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Columnist Buzz Daly: Sports Book Scene

Individuals who push the envelope and are ahead of their time rarely reap the benefits of their prescience and, in fact, are frequently targeted by sanctimonious protectors of the status quo and treated like criminals.

Case in point, Jay Cohen, who was convicted of running an illegal bookmaking company, Antigua-based World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com). Despite his insistence that the offshore sports book he owned broke no laws, he was prosecuted by the Department of Justice in its overzealous mission of vigilance against its own citizens.

So certain was Cohen of his innocence that he wasted little time in rushing to New York to be indicted and place the issue before the judicial process.

During the intervening years, he has lost most of his idealism about what truth, justice and the American way really mean. Meanwhile, he awaits word on the outcome of his appeal of the guilty verdict rendered in a New York District court.

While he ponders whether he will serve jail time, see the verdict overturned or be granted a new trial, the world around him is rapidly changing.

Today, none other than the sovereign State of Nevada is buckling up to take on the U.S. government over the issue of Internet gaming.

That's right. Through the efforts of lobbyists and bipartisan support, lawmakers are enacting legislation that would make Nevada the first state in the nation to allow Internet gaming.

It took an abundance of machinations and internal politicking to push this bill through, and put it "out in the forefront of legalized Internet gaming," said Bill Bible, president of the Nevada Resort Association, which pushed hard for the bill.

This places Nevada in the same predicament as Jay Cohen, looking to operate an activity currently considered illegal by the Justice Department.

While the measure would not actually enter Nevada directly into the Internet gaming business, it would put the state on a collision course with the DOJ.

As it is written, the legislation calls for the state's regulatory agencies to draft regulations to supervise Internet gaming.

The regulatory officials as well as congress are watching the Cohen case very closely. Anything favorable to Jay would be ammunition for Nevada in the campaign to expand its primary industry.

According to Bear Stearns, an investment-banking firm that closely monitors offshore gaming, there are over 1,400 gaming sites on the World Wide Web, which produce annual revenue in excess of $1.6 billion.

Some observers say that 90 percent of all online bettors place their wagers from within the U.S., despite the DOJ's insistence that such activity is illegal.

Bear Stearns projects Internet gaming's annual revenue by 2003 will be $5 billion.

So Jay, if you are listening, we realize it is cold comfort that soon some high powered corporate lawyers will be taking up the same cause you've been fighting for the last three years. Better late than never doesn't cut it.

Assuming Cohen's appeal is successful, it will be more than vindication. It will force the government to fight the equivalent of a two-front war against a newly invigorated, heavily re-armed and vastly reinforced group of Internet gaming advocates.

We believe the government will shortly be looking for ways to save face, and make an orderly retreat.

Grey Lady Covers Gaming. Grey Lady is the sobriquet earned by The New York Times back in the days when it did not run color photos on the front page, or liven up a page of copy with any graphics.

It could also refer to the paper's antediluvian posture re gambling. In the sports pages, the Times does not carry betting lines, and rarely mentions the implications or influence of sports betting.

So, we were shocked to see a feature story in The Sunday Times' Magazine section devoted to profiling a professional horse bettor. It was so interesting, we'd like to encourage the paper's editors to give more coverage to a subject that is most relevant to its readers in New York and New Jersey.

The story follows a horseplayer whose success borders on obscene, when you consider how difficult it is to make a living at that sport. Ernie Dahlman operates out of the recently opened Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where he bets an estimated $18 million annually.

Dahlman's stock in trade is hitting exactas. However, in the article, he denies being a gambler.

"I'm not a great gambler. What I'm good at is arithmetic. I can add and subtract," Dahlman explains.

There are no sure things, and his success comes from cashing "enough tickets, at the right odds, to offset the losses and turn a profit."

The article provides specifics on the professional bettor's strategies.

Winter racing in northern California is good to Dahlman. It's more predictable since the horses tend to be older and their capabilities are less uncertain. Also, it rains a lot and many grass races get switched to the main track, resulting in complete mismatches, which work to the advantage of a shrewd handicapper.

A lot of other tips are cited, such as his reason for betting at Golden Gate Fields.

If you play the ponies, this is an engrossing essay, with much practical insight into squeezing out a few edges in a game that's tough to beat. If you can't access it online, or get a copy of the June 3 Times Magazine, it is also at Bettorsworld on a posting forum thread.

Mea Culpa Time. Our last column, which zeroed in on collection problems faced by credit books, drew lots of interesting response.

For those who felt we provided a peek into a world they were otherwise unaware of, we're glad you were enlightened.

However, many experienced bettors drew a different bead on the piece, and felt we were trying to elicit sympathy for the bookmakers.

Winner@footballforecast.com emailed, " … am still wiping tears from my eyes … poor bookmakers. Do they want to call their mommy?"

At Bettorsworld, Ten Dollar Yo suggested taking up a collection "for the poor ol' bookies. Has anyone known a bookmaker that doesn't whine? Christ. Get a job if you can't make it work. It's not rocket science."

A post at MajorWager went even further. In addition to not cutting the bookies any slack on this issue, Ice took exception to the mention of violence by bookmakers, saying he "did not believe the paragraph regarding violence was needed."

He thought our choice of the topic was worthwhile, "except it came out immediately after [Buzz's] prime rib experience with" several sports book principals. "I say players can't shmooze journalists to the extent that books (advertisers, dinner partners, facility tours) can."

The reference to violence was simply a quote from a suffering BM who was looking back at the past. It was not intended as an endorsement of violence and in no way did we wish to suggest sympathy for such a position.

Ice's inference about possible collusion on this issue between us and the bookmakers is not as far-fetched as we would like to believe. Given what goes on in this industry, as well as the rest of the world, healthy skepticism cannot be idly dismissed.

While it is true we consort with bookmakers regularly – they are, after all, pretty good sources – we try not to let anyone use us as a conduit for fallacious information.

Writers put themselves on the line with every piece they produce. Criticism can be enlightening, provided the comments such as Ice's are thoughtful, intelligent and sincere.

We were not put off by his take on the column. In fact, we had to smile when he suggested we were sympathetic to the bookies, "because the Yorkshire pudding was fantastic."

It's nice to know we are interacting with such an opinionated and passionate audience.

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