We Get Letters

Dear King Scobe,

It seems to me that a gambler such as you would not tacitly condone on line gambling. Yet your web site is a gigantic ad .. Is this not akin to a physician buying Philip Morris stock?

On a kinder note I am a craps player and greatly enjoy your books and articles.

W. E.

Reply from John Robison:

Dear W. E.,

As with a print magazine, the editorial and advertising departments at RGT are separate. The ad department does not tell us what articles to run and we do not tell the ad department to whom they can and cannot sell advertising space.

RGT uses the same policy that most magazines use: All advertisers are innocent until proven guilty. If RGT receives complaints about an advertiser and they are not able to resolve the complaints, RGT will no longer accept advertising from that client. That policy is stated on the advertising page.

I do not know of any positive aspects of cigarette smoking, but I do know a positive aspect of online casinos. Online gamblers cannot be anonymous. They must give a valid credit card number. Because of this positive identification, online casinos can prevent people who have been identified as problem gamblers from gambling at their casino and they can prevent people from betting on events they are not supposed to bet on (such as athletes betting on the outcome of games they are playing in).

There's nothing inherently wrong with online gambling. I like the ambience of the casino, so I rarely play in online casinos. But if online gambling is what some people want to do with their time and money, who am I to say they shouldn't be able to?

John Robison
Managing Editor

Reply from Frank Scoblete:

Dear W. E.:

John Robison makes some good points in his response. However, it's more like a physician buying stock in a big farm, knowing full well that some people out there in America can't handle eating. The same percentage of Americans have "eating disorders" as "gambling problems." And if we include being 20% overweight as an "eating disorder" than many, many more people are compulsive in that area than in the gambling area. (For about eight years I was in that category. I was fat!) I am not making light of people with problems, but it always seems that because a Mr. "Z" can't handle something, all the Mr. "A" through Mr. "Ys" are then denied the opportunity to enjoy that thing. If we outlawed all buffets because some people are grossly overweight that would be tantamount to closing casinos for gamblers because some gamblers overindulge; if we outlawed home delivery of pizza and other food because those same overweight people liked to order out, then that would be the equivalent of banning online casinos because some problem gamblers like to "gamble in."

That's my general statement of philosophy. I believe in the freedom of the individual to choose his virtues and his vices, and I also believe the individual has a moral obligation to pay the penalty for either if they get out of hand. (Yes, even virtues can get out of hand. In the New York area there is currently a police-shooting case involving a man who was diagnosed with an "excessive religiosity" disorder. He had been institutionalized several times for his overzealous religious leanings. Still, no one is calling for a banning of religion or online sites that cater to the devout because of him and others like him.)

However, the one area of online gaming that must be scrutinized closely is the nature of the games themselves. Are they on the up and up? How do you know you're getting a fair shake for your money? Are the online casinos you're considering really giving you the odds that you'd get in a "real" casino (no great bargain in that department for most games and bets!) or are they taking a much greater chunk out in vig? Currently there are no certifying bodies as there are with land-based American casinos. How do you know the folks you're dealing with are credible? How do you know they won't just drain your credit card and head for the hills or the islands or wherever rogues head for these days. You don't.

Now, as John said, RGT has a golden rule. If people play at an online casino that advertises on RGT and if they have problems, RGT will drop them.

But your letter has certainly perked my interest. I'll have to give this whole online business some serious thought.

All the best!

Frank

I love to play craps, but I'm losing. I've slowed down, but I need to know how to lose less of my money.

Charles

Dear Charles,

You already know the key to enjoying gambling without losing a lot of money. Slow down. Bet less per roll. Don't cover as many numbers. Play for only 30 minutes instead of 60.

Another way to slow down and cut your losses at the craps table is to use the 5-Count. The 5-Count is a method developed by the Captain of Craps, a legendary Atlantic City craps player, to avoid horrendous rolls and position oneself to take advantage of hot shooters if and when they appear. Frank has written three books discussing these methods: Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos: How to Play Craps and Win!, The Captain's Craps Revolution!, and Guerrilla Gambling: How to Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games! He has an audio cassette (60 minutes) that focuses on the 5-Count as well. All of these can be ordered by following the links on this site to Amazon.com or by calling 1-800-944-0406 and ordering by phone.

In short, the player avoids betting on every shooter by counting a specific five rolls that begin with a point number and end with a point number. On the successful completion of the 5-Count, the player then begins to put money at risk in a number of ways. At the very least, the 5-Count is guaranteed to reduce your overall exposure to the house edge while generally allowing you to get the maximum in comps and excitement. At its very best, it lets you be here for those very few and far between epic rolls!

John Robison
Managing Editor