part of the entertainment industry. It's all about getting butts in the seats and, most importantly, TV ratings. Everything else is a distant second. (This is why there's silly rules designed to protect expensive star quarterbacks or to keep the clock running when it shouldn't to speed up the game, or to (God help us) allow for the "TV time out".

A schedule that's completely fair at a high school or collegiate level might be disastrous at the pro level in terms of, say, marquee matchups. The trick is to make things as fair as possible without sacrificing ratings.

So the divisions, once used to ease travel time on road trips, are still useful as they provide the league with eight 1st place teams to hype every week. They also give every geographical region a team to root for during the post season or, at the very least, a hated rival to root against.

I guess my point is a pro league is way better off with some silly rules, a somewhat unfair schedule, and lots of money than they are with complete fairness in all things while fighting the dodgeball league for airtime on ESPN 8 the Ocho.
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Gialmere,

That's an excellent idea! After I have concluded looking at all of the different seasons and making my suggestions for the best way to do it that would maximize competitive value and the concept of getting the best teams in there, I'll write an article called, "Why the NFL Doesn't (And Shouldn't) Care About Maximizing Competition."

If you want, since you seem to make great arguments in that regard, I can even forward you the article when the time comes and you can let me know if I have missed any points.

Heh. I'm not sure if that's sarcasm. If it is, apologies for the post. If it isn't then yeah, sure, sounds fun.

A detailed analysis like you're doing, however, would probably be tedious. What, for example, would be the best match-ups in a given week based only on how they will maximize the TV ratings across the league? A game featuring two 1st place teams would be must see. But, would it be better ratings wise to instead pit one them against a 2nd place team on winning streak, and the other against a 3rd place team with a household name quarterback that has a shot at the playoffs?

How is a team perceived by the fans? Did it do well last season? How is it doing this season? Does a team have any glamor power? When the NFL expanded and created eight divisions, some AFC teams grumbled that they might only host the Cowboys once every eight years, and America's Team is guaranteed to sellout your stadium.

Quote: Gialmere

Heh. I'm not sure if that's sarcasm. If it is, apologies for the post. If it isn't then yeah, sure, sounds fun.

A detailed analysis like you're doing, however, would probably be tedious. What, for example, would be the best match-ups in a given week based only on how they will maximize the TV ratings across the league? A game featuring two 1st place teams would be must see. But, would it be better ratings wise to instead pit one them against a 2nd place team on winning streak, and the other against a 3rd place team with a household name quarterback that has a shot at the playoffs?

How is a team perceived by the fans? Did it do well last season? How is it doing this season? Does a team have any glamor power? When the NFL expanded and created eight divisions, some AFC teams grumbled that they might only host the Cowboys once every eight years, and America's Team is guaranteed to sellout your stadium.
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If my intent was to be sarcastic, I'd leave no room for doubt! I figured I would tack it on as a paragraph or two, but your idea to make an actual article out of it (and maybe try to research to come up with more reasons) is a really great idea. With that, I would definitely very much appreciate if you were to look it over in advance of it being published.

They probably do have to put TV ratings above all else, given the TV revenue split that the league does.

Trying to beat the machines straight up in casinos and why I haven't been doing it much lately:

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/the-state-of-machine-ap/

Wherein I read and review The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison, which got me wondering if people with gambling problems are possibly looking for something and, if so, what could it be?

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/where-can-gambling-find-meaning/

Quote: Mission146

Wherein I read and review The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison, which got me wondering if people with gambling problems are possibly looking for something and, if so, what could it be?

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/where-can-gambling-find-meaning/
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Yeah, i've had that impulsive feeling of what would it be like if i did this or that crazy thing.
i thought it was just being an adrenaline junkie.

I've sky dived and bungee jumped. would have driven on a nascar race track except the day to show up i found out the racecar was stick. i dont know how to drive stick.

I thought of other things where there would be no safety net but never go though with it precisely because there's no safety net and there's great possibility that i might die.

So it's called the Void.
Thx

Quote: Mission146

Wherein I read and review The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison, which got me wondering if people with gambling problems are possibly looking for something and, if so, what could it be?

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/where-can-gambling-find-meaning/
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wanted to take a moment to express thanks to Mission for making a tremendous contribution to this forum


.

Quote: 100xOdds

Quote: Mission146

Wherein I read and review The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison, which got me wondering if people with gambling problems are possibly looking for something and, if so, what could it be?

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/where-can-gambling-find-meaning/
link to original post

Yeah, i've had that impulsive feeling of what would it be like if i did this or that crazy thing.
i thought it was just being an adrenaline junkie.

I've sky dived and bungee jumped. would have driven on a nascar race track except the day to show up i found out the racecar was stick. i dont know how to drive stick.

I thought of other things where there would be no safety net but never go though with it precisely because there's no safety net and there's great possibility that i might die.

So it's called the Void.
Thx
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You're very welcome! I take it you didn't watch a ton of Nascar beforehand? I've watched a small amount of Nascar, but when they go to the car cam, you can sometimes see the drivers shifting.

Quote: lilredrooster

Quote: Mission146

Wherein I read and review The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison, which got me wondering if people with gambling problems are possibly looking for something and, if so, what could it be?

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/where-can-gambling-find-meaning/
link to original post

wanted to take a moment to express thanks to Mission for making a tremendous contribution to this forum


.
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That's extremely kind of you; thank you very much!