Wager Mage
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Why do seniors gamble?

"They go to the casino to escape regrets, loneliness, isolation, sadness. And when they start losing money, they find themselves with even bigger problems and regrets." Video gambling machines, now permitted in more than 40 states, are the overwhelming favorite among older casino-goers, Hunter says.

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Out of service - off duty 10-7od Out of service - off duty. 10-8 In service/available for assignment. 10-9 Repeat last transmission.

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Older people with dementia are at especially high risk because they are unable to recognize limitations or use appropriate judgments. And dopamine agonists, a class of prescription drugs used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome, seem to be associated with compulsive gambling as a side effect, according to Marc Potenza, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at Yale University who studies problem gambling. Psychologists also suspect that people are more likely to run into problems if they turn to gambling for the wrong reasons — to escape loneliness, depression or even chronic pain. "For a lot of the older people we see, it was never about the money," says Gordon Greco, 62, a compulsive gambler most of his life who now works as a counselor for the Problem Gambling Center in Las Vegas. "They go to the casino to escape regrets, loneliness, isolation, sadness. And when they start losing money, they find themselves with even bigger problems and regrets." Video gambling machines, now permitted in more than 40 states, are the overwhelming favorite among older casino-goers, Hunter says. And that puts them at even greater risk. Although any kind of gambling can become addictive, video slot and poker machines are the most seductive because they offer the greatest escape, experts say. "Machine gambling is really the crack cocaine of compulsive gambling," says Lia Nower, the director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Indeed, in Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology anthropologist Natasha Schull argues that mechanical rhythms that lull players into a trance-like state are deliberately built into electronic gambling machines. In what Schull calls the "machine zone," gamblers quickly lose track of daily worries, social demands and even their bodily needs. Some psychologists and psychiatrists specialize in treating gambling addiction. Compulsive gamblers, these experts say, suffer from low self-esteem and fall into two broad categories: action gamblers, who relish excitement and believe they can beat the house, and escape gamblers, who seek to forget about pain or trauma in their lives. Gamblers Anonymous programs are available in most parts of the country. Breaking a gambling addiction isn't easy, but GA programs do help some people. "It saved my life," says Marilyn Lancelot. After being released from prison, she began attending GA meetings. She slowly paid off her debts and has managed to steer clear of gambling. "For a recovering gambler, there's always the itch to try it again," she admits. "But I know now that if I give in to it, I'm dead."

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What does +6.5 mean in betting?

Chicago +6.5 means that Chicago is the underdog and has been “spotted” or “given” 6.5 points; if Chicago loses by 6 or fewer points, it is a winning bet (if Chicago pulls an outright upset, it is also a winning bet).

What does line mean in sports betting?

What does “line” mean as a sports betting term?

Another term for “point spread.” It is the betting “line” or gambling odds used to determine the parameters for wagering on either the favorite or underdog in a sporting event. The practice of wagering on a line was encourages betting on both sides involved in the contest. Rather than just picking an outright winner, gamblers are able to wager on the final margin of victory, with the favorite needing to win by a certain number of points and the underdog needing to stay within a certain range of points. For example: Green Bay –6.5 means that Green Bay is the favorite and must win by at least 7 points. Chicago +6.5 means that Chicago is the underdog and has been “spotted” or “given” 6.5 points; if Chicago loses by 6 or fewer points, it is a winning bet (if Chicago pulls an outright upset, it is also a winning bet). Usually, there is a 10 percent “juice” that the house or sportsbook charges for line betting. For example: Green Bay –6.5 (–110) or Chicago +6.5 (–110) means you’d wager $110 for the chance to win an additional $100 if you bet on the point spread. Depending on which side is receiving the most action, a sportsbook will often move the line up or down in order to incentivize betting on the less popular side. Injuries or unforeseen changes can also impact a gambling line. Lines are often listed with a half-point (ex: 6.5) in order to prevent the final margin from landing exactly on the point spread (ex: 7-point spread, final score of 20–13). A “push” or “tie” usually goes to the house or sportsbook, unless another arrangement has been agreed upon beforehand.

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