This is certainly the case when it comes to the Luxor, where it is believed that an eerily high number of deaths have taken place at the venue, resulting in a huge amount of paranormal activity.

Alongside the usual games of poker, blackjack, and slots, the Luxor is famous for its many grisly deaths and supposed hauntings.

Let’s take a look at the mystery of the deaths at the Luxor and find out how it got dubbed the most haunted casino hotel in Sin City.

Destined to be Doomed From Day One?

The iconic pyramid-shaped casino resort has a notorious reputation for being linked with numerous suspicious and untimely deaths. It’s even part of the well regarded Vegas Ghost Tours.

Many guests that have chosen to stay at the 4,407 room Egyptian-themed resort have frequently shared their experiences of ghostly events. If you take a look at the history of the venue it’s not surprising that there are so many claims of haunted sightings within the property.

The impressive building, which is one of the world’s largest hotels and the 4th largest pyramid, opened in 1993 and took only 18 months and $375 million to build.

It is thought that several construction workers died during the building process, with conspiracy theorists suggesting that the management kept these deaths under wraps to save the reputation of the resort. 

Reasonable grounds for haunting don’t you think?

There are also some who argue that the Luxor was doomed to be haunted before it was even built, simply because it is designed like an Ancient Egyptian tomb – a sure fire way to upset the spirits.

Many suggest that the Luxor’s haunting has increased since the hotel opened a Titanic themed exhibition in 2008.

The exhibition contains parts of the doomed ship and personal items belonging to many of those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

A History of Tragic Deaths

In Las Vegas hotels deaths are not exactly uncommon. Approximately 1,100 visitors die every year in Sin City with the majority being from natural causes.

However, 15% of all deaths are suicides, 11% homicides, and an eery 6% go completely unexplained. 

Nearly all of these deaths will not be reported on because the whole of Las Vegas knows that bad news can affect tourism and reduce the city’s profits.

As such, there is little proof of the many deaths that have occurred at the Luxor.

However, even without these unreported deaths it is clear something strange is happening inside that famous black pyramid. 

The Luxor’s first reported death occurred in 1996 when a lady jumped from the 26th floor of the hotel. 

At the Luxor, suicides of this nature are made extra grisly because the pyramid shape of the building means those leaping to their deaths do so from indoor balconies. This means instead of the street they land in the building’s atrium amongst the other guests.

Another guest is also believed to have fallen to his death, this time from the 10th floor.

The circumstances around his death remain a mystery but there was no evidence to suggest his fall was voluntary.

A Surprisingly Large Range of Grisly Endings

The Luxor has also seen deaths from many other causes.

These have included strangulation, as was the case in the assault, robbery, and murder of a 16-year-old woman by the name of Sara Gruber. 

But perhaps the most alarming means of murder came in 2007 when a casino worker, 24-year-old Willebaldo Dorante Antonio, was killed by a home-made explosive device in a plot that Newsweek compared to the hit TV show CSI.

The bomb was set under a plastic cup that had been left turned upside down on the top of his car.

When Antonio turned the cup over the explosion was triggered, ripping a hole in the car’s roof and killing him. The casino was not evacuated, and it continued to run as normal. 

Three years later, the highest profile death took place at the resort. UNLV football player Demario Reynolds got into a fight with another guest, Jason Simon Sindelar, over his partner.

Sindelar was an MMA fighter and struck a devastating blow to Reynolds, who then fell unconscious after hitting the floor and never woke again.

In 2010 a court ruled that Reynolds had died from an overdose and not from the fight.

2012 saw the next death – a casino employee was murdered by their boyfriend in full view of the public in the lobby, scarring those who witnessed the murder. 

The same year, a case of Legionnaires’ disease took another victim at the hotel. Two cases had been identified previously, with the water being treated both times.

However, this third case was not picked up quickly enough because tests on the water came back negative until just after the victim’s death. Creepy.

A third bizarre death took place that year when an airman visiting from Nellis Air Force Base mysteriously fell 25 feet down an elevator shaft.

Once again, no evidence suggested that the victim’s fall was intentional.

Ghostly Goings On

With so many deaths occurring at the Luxor over the 29 years it has been open, it’s no wonder that guests report seeing and meeting many ghosts.

But who are they?

The Deadly Blonde

The most common ghost guests report seeing at the Luxor is a mysterious blonde lady who is often seen in bedrooms on the Luxor’s 12th floor.

Guests sleeping in these rooms have been known to wake up fighting for breath and feeling as if they were being choked.

Others report catching glimpses of the woman standing over their bed or feeling a phantom hand running across their face.

The Construction Workers

The hushed-up deaths of several workers during the building’s construction in the 1990s has reportedly led to the appearance of many ghosts.

These were most commonly seen on the dark banks and tunnels of the hotel’s old ‘Nile River Tour’ an attraction where guests were ferried to different parts of the pyramid by boat.

Many have suggested that the sight of so many ghosts was one of the main reasons the Luxor demolished the river tour during later renovations.

Titanic’s Passengers

The Luxor’s exhibition on the Titanic includes over 300 artifacts recovered from the bottom of the ocean. Many of these items are extremely personal including clothing, purses, and glasses.

Whilst interesting to look at there have been tons of reports of the item’s original owners coming back to haunt the exhibition, including a shadowy figure who has frequently been seen standing on a near-perfect replica of the doomed ship’s grand staircase.

Other guests have also caught glimpses of one of the Titanic’s lookouts, Frederick Fleet, who committed suicide in 1965.

He stands on the exhibition’s Promenade deck peering out into the gloom, searching for the fateful iceberg.

Is The Luxor Cursed?

As mentioned, there are a number of theories about why so many suspicious deaths have been recorded at the Luxor over the years.

The fact that the resort has endured such trauma even though its construction was only completed in 1993, is quite frightening.

The most popular theory relates to the actual design of the resort.

The Luxor takes its name from the Egyptian city of the same name. The whole premise behind its design was to build a venue that truly encapsulated the heart and spirit of Ancient Egypt.

Unfortunately, the Luxor is not a completely accurate copy of Ancient Egyptian pyramids.

For example, it is believed that pyramids in Ancient Egypt required a Sphinx to be facing both East and West so that the pyramid was protected from evil on both sides.

The Luxor pyramid only has one Sphinx facing East, potentially leaving it exposed to evil spirits. 

People also forget that Egyptian pyramids are actually tombs built on the West side of the river Nile. This is the side where the sun sets and where Ancient Egyptians believed the newly dead entered the underworld. 

It just so happens that the Luxor is built on the West side of the Las Vegas strip.

A spooky coincidence that might just explain why so many visitors to Sin City have lost their lives in this hotel. 

Others believe that the untimely death of the construction workers has kickstarted a chain of hauntings.

These have led to more deaths occurring and therefore more ghosts appearing. The opening of the Titanic exhibition in 2008 has only added fuel to this already very spooky fire. 

Another urban legend suggests that after a string of coincidental deaths took place at the resort, local mobsters had a prime opportunity to use the venue as a location to bump off their victims.

After all, who would suspect a thing when people are more willing to believe the existence of a curse?

Finally, it could simply be a sinister run of bad luck for the resort. Las Vegas is all about those hot and cold streaks.

Maybe the Luxor is just experiencing a prolonged run of people being killed on the property grounds.

Whatever you believe, sooner or later their luck has got to turn around. Right?

Want to know more about Luxor Las Vegas besides its ghoulish goings on? Check out our piece on its skybeam that has its own ecosystem.

Lead image: eGuide Travel/Flickr

Here, we break down the differences in basketball game structure between the collegiate and professional levels. So, how many quarters are in a basketball game? And how long do they last?

How Many Periods In An NBA Basketball Game?

The NBA’s 48 minute games are broken down into four 12-minute quarters. Each quarter is separated by a two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half minute break. The halftime break is much longer, lasting 15 minutes. 

Although NBA games have been like this for a long time, they were not always designed this way. 

When the league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America, matches were made up of two 20-minute halves. In 1951, this was changed to four 10-minute quarters. 

Three years later, the format was changed again to four 12-minute quarters. It has stayed this way ever since. 

The NBA is famous for the wear and tear players experience over the busy season. Because of this, there has been a lot of discussion about whether 48-minute games are too long. 

The league did experiment with a 44-minute game during the 2014 preseason, but the format didn’t stick. At the time, many coaches said shortening the season, instead of games, was the only way to reduce wear and tear.

How Many Quarters In WNBA Basketball?

WNBA games are broken down into four 10-minute quarters.

Just like the NBA, the WNBA began with games played over two 20-minute halves. This was the case from the league’s founding in 1996 up until 2006, when it was decided to change games to a four quarter format. 

Since this time, there have been four quarters, each 10 minutes long. There is a 15-minute break at halftime.

The main benefit of changing from halves to quarters is that the team foul count is reset every 10 minutes. In the WNBA, this meant games sped up and that less scoring came from the free throw line.

Overall, this made WNBA games more exciting to watch. 

How Many Periods In NCAA Men’s Basketball?

NCAA Men’s games are broken down into two 20-minute halves.

Basketball was invented by a man called James Naismith. In his original rule book from 1891, Naismith wrote that basketball games should be made up of two 15-minute halves with a five minute rest in between. 

In 1905, this was upped to two 20-minute halves along with a 15-minute break for halftime. 

The NCAA experimented with adopting the popular four period structure in the 1951-52 season, but this didn’t last. The NCAA reverted back to the original two 20-minute halves for the 1954-55 season, and this has been the format for NCAA Men’s basketball ever since.

There’s one main benefit to playing halves instead of quarters. Long halves are thought to give the game a steady pace and flow. This means games between teams are closer and more exciting. 

Changing the format now would cause some problems. The biggest being it would reduce the number of TV timeouts that occur during a match. 

With the current format, there are four media timeouts per half. The four quarter system only allows three to be taken over two quarters. This would see the NCAA Men’s advertisement revenue decrease. It may even make it harder for the NCAA to strike media deals with television networks. 

How Many Periods In NCAA Women’s Basketball?

NCAA Women’s games are made up of four 10-minute quarters. This has been the case since the 2015-2016 season. Before this time, women’s NCAA games mirrored the men’s by having two 20-minute halves. 

Now, with four 10-minute quarters, the NCAA Women’s game follows the same structure as the WNBA, with halftime also lasting 15 minutes. 

As with the WNBA, these changes were made with the goal of making the games better to watch.

Brad Duckworth, the NCAA Women’s basketball rules committee chairman, explained this to The New York Times: “In all honesty, that was a major piece of our conversation in Indianapolis during rule changes last year: How do we have our game have more flow and be more presentable?”

These changes seem to be working. In 2023, around 10 million people tuned in to watch the NCAA final between LSU and Iowa. That’s nearly 7 million more than the 2013 championship game. 

How Long Are Basketball Games?

One of the reasons basketball games in the NBA and NCAA have a different number of periods is because NBA games are longer than NCAA games. 

Since 1954, NBA games have lasted for a total of 48 minutes. On the other hand, NCAA Men’s games only last 40 minutes. WNBA and NCAA Women’s games are also 40 minutes long.

Overtime

The NBA, WNBA, NCAA Men’s, and NCAA Women’s games all follow the same procedure if the teams are tied at the end of regulation: a five minute overtime period. 

If the scores are tied at the end of the overtime period, another five minute overtime is played. This pattern repeats until there is a winner. 

For more on the NBA, check out our articles on The Average NBA Player Height, The Players With The Most NBA Rings and WNBA vs NBA.

Lead image credit: Wikipedia Commons

10. Kevin Durant – $300 million net worth

One of the NBA’s most lethal scorers, Kevin Durant is also among the league’s best paid athletes. Insider reported that Durant has earned over $300 million, making him the third highest paid NBA player of all time. 

Now playing for the Phoenix Suns, Durant is searching for his next NBA championship since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019. The intervening years had been difficult with Durant’s old team, the Brooklyn Nets, who struggled to make an impact during the playoffs

Off the court, Durant’s success has been more consistent. Each year he earns millions through investments with his company, 35 Ventures. He’s also secured endorsement deals with Coinbase, NBA Top Shot and Weedmaps.

Durant is also a Nike sponsored athlete. Interestingly, his contract with the shoe company includes a $50 million kicker that will be gifted to him when he retires. 

9. Grant Hill – $300 million net worth

Earning over $100 million during his basketball career set Grant Hill up for success when he retired in 2013. Taking advice from his ex-NFL playing father, Hill made sure to not squander his earnings and turned his fortune into a real estate empire. 

Today, his company, Hill Ventures, has developed over $200 million worth of projects. 

Outside of real estate, Hill is a co-owner of NBA franchise The Atlanta Hawks. He also owns a large portfolio of art works created by Black artists. 

Hill even organized a three year, seven city tour of his personal art collection in the hope it would inspire other Black Americans. 

After being admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2018, Hill signed a lifetime deal with shoe brand Fila to recreate his line of shoes that were first released in the 1990s.

8. Hakeem Olajuwon – $300 million net worth

Another ex-NBA star that has turned to property is center, Hakeem Olajuwon. During his career, Olajuwon won two NBA Championships with the Houston Rockets. He was also the first non-American to win the MVP award.

During the final years of his career, Olajuwon began to set aside money for real estate, an important step as his faith forbids him from borrowing money via loans.

Today his portfolio is large and varied. A fact he partially attributes to the home court advantage he has when closing deals in Houston.

7. Shaquille O’Neal – $400 million net worth

Shaq is known for his incredible size, strength, and athleticism on the court, but has also built just as large a reputation off it. This is thanks to his personality, humor, and business knowledge. 

Earning nearly $300 million during your playing career is a great way to start any retirement, but Shaq has not rested on his laurels. Instead, he has built himself into a brand, starring regularly on TNT’s coverage of the NBA as well as featuring on other TV programs, and hosting a podcast. 

Shaq also invests heavily. He has owned shares in both Google and Apple. Throughout his business career he also owned 155 Five Guys franchises. 

6. Vinnie Johnson – $500 million net worth

Unlike the other players named on this list so far, Vinnie Johnson was not a generational talent. Although he did play a key role in the Detroit Pistons back-to-back championships in 1988-89, 1989-1990. 

Nicknamed “The Microwave” for his ability to heat up an offense, Johnson’s best moment came in 1990 when he hit the championship winning shot.

However, Vinnie spent most of his career coming off the bench and only amassed career earnings of approximately $6 million.

With this money, Johnson launched an automobile supply company called Piston Automotive which eventually formed part of Johnson’s larger empire, Piston Group. 

The company supplies car parts to leading manufacturers and has long outgrown its home in Detroit. It can now be found throughout the Midwest. 

The company’s annual revenue has been recorded at an incredible $2.9 billion.

5. Kobe Bryant – $600 million net worth

At the time of his death in January 2020, Kobe Bryant was worth an estimated $600 million. 

During an incredible career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant won five NBA championship rings and earned $680 million through both his salary and endorsements. 

Joining the NBA straight from high school, Bryant wasted no time making money. His first sneaker deal was a six-year contract with Adidas worth $48 million dollars. 

Of course, Bryant will always be remembered as a Nike athlete and his signature Kobe trainers are some of the most popular in the NBA.

Bryant also formed Granity Studios; a multimedia content company that won an Academy Award for an animated short film titled “Dear Basketball”. 

The Bryant empire continues to thrive despite Kobe’s untimely death. The family and Nike re-signed in 2022, meaning Bryant’s popular range of shoes will continue to be available to hoopers all around the world. 

4. Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman – $600 million net worth

Junior Bridgeman’s highest salary for a season in the NBA was only $350,000. The total earnings of his playing career amounted to just over $4 million. Yet, he is one of the richest NBA players of all time. 

Bridgeman built his incredible fortune through buying Wendy’s franchises after learning how to run the restaurants during his off seasons. 

When he sold his restaurant empire in 2016, it included approximately 250 Wendy’s franchises and 120 Chilli’s restaurants. 

Bridgeman sold his empire to become a bottler for the Coca-Cola Company. His new company, Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co. operates 17 distribution centers and employs nearly 2,500 staff members. 

Bridgeman also owns Ebony and Jet, two magazine brands which he purchased together for $14 million. 

3. LeBron James – $1 billion net worth

LeBron James, the NBA’s highest ever scorer, comes in at second on our list. But he is actually the richest active NBA player.

James is a towering figure in the world of sport and is one of the most famous athletes ever. Now with the Los Angeles Lakers, James has brought championships to every team he’s played for. His legacy is unrivaled in the modern game. 

Like Kobe Bryant, James joined the NBA straight from high school. Fast forward to 2022, when James signed a $97.1 million, two year contract extension with the Lakers. This made James the highest paid player in NBA history.

This has done little to diminish his earning potential off the court. Instead, James has flourished, making millions through off court business ventures and endorsements . 

Thanks to his salary, endorsements and business moves, James is the first active NBA player to be a billionaire. An achievement that is down to him taking equity in companies as opposed to cash. 

To cap it all off, James is one of only three athletes to have a lifetime Nike deal. He signed the deal in 2015 and receives $32 million from the brand annually. 

2. Magic Johnson – $1.2 billion net worth

One of the most famous NBA stars of all time, Magic Johnson’s salary earned a modest $39 million during his playing career. This was partly because the era he played in didn’t pay as much as the modern day. Another reason was the 25-year, $25 million contract he signed with the Lakers in 1984.

Despite this, Johnson has managed to build a huge fortune.

Unsurprisingly, Johnson’s business empire has been focused on sport. He used to own 4% of the Los Angeles Lakers and still owns stakes in the LA Dodgers, LA Sparks, and Los Angeles FC. 

Magic Johnson Enterprises, his investment firm, is estimated to have holdings worth $1 billion. 

However, Johnson hasn’t always made the right business move. In 1979, a small shoe brand called Nike approached him with a sponsorship opportunity. Instead of money they were offering to pay him in stocks. Johnson turned them down and stuck with Converse, losing out on millions of dollars in the long run. 

1. Michael Jordan – $3 billion net worth

Of course, it’s Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion, that tops our list of the richest NBA players of all time. One of the most marketed athletes ever, Jordan was the global face of the NBA from 1984 to his final retirement in 2003. 

Jordan’s total salary from his NBA career was around $90 million. But it was through Nike’s Jordan brand that he made his fortune. 

This is because Jordan takes 5% out of every Jordan Brand item sold. Marca reported that Nike sells $15 million worth of Jordan Brand items every day. So, it’s not hard to see how Jordan has reached a net worth of $3 billion.  

This isn’t to say MJ doesn’t have other sources of income. 

Jordan took over the NBA franchise The Charlotte Hornets in 2010, when they were valued at $175 million. In 2022, the franchise was valued a whopping $1.7 billion. In August 2023, Jordan sold his majority stake in the Hornets, retaining a minority share.

Jordan also owns a NASCAR team, 23XI Racing along with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. To cap it all off, he is an investor and advisor for sportsbook DraftKings.

It’s nice to see that with all of that money, he does a lot of good:

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other NBA articles, such as the he average height of an NBA player, and the NBA players with the largest hands. Or, check out our analysis on WNBA player salaries.

Lead image credit: Kip-koech/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Thanks to this huge market, today’s Super Bowl tickets are not only harder to find, but far more expensive. In 2024, Super Bowl ticket prices climbed as high as $54,000 on Ticketmaster, with a reported average price on StubHub of $8,600 – a far cry from the $12 fans coughed up in 1967. So, how has the average price fared over the years?

1960s and 1970s

The very first Super Bowl was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game and was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967. The average Super Bowl ticket price this year was $12. If adjusted for inflation, this number equals about $100 in today’s money.

The 1967 AFL-NFL World Championship Game was the only Super Bowl in history not to be sold out, but it was still a success. In the following two Super Bowls, tickets remained $12. Both games sold out.

In 1970, the decision was made to increase the ticket price to $15.

The next price hike came in 1975. Fans paid an average of $20 to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers win their first Super Bowl. By the end of the 1970s, Super Bowl ticket prices rose to $30. 

1980s: Prices Rise Steadily

As the Super Bowl grew in popularity, the cost of tickets quickly increased. 

Super Bowl XVIII, which was held in 1984, saw the average price of tickets climb from $40 to $60. The extra $20 was money well spent for Los Angeles Raiders fans, who watched their team trounce the Washington Redskins 38-9. 

Unfortunately for all NFL fans, Super Bowl ticket prices continued to go up during the second half of the 1980s. 

The price of Super Bowl tickets reached $100 for the first time in 1988 when the Washington Redskins played the Denver Broncos. This time Washington fans were rewarded for their investment as their team won Super Bowl XXII in a blowout of their own, beating the Broncos 42-10. 

1990s: The Secondary Market Emerges

Up until now, we’ve only listed Super Bowl ticket prices by face value. During the 1990s, however, many people began to profit from the NFL’s popularity by reselling their tickets. This was the beginning of the Super Bowl’s now famous secondary market.

In 1991, the average face value price of a Super Bowl ticket was $150. However, there are reports of fans buying their tickets from resellers outside Tampa Stadium for many times the face value.

As the amount of reselling went up, so did the face value of the tickets. Super Bowl XXIX, held in 1995, had an average ticket price of $200. This meant ticket prices had doubled in the seven years since Super Bowl XXII.

Those who paid the historically high price of $325 to watch the final Super Bowl of the millennium, XXXIII, were treated to a historic performance from Bronco quarterback John Elway. At the age of 38 he was named the oldest Super Bowl MVP in history. A record that would stand until 2017.

2000s: New Millennium, New Prices

By 2002, the face value cost of Super Bowl tickets had risen to $400. 

This was the price many New England Patriots fans paid to watch Tom Brady win his first Super Bowl; a bargain when compared to the average price of $8,000 Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans paid to watch Brady’s final Super Bowl win 19 years later. 

It was during the mid-2000s that the secondary market for Super Bowl tickets began to really heat up. 2006’s Super Bowl XL saw the price of secondary market tickets rise to over four times their face value. 

It would be rare for any fan to secure a Super Bowl ticket on the secondary market for under $1,000 from this point on. 

2010s: The Secondary Market Takes Over

The 2010s began with Super Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints’ first ever championship. This Super Bowl was a huge event and the United States’ TV audience broke 100 million for the first time.

Unfortunately for those hoping to attend, this popularity came at a cost. Although the average face value of tickets was around $900-$1,000, tickets on the secondary market sold for an average of $2,329. 

These numbers were nothing compared to Super Bowl XLIX, a highly anticipated match that pitted the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots. The face value cost of these tickets ranged between $500-$1,000, but the secondary market was hotter than it had ever been, with an average price of $9,723. 

Seven hours before kick-off, the cheapest ticket available was priced at $11,246.50. This was for one seat in Row 10 of Upper Sideline 449. Hopefully, a Seahawks fan didn’t buy it. After all, who wants to spend $10,000 just to see their team picked off at the goal line?

Although Super Bowl ticket prices came down in the years following 2015, the overall trend of increasing prices continued. At Super Bowl LII, in 2018, some resale tickets were listed at over $20,000.

2020s: Super Bowl Ticket Prices At An All-Time High

In the current decade, it seems all but impossible to buy Super Bowl tickets at face value. So, fans hoping to attend the Super Bowl must be willing to pay huge sums of money on the secondary market.?Super Bowl LIV saw some tickets listed above $70,000.

In 2021, fans had to pay an average of $8,161 to watch Tom Brady win his last Super Bowl. Although 7,500 lucky health care workers got to see the GOAT win his final championship for free. 

The average cost of tickets climbed further in 2023, when a Super Bowl ticket bought on the secondary market cost an average of $9,915. 

Cut to 2024, where resale tickets have been seen as high as $53,500. Though averaging at about $8,600.

Those with even more money to burn could guarantee themselves a comfortable seat by purchasing a luxury suite experience at the Allegiant Stadium. The cost for these ranges from $800,000 to $2,000,000.

Can we expect the trend of average Super Bowl ticket prices to change? Just consider the fact that 123.4 million people watched the Super Bowl in 2024, yet only 61,629 people were able to attend. We can safely assume tickets are still hot property and unlikely to consistently drop in price on the secondary market.

Couple this with the fact that the estimated total amount spent by American consumers on the Super Bowl reached $17.3 billion in 2024, and it feels like a bit of a lost cause.

For more on the Super Bowl, check out the stars who refused the Super Bowl halftime show or the best Super Bowl coaches of all time.

Lead image: U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Wikipedia Commons

These athletes not only played well, but changed how the point guard position – and NBA basketball – is played forever.

10. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has not had the greatest time recently, but his stint at the Los Angeles Lakers was just a blip in an excellent career. 

Westbrook burst onto the scene in 2008 after being selected fourth overall by the Seattle Supersonics. 

It only took until March of his rookie season for Westbrook to log his first NBA triple-double. A triple-double is when a player achieves a double-digit total in three of five statistical categories (assists, blocks, points, rebounds, and steals) over the course of a single game.

Soon, securing triple-doubles became Westbrook’s specialty. 

In the 2016-17 season, Westbrook set a new NBA record for the number of triple-doubles in a season. Westbrook’s 42 triple-doubles passed Oscar Robertson’s 1961-62 season record of 41.

Westbrook also averaged a triple-double on the season, becoming only the second player in NBA history to achieve the feat. 

Unsurprisingly, Westbrook won the MVP in 2017. He then went on to average a triple-double over the next three seasons. This makes him the only athlete to have averaged a triple-double for multiple seasons, and worthy of being considered one of the best point guards of all time.

9. Walt Frazier

Walt Frazier is best known for the 10-year stint he spent playing for the New York Knicks from 1967-77. During this time, Frazier was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for seven consecutive years.

Frazier’s offense was just as strong as his defense. In only Frazier’s third season he led the Knicks to their first NBA championship scoring 36 points and making 19 assists in a crucial Game 7 victory. 

Frazier and the Knicks would win another NBA Championship in 1973. He is certainly one of the best Knicks point guards in history, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Even Frazier’s post-playing career has been legendary. 

For over 20 years he has sat alongside Mike Breen, calling Knicks games for MSG Networks. In 2022, Frazier was celebrated by the Hall of Fame again, when he was awarded the Curt Gowdy Award for outstanding broadcasting contributions to basketball. 

8. Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd was known as the ultimate floor general. During his long career, he controlled the flow of the game masterfully, reading defenses in seconds before playing the appropriate offense. 

When playing for the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns early in his career, Kidd relied on his speed to get the job done, slinging beautiful passes while sprinting down the court. 

This athleticism and skill saw him rack up the second largest assists total of all-time with 12,091. He also achieved an impressive 107 triple-doubles.

As his athleticism began to fade, Kidd completely recreated his game, transforming his awkward jump shot into a smooth, reliable weapon. He was rewarded for his hard work in 2011 when he won his only NBA Championship at 38 years old. 

7. Steve Nash

Canadian-born Steve Nash was an eight-time NBA All-Star and the league’s MVP twice. While known for his passing and shooting, Nash’s most lasting impact on the NBA was how he revolutionized the game of basketball itself.

While playing for the Phoenix Suns, Nash became the key part of the 7 second or less offense, an offensive scheme that drastically sped up the league. 

This transformed the game from the slow, systematic format popular in the 1990s, into a rip-roaring fast-paced game that prioritized the 3-point shot.

Nash’s skills were essential to this offense as he had to react to a team’s coverage, improvise, and set up a shot for his team in under seven seconds. 

Nash is also known as one of the most efficient shooters of all-time. His career average free throw percentage of 90.4% is the highest ever. He also registered four 50-40-90 seasons. 

This is when a player has a 50% field goal percentage, 40% 3-point percentage and 90% free throw percentage on the season. This is a feat that has only been achieved on 10 occasions, and a stat that cements his title as one of the best point guards of all time.

6. Isiah Thomas 

Although he is only around 6ft tall, Isiah Thomas was the point guard of the most feared team in NBA history, the Detroit Piston Bad Boys. Thomas didn’t let his lack of size impact his game and was never one to shy away from conflict. 

It was this attitude that allowed him to transform the Detroit Pistons from one of the NBA’s worst teams into two-time NBA Champions. 

Thomas’ greatest moment came in Game 6 of the 1987-88 NBA Finals when he severely sprained his ankle in the third quarter. Playing on one leg, he went on to score 25 points in that quarter – an NBA record that rightfully helps position him as one of the best point guards of all time. 

Although the Pistons came up short in that series, they went on to win back-to-back Championships in 1989 and 1990. Thomas led the team on both occasions and was named Finals MVP in 1990. 

Despite only playing 13 seasons, Thomas became the Piston’s all-time leader in points, assists, steals and games played.

5. John Stockton

If you had to design the ideal point guard, you’d probably end up with someone like John Stockton. 

To begin with, Stockton saw the game better than anybody else. Over his 19 seasons in the NBA, he used his vision to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. In a single season he once totaled 1,164 assists. 

His career assist total of 15,806 is the highest ever.

Stockton’s own shooting was effective and reliable. He had a career shooting percentage of 51.5% and he was known for scoring under pressure, like when he drained a three to send the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals (above).

On the defensive end, Stockton was a menace: he has the most steals of any NBA player with 3,265. 

Although he never won an NBA Championship, Stockton is rightly seen as one of the best NBA point guards the world has ever seen. 

4. Chris Paul

You don’t get a nickname like the Point God without dominating the NBA for years. That’s exactly what Chris Paul has done since entering the league in 2005. 

Like John Stockton, Paul has brilliant vision unique to the best point guards. This has allowed him to make 11,501 assists.

His defense on the perimeter is aggressive, proactive and disruptive. Thanks to this, he has 2,544 steals in his career so far. 

Scoring wise, Paul is no slouch either. He uses his exceptional handles to create space, meaning he can score from anywhere on the court. This includes sinking buckets from the notoriously difficult mid-range. 

While his skills are exemplary, Paul’s greatest asset is his ability to improve the play of those around him. This has seen him compete for the NBA Championship with multiple franchises. Although the Larry O’Brien Trophy has always slipped through his fingers, he was certainly one of the best point guards in the NBA.

3. Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson was a groundbreaking NBA player that dominated the league during the league’s star-studded ‘60s era. 

Unlike other point guards before him, Robertson was not happy with just facilitating others’ scoring.

Instead, he used his 6ft 5, 210-pound frame to create scoring opportunities of his own. As a result, Robertson redefined what the point guard position could be, and cemented his position as one of the best point guards of all time. This would provide inspiration to the next generation of players, including Magic Johnson.

Statistically, Robertson’s best season came in 1961-62, his second year in the league. 

During this season, Robertson averaged 30.8 points per game, 11.4 assists per game and 12.5 rebounds per game, making him the first player to ever average a triple-double on the season.

The next person to average a triple-double on the season was Russell Westbrook over 50 years later.

Unlike Westbrook, however, Robertson is an NBA champion. He lifted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks, the pinnacle of an incredible career.

2. Steph Curry

Steph Curry is the best point guard in the NBA who is currently playing. 

To put it simply, Curry is the best 3-point shooter the NBA has ever seen, and he has the stats to prove it. He once scored 402 3-pointers in a single season. That’s an average of 4.9 over 82 games.

Curry is also the all-time NBA leader when it comes to 3-pointers made. He has made 3,390 3-pointers in the 882 NBA games he’s played. Ray Allen, who comes in second of all-time, racked up 2,973 in 1,300 games.

Curry’s exceptional 3-point shooting has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA Championships. He has also been named the league’s MVP twice, and the Finals MVP once. 

From high school to college, NBA and elsewhere, it hasn’t taken long for players all over the country to adopt Curry’s style of play. 

As NBA coach Doc Rivers said: “What he’s doing is revolutionary. Only the greats can do that, leave their mark like that. Actually, the great-greats. They change the game.”

1. Magic Johnson

At the top of our list is the most iconic point guard of all-time, Magic Johnson. Johnson is 6 ft 9 which made him the tallest point guard in NBA history when he entered the league in 1979. The average point guard height is 6’2.5″.

Johnson didn’t just rely on his height to dominate the league. Instead, he controlled games with excellent dribbling, shooting, and above all else, passing. 

His incredible ability to find an open teammate is demonstrated by his career assist total of 10,141. But even this impressive number fails to capture the beauty of his trademark no-look pass.

During his 13 year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Johnson won five NBA Championships, was named the league MVP three times and the Finals MVP three times. 

The first of his NBA rings and Finals MVP awards came in Johnson’s rookie year. He was only 20 years old; a fitting start to what would be a magical career, and see him become the third wealthiest NBA player.

Your Most Frequently Asked Questions

Lead image: Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons

Many of them have been winners, some of them have even been called legends. But, only a few can claim to be among the best poker players of all time. Here’s our take on the top 10 poker players in the world. Check out our article on the richest poker players to see how it compares.

1. Daniel Negreanu 

In our eyes, the best poker player is Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu, who has had an incredibly successful and well-rounded poker career. 

Negreanu’s career got off to an excellent start; his first cash at the WSOP was a $169,460 win in the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em event in 1998. At the time, this made him the youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history.

Over the years, the Canadian has added five more WSOP wins to his collection. In the process, he became the first player to make a final table at each of the three WSOP bracelet-awarding locations and the first to win at each.

Negreanu is also the only player to ever be named WSOP Player of the Year twice. He won the award in both 2004 and 2013.

Add to this two WPT championships, a WPT Player of the Year award, and over $51 million in winnings, and it’s not hard to see why many people see Negreanu as the greatest poker player of all time.

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 1st
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 47th

2. Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey is poker’s most iconic player; a phenomenal pro who has dominated the felt for years. 

At 38, he was the youngest player to ever win 10 WSOP titles. He also marked up a WPT win in February 2008, beating the likes of Phil Hellmuth at the LA Poker Classic.

One of Ivey’s most famous wins came off tour when he took on banker Andy Beal in a high stakes match. It is reported that Ivey took Beal for $16.6 million over three days. 

Ivey was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017 and continues to feature in the world’s biggest poker games to this day.

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 2nd
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 245th

3. Phil Hellmuth

Phil Hellmuth, otherwise known as the Poker Brat, has a reputation for causing a scene whenever he plays. Luckily for him, he backs his talk up with amazing performances.

The majority of these have come on the WSOP circuit where Hellmuth holds the record for most wins. He currently owns an incredible 17 WSOP gold bracelets; that’s seven more than any other poker player has ever achieved.

Hellmuth’s very first WSOP win was in the 1989 Main Event. He was only 24 years old. 

Hellmuth won his bracelets at frightening speed. In 1993, he was only the second player in history to win three bracelets at a single series. Amazingly, Hellmuth won his over three consecutive days. 

With around $30 million in winnings and an induction into the Hall of Fame, Hellmuth doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody, but that doesn’t mean he won’t keep on playing, winning, and trash talking for a long time to come.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 5th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 568th

4. Justin Bonomo

Over his incredible career, Justin Bonomo has won over $63 million; an astronomical amount that makes him the second highest poker earner of all-time.

Bonomo’s best year came in 2018 when he won $25 million. This included a $4.8 million win in the Super High Roller Bowl in China. He took another $5 million after winning the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl. 

Bonomo then beat the best in the $10,000 Heads-Up Championship. The winnings from this tournament meant he had collected $14.5 million in just six months. 

He capped the year by winning $10 million at the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop, the biggest win of his career to date.

As a regular on the high roller circuit, Bonomo boasts event wins at Triton High Roller Series, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and Super High Roller Bowls in both China and Las Vegas. 

Outside of the high roller circuit, Bonomo has three WSOP gold bracelets.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 4th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 72nd

5. Bryn Kenney

If you define the best poker player in the world as the person who wins the most money, the best poker player right now would be Bryn Kenney. Kenney has earned over $65 million so far – the most of any poker player. 

Most of Kenney’s prize money has come from the high roller circuit. 

His first seven-figure prize came from winning the 2016 PCA $100K Super High Roller for $1,687,800. He won it in style too, beating World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe McKeehen heads up.

In total, Kenney has won seven+ figures eight times on tour. The biggest of these was a $20,537,187 cash after finishing second to Aaron Zhang in the Triton Million for Charity Event.

As the cherry on top of the cake, Kenney also has a gold bracelet which he won in the 2014 WSOP $1,500 Six-Handed 10-Game Mix.

If that’s not a career to be envious of, we don’t know what is.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 6th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 696th

6. Johnny Chan

Johnny Chan, the man who beat Erik Seidel in his first major tournament, is another poker playing legend. 

Chan’s career hit the big time when he won his first WSOP event in 1985. He followed this up with back-to-back WSOP Main Event wins in 1987-88. This made him the first foreign national to win a WSOP Main Event. 

As the first man to win 10 WSOP gold bracelets, Chan was a role model for many young poker players. His legendary status was confirmed when he played himself in the hit 1998 poker film “Rounders”, featuring a star-studded cast, including Matt Damon.

Although he has less than $9 million in career winnings, Chan is one of the best poker players of all time and was rightly inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 107th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 22,761st

7. Doyle Brunson

In poker, it’s easy to define success by how much money a player wins. But greatness is not just about winnings, it’s also about influence and how players have changed the sport they compete in.

No poker player has influenced the game more than the ‘Godfather of Poker,’ Doyle Brunson. In his decades-long career he won 10 WSOP bracelets including back-to-back WSOP Main Event wins in 1976-77. Over this time, he netted more than $6 million in live earnings.

However, Brunson’s greatest achievement in poker didn’t come on the felt, but on the page. 

He wrote a book on poker strategy called “Super System” that was published in 1979.

This was one of the first books to examine poker strategy and is often called ‘the bible of poker.’ 

Many players, both professional and amateur, cite the book as a huge inspiration. 

Brunson was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988 – a fitting tribute to a legend of the game.?Brunson passed away in 2023 aged 89, and will always be remembered as one of the greatest poker players ever.

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 57th

8. Erik Seidel

Known as the last active player of poker’s older generation, Erik Seidel is a Hall of Famer whose incredible career has spanned several decades. 

Seidel’s career began with a bang when he was runner up in his first major poker tournament, the 1988 World Series of Poker Main Event tournament. The man he faced in the final? None other than poker legend Johnny Chan.

Seidel quickly got over this loss and went on to secure one WPT win and nine WSOP wins during his career. 

He has been at the top for so long that his most recent gold bracelet, won in 2021, came 29 years after his first.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 7th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 42nd

9. Stephen Chidwick 

Stephen Chidwick is one of the highest earners poker has ever seen, netting over $50 million during his career so far. This lands Chidwick fourth in the all-time poker earnings list. 

In 2019, Chidwick took the most important win of his career when he won the WSOP $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. This is the one and only gold bracelet Chidwick has won in his career. 

Chidwick is currently fifth on the Global Poker Index Ranking. As a former GPI World Number One, he’ll be hoping to climb back up to the top spot soon.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 9th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 9th

10. Dan Smith

Dan Smith is an American former chess player whose skills on the black-and-white board earned him a scholarship to The University of Maryland. Surprisingly, Smith gave up the game after his first year at college to concentrate on his other love: poker. 

Smith’s decision was a good one. In the years since leaving college, he has earned nearly $50 million from poker.

Aside from money, Smith has won his fair share of accolades including the GPI’s Player of the Year award in 2012.

He also clocked up 19 recorded tournament wins between 2013-2022. This period included his only WPT win; the 2013 $10,300 Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event. 

In 2022, he finally got his hands on a coveted gold bracelet by winning the WSOP $25,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship.?

• Hendon Mob Popularity Ranking: 17th
• Global Poker Index Ranking: 349th

So there you have it. The best poker players of all time.

After something a little spicier? Discover the biggest poker scandals.

Keep reading to find out more about the best shows in Las Vegas, where they’re located, the showtimes, and average ticket prices.

Absinthe at Caesars Palace

Absinthe is an adult-only circus show that combines a number of thrilling – and strange – acts. These range from burlesque shows to crude humor, acrobatics and more.

The show has been collecting rave reviews since it opened in 2011. HuffPost even called it the greatest show on Earth. 

Absinthe is played in the Spiegeltent outside Caesars Palace. This small setting makes the acts, especially those doing stunts, even more exciting. In between acts, host Gazillionaire makes lewd and offensive jokes that may not be to the taste of everyone.

Showtimes:

• Monday – Thursday and Sunday: 8pm and 10pm
• Friday – Saturday: 7pm, 9pm and 11pm

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $120 to over $200 depending on show and seat selection.

Kà by Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand

Kà is a production by popular entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The 90-minute show tells the story of twins who are separated in a shipwreck and pursued by a host of archers and spearmen. 

The show features the gravity defying acrobatics expected from any Cirque du Soleil production.

What makes Kà standout is the incredible stage which, thanks to hydraulics, lifts and turns 360 degrees. Add to this incredible props and costumes, and it’s not hard to see why Kà has been a fan favorite for years. 

Showtimes:

Saturday – Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (further shows are added frequently)

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $69 to over $130 depending on show and seat selection.

Piff the Magic Dragon at The Flamingo

Showtimes:

Monday, Thursday-Sunday: 7:00pm

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $49.50 to around $80 depending on show and seat selection.

O by Cirque du Soleil at The Bellagio

Another of Cirque du Soleil’s six Las Vegas shows to make our list is O. Unlike Kà, O is not completely driven by a storyline. Instead, the show is used as a platform to demonstrate the incredible skills of the cast.

These performers must excel in both acrobatics and aquatics as water-based performances, including dives and dance routines, form a large part of the show.

The opera style theater features a stage filled with 1.5 million gallons of water.

This amazing setting is combined with the work of 122 technicians who manage the lights and sound. The end result is astounding. 

Showtimes:

Wednesday – Sunday: 7:00pm and 9:30pm. 

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $79 to over $200 depending on show and seat selection.

Shin Lim: Limitless at The Mirage

Shin Lim is a Canadian American magician who was the first act to ever win the hit TV show “America’s Got Talent” twice.

These victories, combined with a couple of excellent appearances on “Penn and Teller’s Fool Us” made Lim a star.

Lim was officially announced as a Las Vegas headliner in 2019. His show, Limitless, is based on close-up card magic and is supported by Colin Cloud, a well-known mentalist. This duo constantly amazes guests and should not be missed.

Showtimes:

Monday, Thursday – Sunday: 7:30pm.

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $49.99 to over $200 depending on show and seat selection.

Tournament of Kings at The Excalibur 

Tournament of Kings has been shown at the Excalibur for an incredible 33 years. This makes it one of the longest running, and most loved, shows in Las Vegas. 

A family show, Tournament of Kings tells the tale of a knight’s tournament involving fighting, jousting and even racing.

Fans are separated into sections and cheer for their own knight. Every guest is served a meal of roasted Cornish game hen which they are encouraged to eat with their hands!

Showtimes:

• Monday and Friday: 6:00pm
• Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 6:00pm and 8:30pm

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $49.99 to over $200 depending on show and seat selection.

V The Ultimate Variety Show at Planet Hollywood

Variety shows have been popular in the United States since the 1800s. V The Ultimate Variety Show builds on this history while also making the format feel fresh and exciting. 

A dozen speciality acts feature in the show on a rotating basis. These include acrobats, contortionists, magicians and strongmen. Many of these acts have appeared on shows such as “America’s Got Talent.”

Each segment is knitted together by host Wally Eastwood, a comedic juggler who guests adore.

Showtimes:

Monday – Sunday: 7:00pm (some select shows are at 8:30pm)

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $59.99 to $79.99 depending on show and seat selection.

Penn and Teller at Rio Hotel and Casino

Much like Tournament of Kings, Penn and Teller are a respected, long-serving part of Las Vegas’ show industry.

The duo have been performing at the Rio for over 20 years and have no plans to stop soon, signing a new deal that will take them through to 2026.

Penn and Teller are two icons of American magic having won multiple Emmys and even boasting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their show combines tricks from their 40-year career making it a must see for any magic lover. 

Showtimes:

Thursday – Sunday: 9:00pm (some select shows are on Monday at 9:00pm)

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $76 to over $200 depending on show and seat selection.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! at The Flamingo

RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! Is an original production based on the hit TV series. As with the series, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! promises drama, fabulous outfits and lip sync battles to die for. 

The cast is star-studded featuring the likes of Jaida Essence Hall, Aquaria and Asia O’Hara. These queens thrive on the big stage, making this one of the most enjoyable shows in the whole city. 

Showtimes:

• Monday, Thursday and Sunday: 9:30pm
• Friday and Saturday: 7:00pm and 9:30pm

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $59 to $145 depending on show and seat selection.

Jabbawockeez at MGM Grand

Jabbawockeez have been America’s favorite dance troupe for years. At the MGM Grand, their show features excellent music, quality dancing and perfect choreography.

The show has been voted “Best Family Show” and “Best All Ages Show” for three years in a row. In other words, it’s one of the best shows Las Vegas has to offer.

Showtimes:

Monday, Wednesday – Sunday: 7:00pm and 9:30pm

Ticket price:

Tickets range from $49.99 to $110 depending on show and seat selection.

The roundup

Just looking for a quick summary? Here’s a roundup of our favorite shows in Vegas for 2024:

• Absinthe
• Kà by Cirque du Soleil
• Piff the Magic Dragon
• O by Cirque du Soleil
• Shin Lim: Limitless
• Tournament of Kings
• V The Ultimate Variety Show
• Penn and Teller
• RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!
• Jabbawockeez

Or on a budget? Check out the best free things to do in Vegas or the best cheap things to do in Vegas instead.

For a long time, those undrafted by the NFL had little choice but to hang up their cleats. Times have changed in recent decades and several alternative football leagues have been set up in North America, including the USFL.?

Leagues like the USFL give players an opportunity to make a living doing what they love most, playing football. However, how much money these players make varies widely from league to league.

Salaries in the USFL

The USFL is unique because it pays all active players the same amount, no matter their position or seniority. This is the complete opposite of most football leagues where veteran players and those playing highly valued positions like quarterback earn many times more than their teammates. 

The USFL has this pay structure because of a lack of money. The league has a salary budget of $3 million for each of its eight teams for a league total of $24 million. For comparison, the NFL’s salary cap for 2023 is $224.8 million per team. 

Paying everyone the same salary also makes it difficult for teams to hoard talent. This, in theory, should make the USFL an extremely competitive league. 

In 2023, the USFL salaries were paid the following amount per week over the ten-week regular season:

• Active player: $5,350 per week
• Inactive player: $2,500 per week

Those that made the playoffs had an opportunity to earn an extra two weeks of salary. What’s more, if a team won the championship, players earn a $5,000 bonus. All players also receive a housing stipend of $400 per week.?

Overall, this gave active USFL players a potential maximum salary of $74,000 and a minimum salary of $53,500 for the season.?

XFL salaries

The XFL is the USFL’s main competitor; both are trying to become America’s sole professional football ‘spring league.’ While the USFL is much older and has media connections with NBC and Fox, the XFL is drawing superior talent, including players like NFL veteran quarterback A.J. McCarron.?Prominent USFL players, like quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, have even left the USFL to join the XFL.

This superior talent has been drawn to the XFL despite the league offering the lowest base salary of the professional American football leagues.

XFL players’ base salary is as follows:

• Weekly salary: $5,000
• Win bonus: $1,000 per win

Although the average weekly pay is slightly less than the USFL’s, the bonus structure means players have an opportunity to earn a similar final amount. A player in an undefeated XFL team will earn $72,000 over the season, $2,000 less than an undefeated USFL team. 

A player on a winless XFL team would only earn $50,000 over the ten-week regular season, $3,500 less than a winless USFL team. 

The advantage the XFL has over the USFL is that it allows some star players to earn much more than the base salary. For example, Jordan Ta’amu has a salary of $163,200. A.J. McCarron’s salary is just behind with a salary of $137,500.?This is a lot more than the potential maximum USFL salary of $74,000.

CFL salaries

For a long time, the Canadian Football League, or CFL, was the only option for football players that failed to make the NFL. The CFL was founded in 1958 and the league’s long history is reflected in its solid fanbase. 

Over 2.8 million people tuned in to watch the CFL 2022 championship game. That’s approximately double the viewership of the XFL championship game. The CFL’s history and popularity mean it can sustain a much longer playing season than the USFL and XFL. Instead of a ten-week regular season, the CFL boasts a 21-week season.

The increased number of games – and the CFL’s popularity – means most player salaries are higher as detailed below.

• Minimum salary: $70,000
• Average salary: $70,000-$100,000

CFL players that are earning the minimum salary of $70,000 might be better off transferring to the XFL or USFL. This is because they are earning a similar amount to players in these leagues despite playing a season that is twice as long.

Much like the XFL, star CFL players earn significantly more than the average CFL squad member. Among the highest-paid athletes is Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros who received a massive $600,000 salary in 2023. This means Collaros earns eight times more than the potential maximum salary of a USFL player.?

NFL Practice Squad Salaries

Every NFL team has a practice squad made up of 16 players. While these athletes may never play a down for the team, they are still rewarded with big salaries over the 18-week regular season.

• Minimum weekly salary: $12,000
• Minimum season salary: $216,000
• NFL veteran weekly salary: $16,100-$20,600
• NFL veteran season salary: $289,800-$370,800

As can be seen above, NFL veterans – players who have been on full-time pay status for at least six regular season games over two seasons – earn a lot more than less experienced players on the practice squad.?

However, each practice squad can only hold six NFL veterans, making these spots very competitive. 

The main drawback of being on an NFL practice squad is that the player’s contracts are not guaranteed. This means that, if the players are cut from the squad, they stop earning immediately.

NFL Salaries

None of the other leagues’, or even NFL practice squads’, salaries can compare to the amount of money earned by NFL players on the main roster.?

The average salary of these players is around $2.7 million. However, this number is slightly misleading as the huge salaries of a few athletes skew the average. Instead, looking at the median wage of around $860,000 gives a better idea of what regular NFL players are earning.?

While a player’s skill and position influence their salary, so does their experience. This is because the minimum salary an NFL player can receive directly links to how many years they have spent in the league.

The minimum salaries for active roster players during the 2023 season are:

• Rookie: $750,000
• 1 year: $870,000
• 2 years: $940,000
• 3 years: $1.01 million
• 4-6 years: $1.08 million
• 7-plus years: $1.165 million

This means an NFL rookie on the main roster will earn at least ten times more than even the most experienced USFL player. 

Of course, many NFL players earn much more than the NFL minimum salary. For example, the average salary of NFL quarterbacks is $4,855,892.

Currently, the highest-paid NFL player, Lamar Jackson, is set to take home an incredible $52 million salary per year for the next five years.?That’s more than double the salary budget for the entire USFL.

In terms of bonuses, NFL players also have huge opportunities to earn. Players on the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII team earned a bonus of $157,000 for winning the big game. Philadelphia Eagle players even got a bonus of $82,000 for losing.?

Finally, bonuses written into individual NFL contracts can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For example, Matt Prater, the placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals, had a contract that ensured him a $250,000 bonus if he had a success rate of 83% or better after taking 20 field goals or more during the 2022 season.

USFL, is it worth it??

Comparing USFL salaries against those from the NFL can be disheartening for USFL players. They might even question if playing in the USFL is worth it.?

Although USFL players might not be earning millions of dollars, playing in the league is still a very good deal.?The minimum potential salary a USFL player can make over ten weeks is $53,500. That is slightly more than the median annual income of 25-34 year olds in the United States.?

When sponsorships, benefits, and any other earnings players might make during the offseason are taken into account, it quickly becomes clear the USFL players have it pretty good when compared to the average American. 

However, most people only know them for owning one of the most famous sports teams in the world: The New York Yankees. 

The family’s ownership of the Yankees began with George Steinbrenner, a larger than life figure who won seven World Series titles with the team.

He also built the Yankee brand into an incredibly profitable business, one that brought in nearly $700 million in revenue during 2019 alone. 

So, whether they lift the Commissioner’s Trophy or not, the Steinbrenners are winners when every MLB season ends.

But how did the Steinbrenners end up in this win-win situation? 

To put it simply, because of “The Boss.”

It Starts With George

The Steinbrenners were wealthy long before George came along.

The main source of their money was a shipping company, Kinsman Marine Transit, which the Steinbrenners got involved with in 1901. 

George Steinbrenner, known by everyone in the baseball world as “The Boss,” was born in Ohio in July 1930.

His father, Henry, was a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate and a collegiate level hurdler. George’s mother, Rita, was an Irish immigrant. 

By all accounts, Henry was a hard man and a control freak who ruled both the shipping company and his family with an iron fist.

George’s upbringing in Cleveland was difficult because of this as he explained in an interview:

“He [Henry] was a pusher. He led, and we followed. You could run three races in one day and get two firsts and a second, and the only thing he wanted to talk about was, How did you get beat? What did you do wrong? […] I was mad at him all the time. I was mad a lot. But I found myself working that much harder to prove to him I could do it.”

As a young man, George graduated from Williams College and Ohio State University. He had several jobs including being an Air Force officer and a college sports coach.

After his time coaching football, George gave in to the inevitable and joined the family shipping company in 1957.

He soon proved himself a good businessman by revitalizing the company.

One of George’s best business moves came when he bought up the American Shipbuilding Company. It merged with Kinsman in 1967 and brought further wealth to the family.

Six years later, George led a group of 12 people in buying The New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million.

At the time of purchasing, George said he would have nothing to do with the day-to-day running of the business. But within a year he had bought out most of the partners and was already making his presence felt. 

This was the beginning of a reign that would last over 30 years. 

The Yankees And The Boss

As the owner of the Yankees, George was hell-bent on two things: Winning the World Series and transforming the Yankees into a money making machine. 

He achieved both.

The Yankees won seven World Series and 11 pennants under George thanks, in part, to his hard-nosed approach to team ownership.

This involved spending huge sums of money to lure star players from other teams, including Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson.

George also developed the Yankees minor league system, a talent development network that helped build Yankee icons like Derek Jeter. 

Never one to shy away from controversial decisions, George changed managers 20 times in his first 23 seasons and even implemented a personal appearance policy which banned players from having any facial hair apart from mustaches. A policy that still stands today.

From a financial aspect the Yankees were an even greater success under George. 

This was thanks to huge marketing deals including a 10-year agreement with Adidas that was worth $95 million.

The Yankees even built their own regional sports network, YES Network. In 2005 alone YES Network made $257 million in revenue. 

One year later the Yankees became the first baseball team to be valued at $1 billion.

But even this milestone did not slow George down.

During 2008 he joined forces with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to form Legends Hospitality, a business focused on event management and concessions that is worth over $1 billion today.

However, the late 2000s marked a decline in George’s health and he steadily gave his work over to members of his family. 

In 2010, he passed away from a heart attack at the age of 80. He was worth approximately $1.1 billion at the time.

Joan, George’s wife, who was vice chair of the Yankees, died eight years later. She was 83. 

The Steinbrenner Children 

George and Joan Steinbrenner had four children: Hank, Jessica, Jennifer, and Hal. 

All four were named general partners in the Yankees, although some of the children have been more involved in the organization than others.

Forbes estimates that the four children each got one-fourth of George’s estate.

However, their combined familial wealth of nearly $4 billion dollars only makes them the 10th wealthiest owner in Major League Baseball. 

Hank Steinbrenner 

Hank Steinbrenner, the oldest of the four siblings, was 15 when his father bought the New York Yankees. He was involved with the team as a general manager apprentice and also as a general partner.

However, Hank turned down his father’s offer of running the team when George was banned from baseball during the 1990s. Instead, Hank preferred to breed horses on the family stud farm.

After George’s death, Hank’s younger brother Hal was named managing general partner as Hank did not wish to spend large amounts of time in New York. 

Although he had limited involvement in the Yankees throughout his life, Hank was very outspoken and was known for the same gruff, opinionated comments as his father.

Hank passed away in 2020 due to an illness. He was 63.

Jessica Steinbrenner

Another family member that has had limited involvement with the Yankees, despite her status as general partner, is Jessica Steinbrenner. 

Like Hank, Jessica prefers horses to baseballs and runs the family’s 880-acre stud farm, Kinsman Farm. She is also the author of two children’s books. 

Her ex-husband, Joe Molloy, was a vital part of the Yankees’ front office as managing general partner from 1988 to 1997.

He even ran the team during one of George’s suspensions. However, Molloy cut all ties with the team after he and Jessica divorced in 1998. 

Jennifer Steinbrenner

Many saw Jennifer Steinbrenner as the natural successor to George. She majored in business at the University of North Carolina and was even named a Morehead Scholar. 

Upon graduating, Jennifer worked in the Yankee’s public affairs department for a year but did not progress further.

This was due to her father’s misogynistic views on women in business, as Jennifer hinted at in an interview:

”Even if I wanted to move up in the organization, I would’ve never been allowed. Not in this family.”

In contrast, her first husband, Steve Swindal, was made general partner in the Yankees and was even named as George’s heir to take over the team. However, Swindal left the organization after the pair divorced in 2007. 

Instead of running the baseball side of things, Jennifer has dedicated her life to philanthropy.

She is a supporter of many charitable organizations and is the president of both the New York Yankees Foundation and the New York Yankees Tampa Foundation.

Hal Steinbrenner

Despite being the youngest of the Steinbrenner children, Hal has become the family’s leader.

This was a gradual process: Hal was elected chair of the Board of Yankee Global Enterprises in September 2007. This was followed by his confirmation as chairman 13 months later by all the MLB owners.

Since taking over the running of the Yankees from his father, Hal has shown a similar belief in spending big.

In recent years the Yankees have been at the center of some huge deals including paying $325 million for slugger Giancarlo Stanton and $324 million for pitcher Gerrit Cole.

Most recently, Hal signed off on a $360 million deal to retain record breaking home run hitter Aaron Judge.

Unlike his father, Hal has not had championship success to back up this spending.

The Yankees’ last World Series came in 2009 and recent playoff losses to the Houston Astros have been difficult for both the team and the family to swallow.

Business-wise, Hal has had some success during his time as Yankee chairman.

For example, the Steinbrenner family earned $584 million in 2012 when it sold part of YES Network to Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox. 

What Does The Future Hold?

Forbes recently valued the Yankees as the 4th most valuable sports team in the world. The franchise is now worth $6 billion. 

For comparison, the next most valuable MLB team is the Los Angeles Dodgers who ranked 26th in the world at $4.08 billion.

In other words, the Yankees are set to continue building their reputation as the league’s biggest earners.

As for the Steinbrenners, they seem determined to keep the Yankees in the family. 

“We’re all in,” Jennifer said to The New York Post. “I hope we own the team for eternity. You never know what life will bring, but we’re in it for the long haul.”

Hal has already got some of the younger Steinbrenner’s working in the various Yankee offices. At the moment, we’re still not sure who will get the nod as his successor. 

Whether it’s Hal or another Steinbrenner at the helm, New York Yankee fans will be hoping for one thing.

That the chair of the organization can do justice to The Boss’s memory and bring the World Series back to Yankee Stadium. 

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Lead image: Twitter/Yankees

This mentality has trickled down into Sin City’s food culture where buffets, the ultimate in excess, have traditionally reigned supreme. 

Unfortunately, the Coronavirus pandemic has seen many of the city’s famous buffets like Aria Buffet, The Flamingo’s Paradise Garden Buffet, and Le Village Buffet, close.

To make matters worse the famous Las Vegas buffet pass, known as the Buffet of Buffets, is no longer operational. 

This means visiting more than a couple of Las Vegas buffets could become quite expensive. 

With that in mind, our advice is to pick your buffet carefully.

Luckily, Sin City still has a number of excellent buffets that you can sink your teeth into.

Here is everything you need to know about our favorites. 

Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace

Where: Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Brunch is $64.99 (for adults) and $32.50 (for children aged 4-10); Snow Crab Brunch is $79.99/$39.99; Dinner is $79.99/$39.99; All you can drink is $19.99.

What’s unique? After a $2.4 million makeover Las Vegas’s biggest buffet is back and looking better than ever.

With nine kitchens and 15 changing daily specials, no two meals are ever the same at Bacchanal buffet.

There has been a real effort to bring different cuisines into Bacchanal and the results are an amazing array of options including Chinese dim sum and Laotian cuisine. 

Some highlights include fantastic carving stations with options including smoked brisket and prime rib. While at breakfast time you can help yourself to a number of freshly squeezed juices. 

Try the: Red velvet pancakes; Chipotle bourbon BBQ oysters; Snow crab legs (Snow Crab Brunch only).

Style of space: Designed and updated by Tetsuo Aoyagi, Bacchanal buffet is a glass and stone wonder. The gorgeous space feels less like a buffet and more like an upscale restaurant with plenty of light and space. 

Hours: 3:30pm – 10:00pm (Monday – Thursday); 9:00am – 10:00pm (Friday – Saturday).

A.Y.C.E Buffet

Where: Palms Casino Resort, 4321 West Flamingo Road.

Cost: Breakfast is $24.99 (for adults) and $12.99 (for children aged 3-11); Brunch is $32.99/$19.99; Dinner is $36.99/$21.99; Lobster Dinner is $64.99/$54.99; Crab Feast Dinner is $58.99/$48.99; Prime Rib Dinner is $42.99/$29.99.

What’s unique? A.Y.C.E is known for having the best seafood of any buffet in Las Vegas.

The Palms has doubled down on this reputation by hosting a hugely popular all you can eat lobster dinner on Wednesday nights. People also visit A.Y.C.E for weekend champagne brunches as well.

Excellent service is all but guaranteed with servers going above and beyond to make sure your meal is as enjoyable as possible. 

Be aware that Wednesday’s lobster dinner is extremely popular. Get down to the buffet well before A.Y.C.E opens to register for a table. You don’t have to wait in line all day; they will text you when you need to join.

Try the: Lobster dinner; Crab legs; Prime rib; Gelato.

Style of space: A homely design with clear signage. The tables and seating are well-spaced, making for a comfortable experience.

Hours: 8:00am – 11:00am, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday); 8:00am – 11:00am, 2:00pm – 9:00pm (Wednesday); 8:00am – 11:00am, 4:00pm – 10:00pm (Friday); 

9:00am – 4:00pm, 5:00pm – 10:00pm (Saturday); 9:00am – 4:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Sunday).

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The Buffet at Bellagio

Where: The Bellagio Hotel and Casino, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Brunch is $44.99 (for adults Monday-Thursday), $49.99 (Friday-Sunday); Dinner is $66.99; Children aged 5 and under eat free of charge; Children aged 6-11 eat for 50% off adult price; Beverage package is $24.99.

What’s unique? The Buffet at Bellagio is one of a few high-end buffets in Las Vegas. It is known for its live action cooking stations and a 600-seater dining hall.

As it only serves dinner three times a week, The Buffet at Bellagio is mainly seen as a brunch destination.

During brunch hours you can design your own omelets, help yourself to piles of crustaceans, and enjoy Asian specialties such as Hong Kong Barbecue buns. 

Try the: Eggs Benedict; Mini gyro; Rotisserie Chicken; Shrimp shumai.

Style of space: Not as grand as you might expect given it is in the Bellagio. The buffet and dining area is still a comfortable, clean space.

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday – Thursday); 8:00am – 3:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Friday – Sunday).

The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas?

Where: Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Brunch is $46.99 (for adults); Dinner is $65.99; Gourmet Brunch is $50.99; Gourmet Dinner is $70.99; Children aged 3-9 eat for half price. 

What’s unique? It’s incredibly luxurious. Both the room itself, with 16 live cooking stations (including a pan roast station), and the food are of the utmost quality.

Many dishes are cooked fresh to order and the range of dishes is truly staggering. In other words, The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is the ultimate buffet dining experience.

Try the: Thai chicken wings; Unagi sushi; Truffle mushroom pizza; Key lime tart.

Style of space: The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is one of the grandest buffet dining rooms in the city – and probably the world.

White tiled floors and colorful drapes mix with palm trees and columns to create an exquisite atmosphere. 

Hours: 8:00am – 9:00pm (Daily).

Garden Buffet at South Point

Where: South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Breakfast is $14.95 (for adults); Lunch is $18.95; Prime Rib and Champagne Brunch is $26.95; Prime Rib Dinner is $26.95; Seafood Night is $44.95; Children three and under eat free; Children aged between four and eight eat half price; Club members get a $3 discount on all meals. 

What’s unique? As an off-Strip location Garden Buffet at South Point is a lot cheaper than some of the other buffets on this list.

While it might lack the grandness of some other Las Vegas buffets, Garden Buffet still boasts six live cooking stations, opportunities to create custom dishes at a Mongolian grill, and even bottomless Bloody Marys included with breakfast. 

Try the: Osso Buco; Shrimp ceviche; Apple strudel.

Style of space: Garden Buffet is a simple space with bright murals and carpets.

The tables are very well spaced, and the room is pleasantly lit. It won’t take your breath away but it’ll definitely do the job.

Hours: 7:00am – 10:00am, 11:00am – 3:00pm, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Monday – Friday); 8:00am – 3:00pm, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Saturday – Sunday). 

Wicked Spoon

Where: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, South Las Vegas Boulevard 3708.

Cost: Breakfast is $38 (for adults) and $19 (for children aged 5-10); Brunch is $49/$24; Lunch is $45/$22.50; Children under four eat for free; Bottomless Beverage package is $24; Specialty Bottomless Beverage package is $40.

What’s unique? Wicked Spoon has become famous for elevating buffet dining.

Instead of food being available in massive dishes, each item is available on a small, single serving plate, improving both hygiene and presentation.

As one of the best buffets in Las Vegas, Wicked Spoon prides itself on its ever changing menu and deluxe dishes. This is the closest you can get to a fine dining buffet. 

Try the: Bone marrow; Shrimp and grits with bacon; Squid ink pasta.

Style of space: Wicked Spoon has a modern, suave style that is expected of premium hotel casinos like The Cosmopolitan.

Beautiful light fittings, artworks, and room design all combine to make the view inside almost as enjoyable as the food itself. 

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday to Friday); 9:00am – 4:00pm (Saturday – Sunday); Please note that Wicked Spoon is not currently open for dinner.

The Buffet at Excalibur?

Where: Excalibur Hotel and Casino, 3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Weekday brunch is $28.99 (for adults) and $16.99 (for children aged 5-11); Weekend brunch is $31.99/$17.99. The Drinks Package is $14.99.

What’s unique? The Buffet at Excalibur is seen by many as the best buffet available in Las Vegas at this budget-friendly price point.

The buffet is packed full of traditional staples including pizza but where the buffet really excels is on the drinks front.

Drinks packages are cheap, and the cocktails are known to be some of the strongest on the Strip. 

Try the: Biscuits and gravy; Bread and butter pudding; Margaritas.

Style of space: A lot like the food, the design of The Buffet at Excalibur is nice but not incredible. Pretty light fixtures illuminate a simple space complete with both chairs and leather seating booths. 

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday – Sunday).

The Buffet at Luxor

Where: Luxor Hotel and Casino, 3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Weekday brunch is $28.99 (for adults) and $16.99 (for children aged 5-11); Weekend brunch is $31.99/$17.99; Children under four eat for free; Bottomless Drinks package is $14.99.

What’s unique? The Buffet at Luxor does not serve the best food on the Strip. Like a lot of other MGM-owned casinos, the buffet serves simple classics which are better suited to people looking to fill up than enjoy an amazing culinary experience.

That being said, it offers great value and there are some nice touches including a homemade pizza station and a 30-foot salad bar.

The buffet is also known for having brilliant service with staff members being polite, competent, and eager to assist.

Try the: Pizza; Chorizo scrambled eggs; French toast.

Style of space: Like the rest of Luxor, the buffet has an Ancient Egyptian theme. Sarcophaguses, columns, and dark, dramatic lighting all create an atmosphere that children will absolutely adore, making this the place to go for families with young kids. 

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday – Sunday).

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Garden Court at Main Street Station

Where: Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel, 200 North Main Street.

Cost: Brunch is $23.99 (for adults, Monday – Friday); Brunch is $26.99 (Saturday – Sunday); Dinner is $32.99; Children aged 4-10 eat for half price; Children 3 and under eat for free; Loyalty club members with emerald status or above get $3-$4 off per meal. 

What’s unique? Just away from Fremont Street, Garden Court is more laid back than the buffet options found on the Strip.

This makes for a much more relaxing dining experience with smaller queues and better service. The food itself is relatively simple but executed to a very high level.

Try the: Hawaiian stew; Portuguese sausage; Coconut banana cream pie.

Style of space: Thanks to its Victorian decor,Garden Court is one of the most beautiful buffet dining rooms in Las Vegas.

It has incredibly high ceilings complete with illuminated metal arches. Exposed brick walls and a tree that sits near the center of the dining hall complete this stunning room. 

Hours: 8:00am – 2:00pm (Sunday – Thursday); 8:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Friday – Saturday).

Market Place Buffet

Where: Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin, 221 North Rampart Boulevard.

Cost: Lunch is $19.99 (for adults) and $12.99 (for children); Prime Rib Dinner is $30.99; Aloha Night Dinner is $30.99; Deli Night Dinner is $26.99; Weekend Champagne Brunch is $31.99; All You Can Drink Beer and Wine is $7.99; All dinners and brunches are $17.99 for children aged 12 or under. Those with members and players cards will receive a small discount. 

What’s unique? Market Place is the only buffet in Northwest Las Vegas.

It is known for its cheap prices and an abundance of themed nights including Aloha Night Dinner on Saturdays and Deli Night Dinner on Mondays.

Market Place is quieter than the Strip-based buffets but note that you can still expect to wait in line a while during peak times. 

Try the: Matzo Ball Soup; Lechón; Cannoli.

Style of space: White walls and wooden floors give the Market Place buffet a clean modern feel. Furniture is basic but the overall feeling is of a functional, well-designed room. 

Hours: 11:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Monday, Thursday & Friday); 9:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Saturday – Sunday).

Lead image: Julian Paefgen/Unsplash

An adult’s playground it may be, but you’re just as likely to see a family walking down the Strip as you are a bachelor party.

Since the coronavirus pandemic Las Vegas has become very family friendly.

A recent survey by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) revealed that while only 5% of visitors brought their children with them to Vegas in 2019, a whopping 21% did in 2021.

If you are among those planning a trip to Las Vegas with kids, rest assured there are a lot of fun things to do.

Below we have listed our 10 favorites, five of which are completely free!

5 FREE Things To Do In Las Vegas

Watch the acts at The Midway, Circus Circus 

Many visit The Midway at Circus Circus to play some of the 200+ arcade games on offer (which is in fact what makes it one of the best arcades in Vegas).

But instead of paying to play, why don’t you enter the world’s largest permanent circus for free and watch some amazing shows?

Sitting in the center of The Midway is the Circus Stage which hosts performances from a number of acts including high flying trapeze artists, clowns, and much more. 

During the weekends, new acts come onto the stage every half hour and every single act is free to watch no matter the time or day. 

Acts start at 1:30p.m. Monday – Thursday and 11:30 a.m. Friday – Sunday.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

If any of you has a sweet tooth, then Hershey’s Chocolate World in the New York-New York Hotel and Casino is a must-visit destination.

Here, guests can customize their own chocolate bars, shop for some quirky chocolate gifts, and even star in their very own Reese’s peanut butter cup TV ad!

The store also stocks some exclusive chocolate flavors for those with adventurous tastes. 

If you don’t fancy eating chocolate, wandering around is still going to take your breath away as you’ll be able to feast your eyes upon an 800-lb chocolate carving of the Statue of Liberty. 

Fountains of Bellagio

One of the most famous sights in Las Vegas, the fountains outside the Bellagio Resort and Casino are an iconic attraction.

Watching the fountains dance in time to music is an awe-inspiring sight that the whole family is bound to love. 

In the evening, the show becomes even more dramatic with bright lights illuminating the beautiful jets of water.

Performances start from 3pm Monday – Friday and midday on Saturday and Sunday; the details of the shows can be found on their schedule.

The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort 

Las Vegas can get very hot. Luckily there are plenty of fun ways for everyone to cool down.

One of the best ways is to step inside The Venetian, as a short walk through the resort will lead you all the way to Venice!

A shopping mall with a difference, Grand Canal Shoppes is styled like Venice with a canal running down its middle.

Children are sure to love the iconic scenery and the sound of singing gondoliers as they travel down the canal. 

The shops are fantastic and there are plenty of restaurants nearby if anyone gets hungry. 

Watch the Mirage volcano erupt (while it’s still here!)

They say nothing lasts forever, and in Las Vegas this is doubly true. 

When it was announced that a guitar shaped tower block was going to take the place of the Mirage’s volcano there was an outcry.

Fortunately, Hard Rock Resorts have agreed for the volcano to stay open into 2023. 

At the moment, it erupts on the hour every hour from 7pm – 11pm every night.

Watch as fire and lava burst into the night sky, accompanied with a suspenseful soundtrack to complete the experience.

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Discovery Children’s Museum

A great destination for families with young children, the Discovery Children’s Museum is a brilliant hands-on, interactive experience.

Kids can play on a life-size pirate ship in the Fantasy Festival area or put their scientific skills to the test in Patent Pending. 

Thanks to the Discovery Children’s Museum’s huge size, every child is bound to find something they love. There is even a special toddler section for the young ones!

Cost: Nevada residents $13:50; General admission $15.50; Children under 1 go free.

The Tank at Golden Nugget Hotel

Most Las Vegas hotels have their own pool, so why pay to visit one? The answer to that is simple, The Tank at the Golden Nugget Hotel is unlike any other pool in Las Vegas. 

Children will love it because of the signature 30ft slide which goes through the middle of a 200,000-gallon aquarium. An amazing experience that no one could ever forget. 

The pools themselves are clean and spacious and you can even peer into the aquarium while you swim.

For adults, The Tank offers a chance to relax and unwind away from the chaos of the city. 

In our mind, that’s money well spent. 

Cost: Free for Golden Nugget guests; Free for Las Vegas locals on select days; $15 per person for the day.

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

If The Tank doesn’t hold enough sea life for you then your only option is to visit the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay.

This beautiful aquarium is home to over 2,000 animals including giant rays and sea turtles.

Staff are extremely knowledgeable and will be able to answer any questions about the animals that you may have. Extra special experiences, like feeding stingrays or sharks, can also be purchased.

Cost: (Pre-booked tickets) Adults $29.00; Children aged 5-12 $24.00; Children 4 and under go free.

Circus Circus Adventuredome

While some attractions like the Circus Circus pool are a little dated, the iconic hotel and casino still has many features that visitors rave about. Among these is the Adventuredome.

Inside you’ll find adrenaline pumping rides like Chaos and Slingshot as well as classic attractions like bumper cars.

Kids must be over 48 inches tall to go on some of the rides, although experiences like the laser challenge and virtual reality rooms don’t have this height limit. 

While free to enter, tickets or wristbands must be bought for rides. As adults often have to accompany children, it can get quite expensive. 

Cost: Regular All-day ride pass (48 inches and taller): $60.00; Junior All-day ride pass (33 inches – 48 inches): $30.00

Tournament of Kings 

Since making its debut way back in 1990, Tournament of Kings – a show and dinner at The Excalibur – has become a Las Vegas favorite.

During the 90-minute show you can expect to see knights jousting and fighting while wizards cast frightful spells.

With 30 actors and nearly as many horses, the show is one of the most impressive in Las Vegas.

Adults as well as children will enjoy cheering for their king while a meal of Cornish Game hen and potatoes – that must be eaten without cutlery – only adds to the fun. 

Cost: Tickets around $70

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Lead image: Lyle Hastie/Unsplash

Partly, this is thanks to Hollywood’s obsession with gambling as shown through movies like 21, Rounders, and Casino Royale.

Unfortunately, the reality is quite different.

Fast cars, perfect poker hands, and vodka martinis – shaken not stirred – aren’t always guaranteed.?

There are also a lot of steps you must take before becoming a professional gambler. These include decisions about what type of bettor you should be and how you are going to manage your bankroll. 

To help you understand all the steps we’ve put together this detailed guide. As you’ll see, there’s a lot more to being a professional gambler than Hollywood suggests…

Steps To Becoming a Professional Gambler

It will take experience, patience and time before you are ready to bet for a living. There’s no point in sugar coating it. That is what it means to be a professional gambler.

As you would work at a regular “proper” job, you must do the same with betting.

It will take experience, patience, and time before you are ready to bet for a living. There’s no point in sugar coating it, hard work is what’s needed. 

Most of your time as a budding professional gambler should be spent on developing the following three practices:

1. Learning And Studying

No matter how, where, or when you gamble, studying is extremely important.

If it’s sports, there is always another soccer match or horse race to watch. For poker players there are always opponents to study and odds to calculate. 

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Studying is so important because it is only with knowledge that you can make the best decisions possible and maximize your chances of winning.

For example, a certain racehorse trainer might always target a particular event at a certain track. Or there could be one football club that is a bogey team for another.

These are variables you need to know.

If you don’t have a full understanding of the odds behind every bet then you can’t make the best decisions. Poor decisions will ultimately lead to you failing as a professional gambler.

The learning will never stop throughout your career, so if you don’t like putting in the work you should abandon your dreams of being a pro gambler now.

2. Preparing For Total Commitment

Knowledge is only useful when paired with commitment.

Remember, this is professional gambling we’re talking about. You can’t expect to be successful if you are half-hearted with it.

For example, twin brothers Gavin and Alex Walker watch four or five matches a day when betting on soccer. This dedication to their craft saw them make ￡440,000 in an 18-month period.

If you want to have similar success you have to treat gambling as your full-time job. Turn up every day and put the work in.

No excuses. 

3. Learning How To Leave Emotions Out Of It

As a professional, your betting decisions must be based on cold, hard logic.

There is no room for sentimentality in successful gambling, so make sure to follow your head, not your heart. In other words, make the logical bet, not the emotional one.

Closely tied to logical decision making is avoiding superstition.

Lucky charms and rituals may be comforting to you, but even professional gamblers don’t win all the time.

The difference between a pro and the average bettor is that they get things right more often than they get them wrong. Being overly superstitious might prevent you from doing this.

Leaving your luck charms at home and not betting on your favorite sports team is one thing but when it comes to casino games, letting go of your emotions is even more important.?

After all, you can’t expect to be a successful poker player if you can’t keep your cool.

Leave your emotions at the door and focus on the job at hand.

The Types Of Professional Gambler

Not all professional gamblers are the same.

To succeed in the casino, you need to be able to count cards and bluff well, but those attributes won’t help you if you like betting on sports.

Here is a rundown of the types of professional bettors:

1. Matched Bettor

Almost every online gambling site has a sign-up offer or welcome bonus that acts as an incentive for you to join.

This has led to the rise of the matched bettor, gamblers who make their money through so-called “free bets”. The beauty with such bonuses is that you don’t risk any actual capital.

While stakes aren’t returned from any wagers placed with free bets, anything made off them is pure profit. 

Of course, the downside of matched betting is that it can’t go on forever; you can only be a new customer of sportsbooks once. 

What’s more, bookmakers who realize what you are doing may limit, restrict or even completely remove additional promotions, prematurely ending your run of free bets.

2. Horse Bettor

Long before soccer was the most popular betting sport, professional gamblers were seen on racecourses all around the world.

Horse betting is known for being incredibly statistical.

In fact, some of the richest gamblers in the world have made their money by building algorithms that analyze vast pools of statistics to determine who is the true favorite.

Of course, an understanding of how handicapping works is also important. This is because most horse races run are handicaps.

Thanks to both exchange betting and the widespread use of statistical models by today’s gambling syndicates, the average bettor can now see which horses are being backed and which are being bet on to lose.?

This presents alternative ways for professional gamblers to make money: Follow the syndicates or take on favorites – who typically lose around two-thirds of the time.

3. Sports Trader

Talking of the exchanges, that point about horse racing applies to sports betting in general.

As you can bet for or against sporting outcomes, it is often likened to financial traders playing the stock markets.

You can buy into the sports bets you like by backing them and sell the ones you don’t by laying them not to happen.

What exchanges allow you to do is supplement any bets you have made through fixed odds sportsbooks. That means you can cover all your bases. This is a wise move.

Clever professional gamblers are always trying to create scenarios where they cannot lose.

You can closely follow what is happening on the exchanges before choosing the exact right time to back or lay an outcome.

Developing this sense of timing is the key to sports betting success.

4. Arb Bettor

That brings us on to arbitrage betting, or “arbing” for short.

By betting across multiple platforms and sportsbooks, it’s possible to find mathematical differences in the odds offered by various sportsbooks.

Hunting down those margins allows you to back and lay the same outcome on a sporting event, guaranteeing you a profit regardless of the final result. 

As you are gambling across different websites and betting services, you need to keep very good records of your wagers. This prevents confusion.

Arbing, much like matched betting, is something that the bookies frown upon though, so you don’t want to get caught doing it.

5. Card Counter

Card games like blackjack are all about counting.

As each hand is dealt and played, you need to know which cards are on the table and which have yet to appear.

You’ll also need to keep track of all the cards that have been previously played as well as calculating future probabilities.

In other words, you need to be a math whizz.

Although not illegal, casinos will also ban anyone they think is card counting as it’s a form of advantage play.

If you are thinking of trying this virtually, you can’t. The deck is shuffled after every hand is played, preventing you from counting cards.

? How Casinos Catch Card Counters And Why You Should Avoid Trying It

Pros And Cons Of Being A Professional Gambler

As with any job, there are upsides and downsides to betting for a living.

You should carefully consider the pros and cons of becoming a professional gambler before trying it as a career:

Pros

• If you enjoy sports or card games, then it won’t feel like work.
• Satisfaction of beating the bookmakers.
• Life changing sums of money (only if you are fully committed and successful).

Cons

• Risk of being shut down by the bookies or thrown out of a casino at any time.
• You can always take your business elsewhere, but the marketplace has become smaller.
• Research and knowledge are needed and must be kept constantly up to date, which might turn treasured pastimes, like watching sport, into something of a chore.
• You can also lose a lot of money – there are no guarantees with gambling.

3 Top Tips That All Professional Gamblers Follow

On the road to betting as a pro there are some handy bits of advice you’d do well to follow.

These tips are ones that many professional gamblers have learned over the years.

1. Practice Good Bankroll Management

Although there should be more profits than losses, managing your betting bank balance is essential.

Smart bettors will withdraw some of their profits while leaving themselves something to play with for future bets. 

Failing to remove profits can see you wager and lose all your capital. This would spell the end of your gambling career.

2. Look At The Bigger Picture

It is well worth looking beyond the soccer match, horse race or sporting event you are currently betting on to see what is going on elsewhere.

Even though you’re not wagering on this other match, you might learn something or even find a potential punt for the future.

It’s the same with casino games. Try to see everything, listen to everyone. You never know when some valuable information might come your way.

3. Bet Within Your Means

Even as a pro, there is one golden rule: Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Keep to your budgets and within betting limits. Sticking to these is vitally important as overstretching can lead to financial ruin.

We know it might be tempting to try and win your losses back after a bad day, but you will probably just dig a deeper hole.

Accept the loss, move on, and don’t overstretch. 

Fancy Being A Professional Gambler?

So, there you have it. Anyone who wants to bet for a living needs incredible knowledge and dedication.

Professional gamblers can’t take shortcuts and must study the sports or card games they play thoroughly. 

Ego and emotions must be left at the door when it comes to decision making. Logic and data should take their place.

There are several gambling professions to choose from. Each has its skills and attributes, not to mention pros and cons. Be sure to pick yours wisely. 

If, after learning all this, you are still set on betting as a pro, then all that’s left to do is wish you the very best of luck!

Over the years there have been some tall jockeys that have managed to find success on the track. In fact, some of the best horse jockeys ever were taller than you might think.?

But when it comes to the tallest of all time, jockeys need to be more or less six foot to break into the top 10.?

This means some very famous names from weighing rooms worldwide like Steven Arnold, Richard Hughes, Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, and Johnny Sellers – the tallest jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby – didn’t make the cut.

Those that did prove the point that champion jockeys can come in all shapes and sizes. ?

10. Ryan Mania

• Country: Scotland
• Height: 5ft 11iin (1.8m)

Auroras Encore sprung a 66/1 shock in the 2013 Grand National for north of England trainer Sue Smith under tall Scottish jumps jockey Ryan Mania.

The following day 23-year-old Mania suffered a broken vertebrae in his neck after falling from Stagecoach Jasper during a race at Hexham.?

After battling back from injury, Mania began to struggle with his weight and retired from professional racing at the age of 25.?

He soon became assistant to Scottish racehorse trainer Sandy Thomson, but improvements in sports nutrition helped him manage his weight more effectively.?

Mania returned as a jockey during the fall of 2019.

In December 2022, Mania pulled off an incredible feat winning nine races in a row when his horses finished the course.?

9. Andrew McNamara

• Country: Republic of Ireland
• Height: 6ft (1.83m)

Andrew McNamara stood six feet tall in his stirrups, but still had a fabulous career as a jumps jockey.

While brother Robbie and cousin John Thomas (JT) both suffered serious injuries, he won some of Ireland’s biggest National Hunt races.

They include the Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the John Durkan and Champion Chase around Punchestown, and the 2010 Irish Grand National.

In 2015, McNamara cited both back problems and weight management issues as reasons for retiring from the saddle aged 32. He later became a trainer.

Besides winning Northern Ireland’s most prestigious horse race, the Champion Chase at Down Royal, he also enjoyed Cheltenham Festival glory in 2006.

McNamara steered Newmill to victory in the two-mile Queen Mother Champion Chase.

8. George Baker

• Country: England
• Height: 6ft (1.83m)

The son of a farrier in the equine hub that is Lambourn, George Baker grew up in one of the leading horse racing communities in England.

Baker piloted Harbour Law to a sensational success in the St Leger of 2016 when odds-on favorite Idaho unseated Ryan Moore at Doncaster.

Overall, the 2016 season proved to be very successful with Baker taking home 114 wins and ￡1.7 million in prize money.?

The following year horsemen and women flocked to the Alpine resort of St. Moritz in Switzerland to take part in a White Turf meet. Here, races are held on a frozen lake.?

During one race, Baker suffered a terrible fall and was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain.?

Thankfully, Baker recovered although he retired from competitive racing shortly after.

7. Donnacha O’Brien

• Country: Republic of Ireland
• Height: 6ft (1.83m)

O’Brien is one of the biggest family names in horse racing thanks to numerous wins over several generations.

Donnacha O’Brien was one of the family’s famous winners, earning two Irish Flat Jockey Championships during his short-lived career in the saddle.

There were some other major highlights, including back-to-back 2000 Guineas wins on Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia. O’Brien delivered in the 2018 Irish Derby on Latrobe as well.

He retired just a year later at the age of 21.

Like his father and elder sibling, O’Brien is now a racehorse trainer and has wasted no time in developing a reputation for handling promising young fillies.

Fancy Blue won the Prix de Diane, regarded as a French Classic, after O’Brien had only been her trainer for nine months.

6. Louise Moeller

• Country: Denmark
• Height: 6ft 1in (1.85m)

The only female among our tallest jockeys is Danish rider Louise Moeller.

Competing on the Flat, she rode stateside at Gulfstream Park in 2002. Moeller took out an amateur license the previous year and was recorded as being over six feet tall.

By 2003 and following her trip to the US, she became an apprentice before turning fully professional the following year.

Moeller enjoyed at least 70 winners from almost 500 rides and, while that puts her some way off the best female horse jockeys today, she must be regarded as a trailblazer for tall women taking part in races.

5. Bruce Hobbs

• Country: USA/England
• Height: 6ft 1.5in (1.87m)

You probably didn’t know that the tallest jockey ever to win the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, was born in Long Island.

That was Bruce Hobbs, who partnered American horse Battleship to Aintree glory in 1938 after winning the US equivalent.

Hobbs was also successful in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow that season aboard Timber Wolf.

Although he overcame a career-threatening back injury, he retired aged 25 and began training horses like so many of the jockeys on our list.

A decorated war veteran, Hobbs served the Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons during World War 2, making the rank of Captain and receiving the Military Cross.

Hobbs died in 2005 at the age of 84.?His Palace House stables in Newmarket are now the site of the British National Horse Racing Museum.

4. Stuart Brown

• Country: Australia
• Height: 6ft 2in (1.875m)

Australian national Stuart Brown may not have had huge success in the most famous horse races of Australia, but he was well known in his native New South Wales.

Brown had a racing career that spanned 20 years. During this time he clocked up more than 200 race wins and was even known to race camels on occasion.?

Like all the jockeys on our list, Brown struggled massively with managing his weight.

According to his mother, the jockey would starve and abuse his body just so he was able to race. A practice that is all too common in horse racing.

In 2015, Brown died from lung cancer at the age of 43.?

3. Jack Andrews?

• Country: England
• Height: 6ft 4in (1.93m)

The tallest professional jockey ever is 24-year-old Jack Andrews from Warwick, England.

Born and raised in a horse-mad family, Andrews was devastated when he had a growth spurt late in his teenage years. At the time he believed it was the end of his potential career as a jockey.?

However, Andrews managed to carve a career for himself, taking big wins at Cheltenham and the Tolworth Hurdles.

Andrews was also the Point-to-Point champion during the 2019/20 season.?

Having dabbled as a professional, Andrews has since returned to amateur racing.

Currently, he works at the yard run by his sister and brother-in-law and hopes to start pointing again soon with a repeat of the championship he won back in 2019/2020 being his main goal.

2. Patrick Sankey

• Country: Wales
• Height: 6ft 7in (2.01m)

Besides the professionals, there have been some exceptionally tall amateur riders. Standing at just over two meters tall, Patrick Sankey is one of them.

Even more impressive than consistently riding horses at 6ft 7in is the fact that Sankey won a Point-to-Point race at Bredwardine in May 2019.

Coming into the race 10lbs overweight did not prevent Galbally King from kicking on away from the other horses, leaving Sankey with a memory to cherish.

Sankey will probably never turn professional as a man of his size will have a clear and obvious struggle to make weight for horse racing under rules.

However, no one can ever take his pointing victory away from him.?

1. Manute Bol

• Country: Sudan/USA
• Height: 7ft 7in (2.31m)

The tallest person to ever enter a horse race was former NBA center, Manute Bol.

Bol was granted a license by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission for a charity event to raise money for the country of his birth, Sudan.

The ride took place at Hoosier Park just north of Indianapolis in the fall of 2003, although Bol reportedly didn’t race due to problems with his arthritis.?

Horse racing was just one way Bol used sports to raise money and awareness for his home country. He once signed for the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League, sitting on the bench for part of a game.?

Even more impressively, Bol also took part in a celebrity boxing match, beating ex-NFL player William “Refrigerator” Perry.?

Bol passed away in 2020 and is buried in South Sudan. He is fondly remembered as both an athlete and a political activist.?

For similar articles, check out the tallest WNBA players, average height of NBA players or 10 Things You Never Knew About Horse Jockeys.

Lead image: Twitter/si_vault

From the genre’s heyday in the 1960s and 70s to the modern feature films produced today, there have been many brilliant movies about gambling. Here, we have selected our absolute favorites.

Some of these movies use gambling as a backdrop for intense storylines and thrilling action. Others focus on the psychology and satisfaction that comes with dominating the tables.?

But what do all these movies have in common? They will keep you on the edge of your seat until the closing credits.?

1. Casino (1995)

Starring the incredible duo of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Casino is a classic that everyone should watch.

Like many other Martin Scorsese films, Casino is based on true events that occurred when the Mob dominated Las Vegas during the 1970s. 

? 7 Completely True Events The Movie Casino Is Based On

The film follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) who manages casinos for the Chicago Mob. He works alongside made-mobster Nicky Santoro (Pesci).

Together they master the cutthroat business of casino work and earn massive profits for the crime outfit, until Ace finds his attention distracted by Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone). 

As Ace’s life begins to unravel and the Mob’s grip on Las Vegas loosens, Casino takes on a frantic energy.

This thrilling excitement is what makes Casino one of the best movies about gambling ever made.

2. The Gambler (1974)

A brilliant James Caan stars in The Gambler as English professor, Axel Freed.

Apart from a love of literature, Freed also has a debilitating gambling addiction. Faced with $44,000 worth of debt and a rich family that is ashamed of him, Freed travels to Las Vegas in the hope of winning big.?

The film was well received when it was released and has stood the test of time as a fantastic study in the damaging effects of compulsive betting. This honest, raw look at gambling has seen it become a classic.

Unfortunately, a 2014 remake starring Mark Wahlberg did not turn out so well.

3. Uncut Gems (2019)

Uncut Gems is one of the few recently made movies to feature on this list.

Despite only coming out a few years ago, Uncut Gems is already seen as one of the best movies about gambling thanks to its incredible pace and stressful soundtrack. 

Adam Sandler breaks away from his typically comedic roles to play Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler who has an atrocious gambling habit.

A set of lucky circumstances sees Ratner develop a professional relationship with NBA star Kevin Garnett. With some insider information, Ratner sets up a bet on the NBA Championship Finals.

If this bet comes in, all of Ratner’s problems will be solved. But several loan sharks risk derailing it all.

4. California Split (1974)

California Split thrills audiences while also teaching them some important life lessons. 

Amateur gambler Bill (George Segal) becomes friends with a professional player called Charlie (Elliott Gould).

Their new friendship sees them both commit everything to a scintillating gambling trip to Reno.

The film also focuses on friendship, the psychology of gamblers, and that most important piece of gambling wisdom: When to quit.

This makes it an important watch for everyone, whether you fancy being a player at the poker table or not. 

5. The Hustler (1961)

As the only movie on this list that features pool as the main source of gambling, The Hustler is definitely a film of its time.

But just because pool hustling has fallen out of fashion in recent decades doesn’t make this film any less worthy of a place on this list.

This is because The Hustler is a story about grit and determination. What’s more, it’s backed up by brilliant performances from Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott. 

The Hustler was a huge success upon release and opinions have not changed.

In 1997, the movie was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Six years later the Academy Film Archive preserved The Hustler to make sure future generations can enjoy it. 

If that’s not an indication of quality, we don’t know what is.

6. Molly’s Game (2017)

This list has been dominated by masculine films led by male stars, which unfortunately reflects the genre as a whole.

All too often women in gambling movies are limited to love interests, or that classic cliché – a prostitute with a heart of gold. 

However, this isn’t the case in Molly’s Game.

Instead, this refreshing film takes a different approach entirely, by telling the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a lady who runs an underground poker empire for Hollywood’s rich and famous. 

Everything is going well until her multimillion-dollar business is put at risk when the FBI comes knocking…

7. The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Steve McQueen plays a cocky upstart in this classic movie about poker.

His character, “The Kid,” wants to prove himself against “The Man” – the best player around. 

As the film is nearly exclusively about poker its popularity has continued to grow as the game itself goes from strength to strength. 

Tension, a classic storyline, and strong acting are only slightly affected by the near impossible poker hands that pop up during the film.

However, McQueen is electric and the penultimate scene, when the final hands are revealed, is one of the best ever filmed. 

8. Hard Eight (1996)

An excellent cast is led by Philip Baker Hall who plays Sydney, an aging, quiet gambler that takes a young homeless man, Jack, under his wing. 

After being taught the gambling ropes, Jack’s attention begins to be diverted by a cocktail waitress. A distraction that quickly transforms all the characters’ situations. 

Supporting roles from Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John C. Reilly brilliantly highlight the range of strange and interesting characters that you can find in any casino.

In other words, no other gambling movie explores and portrays people who gamble quite as well as Hard Eight. 

9. Rounders (1998)

Rounders is a story of two friends: One a well-groomed law student (Matt Damon), and the other a loud ex-con (Edward Norton).

In an effort to bail Norton out of his debt the two friends go on a poker playing tear.

Many see Rounders as a classic representation of macho high stakes poker. Add to this some surprisingly feasible poker games and you have a film that most die-hard poker players will love.

But, it is the acting, which includes a brilliant supporting cast, that transforms Rounders into a film everyone can enjoy. 

10. The Card Counter (2021)

Rounding out our list is The Card Counter.

The movie was written and directed by Paul Schrader, the man who wrote iconic screenplays like Taxi Driver.

Interestingly, The Card Counter is equally gruesome and also has a theme of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Starring a restrained Oscar Isaac, The Card Counter marries both gambling and action in a film that never seems to take a breath.

Gamblers will particularly enjoy The Card Counter’s detailed recreation of the World Series of Poker tournament, and the final few scenes are sure to grab everyone’s attention. 

But every now and again, a gambler comes along with so much skill, bravery, or money that they can turn the odds on their heads and make millions of dollars in the process.

Lots of people like the occasional flutter but there are a few individuals who have made beating the bookies their life’s work.

Read on to discover how they became the richest gamblers in the world and what they won in the process. 

1. Kerry Packer – $5 Billion

Kerry Packer might have become Australia’s richest man through his family’s business empire, but it’s gambling that he will always be remembered for. This is because Packer always played big.

Part of playing this way is losing huge sums of money and Packer was known to go on some astonishingly bad streaks during his gambling career. 

The most famous of these was over a 10-month period from September 1999 to July 2000 when he lost around $40 million playing in both Crockford’s casino, London and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. 

Fortunately for Packer, he also had the occasional hot streak. Perhaps his greatest gambling achievement came in May 1995 when he won $20 million in only 40 minutes by playing several games of $250,000 stake blackjack at once. 

2. Tony Bloom – $1.5 Billion

Like a lot of people who have made their money in the gambling world, Tony Bloom is a bit of a mystery.

What we do know is that he studied mathematics at The University of Manchester and started out playing poker for fun. 

Over the years this hobby has won him around $2.5 million and has seen him play in some huge tournaments including the World Poker Tour and Poker Million IX where he finished second. 

It was also at the poker table that Bloom earned himself the nickname “The Lizard” for his cold-blooded style of play. 

Most of Bloom’s fortune has not come from poker though. Instead, he has made millions by setting up his own betting consultancy firm, Starlizard.

Many reports say that Starlizard is one of the top betting firms in the world and that it wagers millions of dollars on soccer leagues across the globe. 

3. Bill Benter – $1 Billion

Another math whizz who has used his intelligence to earn a fortune by gambling is Bill Benter.

Like a lot of young gamblers, Benter started his career counting cards in Las Vegas before turning his attention to horse racing in Hong Kong. 

In partnership with another gambler, Alan Woods, Benter began building an algorithm that could predict a horse’s chance of winning with incredible accuracy.

After a few difficult years and some tweaking, his model eventually began to earn him tens of millions of dollars per year. 

Benter’s most famous win came when his model correctly predicted the Triple Trio, a famous bet in Hong Kong where you must predict the first three horses to cross the line in three separate races. 

Today, Benter is now a billionaire and spends his time giving lectures at universities and donating to charitable causes around the world. 

4. Edward Thorp – $800 Million

Coming in one place behind Bill Benter is the man who inspired him to gamble in the first place, Edward Thorp – the man who invented card counting.

Using his mathematical and technological genius, Thorp created a way of overturning the house advantage when playing blackjack. 

During his first weekend trying the technique he won $11,000 and after seeing that it was effective, he decided to publish a book explaining his techniques.

Published in 1962, “Beat the Dealer” was an incredible success with over 1 million copies being sold. 

Thorp followed his book by inventing the first wearable computer. This piece of technology gave him increased chances of winning roulette.

Taking his gambling skills to the stock market saw Thorp’s wealth balloon and he has been an extremely wealthy man ever since. 

5. Alan Woods – $500 Million

Alan Woods was a former partner of Bill Benter and made his money in a similar way.

They both started out counting cards, and even worked on the same team at one point.

Then, after being blacklisted from the Las Vegas casinos they turned their attention to the Hong Kong horse races.

After falling out, Woods made his own model every bit as successful as Benter’s.

However, he was forced to flee to the Philippines once his betting syndicate started being investigated by law enforcement. 

Still betting from his private property, Woods amassed a huge fortune of around half a billion dollars and worked in close partnership with former rival Zeljko Ranogajec.

6. Zeljko Ranogajec – $420 Million

Known as “The Joker”, Zeljko Ranogajec is another incredibly rich person who has made money for himself by being a so-called advantage gambler. 

After transforming a few hundred dollars into millions at the blackjack table, Ranogajec worked with Alan Woods before setting up his own betting syndicate known as the Bankroll. 

Mainly focusing on horse racing, Ranogajec’s syndicate is said to place bets worth over $3 billion per year.

Even if many of these don’t win, Ranogajec still makes money thanks to bookmakers giving him discounts and rebates on his incredibly large bets. 

While Ranogajec likes to keep himself to himself, the fortune he has built cannot be so easily hidden. He reportedly owns an apartment at One Hyde Park, the world’s most expensive apartment building.

Even more amazingly, bets placed by his syndicate apparently make up one third of Betfair Australia’s total operations.

7. Billy Walters – $200 Million

Billy Walters is perhaps one of the most successful sports bettors in history. Walters himself has gone on record saying he has only had one losing season in the 39 years he gambled on sports. 

Like many others on this list, Walters used analysis to produce more accurate odds than the bookies, allowing him to win between 56-60% of all bets he placed. 

According to ESPN, Walters found most of his success at collegiate level sports where the bookies invested less time and resources in calculating their odds.

Apparently, Walters used to bet huge amounts of money on these small teams with one employee recalling a $250,000 wager he placed on NCAA Division I basketball team, Old Dominion. 

Unfortunately for Walters his lucky streak came to an end when he was found guilty of insider trading on the stock market.

He was sentenced to five years in prison, only serving four thanks to pardon by former President Donald Trump. 

8. Dan Bilzerian – $200 Million

While most gamblers on this list have made their money through sports betting, Dan Bilzerian tends to prefer the poker table. 

Most people will have heard of Bilzerian thanks to his antics on social media where he flaunts a lavish lifestyle, which he says he earned through poker. 

What’s interesting is that Bilzerian hardly ever plays public games. In fact, one of his only recorded results was 180th in the 2009 World Series Poker Event.

Bilzerian maintains that he now only plays poker in underground, private games. And, if you believe him, Bilzerian can earn up to $50 million in one night. 

Of course, there is no way of proving this, but some professional gamblers think it is a possibility, given that Bilzerian has a reputation for only playing against super rich people he feels sure of beating. 

9. David Walsh – $200 Million

David Walsh first became involved in gambling when he counted cards during his time at the University of Tasmania.

Here he met fellow student Zeljko Ranogajec and the two of them soon decided to try their hand at playing blackjack in Las Vegas.

When Walsh moved back to Tasmania, he began building his own software to predict the outcome of horse races. This would end up being a key piece of technology for Ranogajec’s syndicate the Bankroll. 

According to Ranogajec, during these early days Walsh would be the one to do all the mathematical calculations for the syndicate because of his intellectual gifts.

Walsh matched this intelligence with bravery and once bought $11 million worth of lottery tickets to win a $60 million jackpot. 

Today, Walsh dedicates most of his time to an underground art museum that he has built in Tasmania.

The rumored price tag? Over $200 million. 

10. Phil Ivey – $100 million

Unlike Dan Bilzerian, there can be no doubting Phil Ivey’s poker playing ability.

A lot of people see him as one of the best players in the world and he has the trophies to prove it, including a World Poker Title and 10 World Series of Poker bracelets. 

These victories have come with millions of dollars in prize money, but Ivey has also made huge sums by playing poker against billionaires like banker Andy Beal.

According to some stories, Ivey is supposed to have beaten Beal out of $16.6 million in one single game. 

But when those arcade games award tokens, or kids use their arcade credits to play the claw machine to try and win prizes, does that cross the line into gambling?

Gambling is strictly regulated, with laws and age restrictions in place. So why are kids allowed to play these eerily similar games?

Should they be considered gambling, and if so, what does that mean for children?

Are Arcade Games Gambling?

Although it depends on each US state, arcade games are generally not considered to be gambling for two major reasons:

1. They are ‘games of skill’ where players have some control over the outcome of the game.
2. Arcades do not pay out cash prizes.

In the UK, there are three types of amusement arcade that are regulated by the UKGC.

The gaming machines in the arcades are categorized by things like licensing, restrictions, maximum stakes, etc. to determine if they are a form of gambling.

The games available to children at most British arcades are ranked as “category D” gambling machines, such as coin pushers and crane grabs.

Category D machines have maximum stakes of between 10p to ￡1 and a maximum monetary prize of ￡10. Non-monetary prizes can be worth more.

Despite being recognized as low-level gambling machines, it is still legal for children of all ages to use category D machines.

Similarly to the US, children are also allowed to play machines known as skill with prizes (SWPs) where a games tests a player’s “skill” to win a prize – rather than a game of chance.

SWPs are usually found outside of arcades in places like shopping malls and cinemas.

Addictive Features Similar To Slot Machines

In both countries it’s common for arcade games to pay out tokens or other items that can then be redeemed for prizes.

By keeping the value of the prize below a certain amount, it means the games can be classed as a form of entertainment or skill game instead of gambling. 

But even if the prize is a small stuffed animal, the similarities these arcade machines have to adult gambling games is shocking.

Both make use of the same addictive features that keep gamblers hooked at casinos: The thrilling chance of victory, bright lights and sounds, and intermittent rewards.

Two iconic arcade games played around the world are the “coin pusher” where players try to dislodge money by adding their own coins and the “claw grab,” a game where players try to pick up prizes with a remote-controlled claw. 

Both the coin pusher and the claw grab are made to feel like skill-based games, meaning that players believe it’s their skill and not luck that decides whether they win a prize.

But in reality, this isn’t the case. 

According to Vox the claw grab arcade game is set up with a standardized return to player (RTP) rate, just like regular slot machines.

In other words, the game decides when you win and has nothing to do with your ability. 

And when a game chooses who wins and when, the wins are unpredictable – and that’s when they become addictive.

Research Shows Arcade Games Can Lead To Problem Gambling

Although games like the claw machine are legally available to children and are classed as games of skill, there is no denying that they can be highly addictive.

And research shows that it’s this addictive nature of low level gambling games that can lead children to develop serious gambling habits as they age.

A recent 2022 survey by the UK Gambling Commission revealed that 31% of children (aged between 16-11) had spent their own money on gambling in the previous year. 22% of them had chosen to do so in arcades.

The most popular games played were the coin pusher (73%) and the claw grab (72%), both of which have been linked with problem gambling behaviors in adults.

A scientific journal that examined gambling habits in the UK and Australia revealed that 60.8% of Australian gamblers reported using coin push machines as a child, compared to 48.6% of Australian non-gamblers.

This research suggests that playing coin pusher as a child can lead to problem gambling in adulthood. 

In the US, coin pushers are legal under federal law, however many states have banned them. Coin pushers may be banned but claw grab games are readily available across the country.

The current view is that the prizes available are too inexpensive for the game to be considered gambling, however, research shows that it is often the act of playing – not the value of the prize – that leads to gambling addiction. 

This means that, despite the small prizes, American children may still end up addicted to low stake, low prize arcade games like the claw grab. 

While this may not be a problem at first, much like drug addicts, gamblers steadily become immune to their high, which leads them to chase higher stakes to experience the same thrills. 

All of this means that children who start out on the claw grab arcade game may progress to riskier forms of gambling as their addiction progresses. 

The Rise Of Casino Arcades

21% of tourists that visit Las Vegas now bring their children with them. This increased demand for kids’ entertainment has led some casinos to build their own arcades.

One example comes from Bally’s – now known as the Horseshoe – which has replaced its small sportsbook with a children’s arcade.

This arcade, like a lot of others in Las Vegas, has games that are extremely similar to those found in the real casino. 

While providing a means of child-friendly entertainment, arcades can also make a lot of money for the casino; in fact, a typical arcade game makes the same amount per day as a regular slot machine.

But some people find casino-based arcades uncomfortable as they believe these games in the casino environment are actively preparing children to become future gamblers, in a similar way to how branded candy cigarettes led children to become smokers. 

Should Arcades Be More Tightly Regulated?

If research has proven the links between children playing arcade games and developing a gambling habit as an adult, then many people will wonder why arcades are not more tightly regulated.

In some instances, they have been.

2019 saw Britain ban under 16s from playing category D slot machines. But other games, like the coin pusher, remained legal for all ages. 

This is even though the European Lotto Betting Association itself has stated that children should not have access to any gambling products, especially category D games like the coin pusher or claw grab, as they offer a gateway into more serious gambling.

The British Amusement Catering Trade Association has tried to calm fears over these games by changing its voluntary code, raising the minimum age of some category D games to 18. 

As this change is voluntary arcade owners can still ignore it and many do, mainly as high energy costs have put financial pressure on arcades.

Unfortunately, many arcade owners can’t afford to pass up the extra money that children spend on category D games. 

What’s more, there are fears that if the UK’s arcades become too heavily regulated then they’ll have to close. This would mean a loss of nearly 20,000 jobs and around $1 billion for the economy. 

To make matters even worse, many of these arcades are in some of the country’s poorest towns, meaning their closure could have terrible consequences for the people who live there. 

Instead of tighter regulation, it has been suggested in the past that arcades pay a levy to help with gambling research and treatment.

However, this has also been met with strong opposition by arcade owners, many of whom say they cannot afford to give any money away. 

NHS England opened its first gambling addiction clinic for children in 2019, following a rise in numbers of children with gambling problems. 

In the US, there has been a large increase in the number of high schoolers gambling since the legalization of sports betting, with an alarming 6% reported as having an addiction.

Helplines, self-help groups, and special counseling sessions have all been created to provide ways for children and their families to deal with gambling addiction but the percentage of high schoolers becoming addicted to gambling has continued to rise.

So where does the responsibility lie?

Everyone, from arcade owners and casinos to parents and schools, has a role to play in mitigating addiction.

Arcades should be fun, but it’s clear they cross the blurred line into gambling, so should be treated with caution by everyone to ensure children stay safe.

Yet, sometimes when you’re on the casino floor, some people just seem to have the rub of the green. On the other hand there are those who can’t get a winning hand for love or money.

In other words, for every lottery winner, there’s always someone who has misplaced that winning ticket.

So, just for fun, we decided to do a little digging and compile a list featuring 13 of the unluckiest people in the world.

1. Frane Selak

Was this the luckiest or unluckiest guy on the planet? You decide.

Croatian music teacher Frane Selak claimed to have had not one, but seven brushes with death.

Selak’s close calls are said to have included a train crash, being sucked out of an airplane door, surviving a bus crash into a river, two car fires, being hit by a bus, and narrowly avoiding a 300 ft drop after a driving accident.

He is later believed to have had his fortunes turned with a rather large lottery win, which he decided to give away.

2. Costis Mitsotakis

The Greek filmmaker, Costis Mitsotakis, is another unfortunate soul often dubbed the ‘world’s unluckiest man.’

The reason?

He was the only resident in a small Spanish village not to win a share of a whopping $922 million jackpot in 2011.

As the only person not to buy an El Gordo lottery ticket, he missed out as all his neighbors cashed in.

So, what did he do — wallow? Of course not. He made a film about it.

3. Henry Ziegland

For 20 years of his life Texan farmer Henry Ziegland probably thought he was the luckiest man alive.?

The story goes that in 1893 Zeigland broke up with his girlfriend Maysie Tichnor after revealing he had been unfaithful to her. Heartbroken, Tichnor committed suicide. 

Her brother, Henry, sought to avenge her death by riding over to Ziegland’s farm and shooting at him with a pistol. The bullet just missed Ziegland’s face and hit a tree.

One day 20 years later, while out felling trees with his son, Ziegland came across the tree with the bullet buried in it. Instead of chopping it down, he decided to blow it up with dynamite. 

Having lit the fuse, he marched 50 yards away and watched. The dynamite exploded and fired the bullet out of the tree. It struck Ziegland in the head, killing him instantly. 

Talk about a bullet having your name on it.

4. Roy Sullivan

Perhaps the most unbelievable tale of misfortune told on this list goes to Roy Sullivan. A man who was hit by lightning…seven times.

The former park ranger was nicknamed the ‘human lightning rod’ and features in the Guinness World Records for surviving more lightning strikes than anyone else in recorded history.

In a particularly unlucky period, he was struck four times in five years, between 1969 and 1973.

5. Melanie Martinez

Known as the ‘unluckiest woman in America,’ Martinez seems to be cursed when it comes to hurricanes and houses.

While living in Louisiana, the school bus driver has lost five houses to hurricanes in the storm-prone area.

Yep, five.

That’s across a time span of 50 years — but her last known home loss occurred in 2012, not long after her abode received a $20,000 reality TV makeover.

6. James Howells

If you think trying to find a needle in a haystack would be hard work then look away now because, for the last few years, Welshman James Howells has been trying to find a computer hard drive in a landfill site. 

The reason he is so keen to find the hard drive that got thrown in the trash is simple; it has 8,000 bitcoins on it.

Yep, you read that right, 8,000 bitcoins. An incredible stash that was once valued at over half a billion dollars.?

Unfortunately for Howells, his pleading with Newport council has fallen on deaf ears and they continue to refuse his demands for an excavation project to take place.

Sadly, this means Howells may never recover his buried treasure. 

7. Violet Jessop

Violet Jessop, an Irish-Argentine nurse and ocean liner stewardess, was jinxed when it came to traversing the waves — she was on both the RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic ships when they sank in the early 1900s.

Not only that, but she was also on board the RMS Olympic when it suffered an at-sea collision.

Despite that being enough to put most people off for life, ‘Miss Unsinkable’ returned to working on ships in 1920 and only retired from the waves at the age of 63. 

8. John Lyne

Having been given the unofficial title of ‘Britain’s unluckiest man’, John Lyne boasts a CV crammed full of unlucky, and perhaps hapless, events.

The Brit estimates that he has had 16 major accidents in his life (at last reported count).

This includes falling off a horse and cart, being run over by a van, falling down a manhole, lightning strikes, car crashes, an accident in a mine, and the clincher: Falling out of a tree and then breaking his arm in a bus crash on his way back from the hospital.

Ouch.

9. Sigurd “The Mighty” Eysteinsson

Sigurd Eysteinsson was the second Earl of Orkney from 875-892 and led a Viking conquest of Northern Scotland.

Known as a fierce warrior, “The Mighty” once challenged a local lord called Máel Brigte the Buck-Toothed, to a 40-man-a-side battle.

Looking for a way to boost his chances of winning, Eysteinsson decided to bring 80 soldiers with him to the fight. With a two to one advantage Eysteinsson and his men butchered the enemy.

After the fight was over, Eysteinsson beheaded Máel Brigte and tied the severed head to his saddle as a trophy. 

While riding home on his horse, Máel Brigte’s famous teeth rubbed against Eysteinsson’s leg, giving him a little scratch.

This small wound became infected and Eysteinsson contracted sepsis. He later died of the infection. 

10. Ann Hodges

Ann Hodges makes this list for meteorite misfortune.

Yep, the Alabama native was just going about her own business when she was struck by a meteor from outer space.

She is reportedly the only person in history to have been hit by a space rock.

But the accident was bizarre — the offending rock burst through her ceiling before bouncing off her radio and making contact with her thigh.

What are the odds?

11. Erik Norrie

This man is a bad luck magnet. Or lucky, if you look at how many times he’s survived…?

Erik Norrie counts a rattlesnake bite, shark attack, monkey attack, and a lightning strike among his close shaves.

Norrie lost a chunk of his leg to the shark but was saved by his father-in-law.

While fortunate to survive he has to be categorized as unlucky given that the odds of a shark attack occurring are actually very slim.

The Florida man’s rap sheet of incidents sounds like a real-life nightmare.

12. John Wade Agan

A lightning strike, a robbery at gunpoint, a stabbing, simultaneous snake bites…John Wade Agan’s life read like a movie script.

The former taxi driver seemed to have bad luck trailing him around and, during the gunpoint robbery, even reportedly found himself locked in his own boot.

13. Tsutomu Yamaguchi

Tsustomu Yamaguchi was just 29 years old when he narrowly avoided death twice in three days.

This is because Yamaguchi was the only officially recorded survivor of both the atomic bombs detonated in Japan during World War II. 

He was just two miles from Hiroshima’s ground zero on August 6, yet only suffered a perforated eardrum and upper body burns.

The Nagasaki native then returned to his hometown, only to get caught up in the second blast on August 9, just as he was relaying news of his previous ordeal. 

The survivor, known as a ‘Niju Hibaku’, or ‘twice bombed’, went on to live until the age of 93.

We hope you enjoyed reading this list of the 13 unluckiest people in the world.

Next time you think you’ve got it bad, just remember it could be a whole lot worse…

Lead image: Unsplash/Felix Mittermeier

But it wasn’t just known for being the state’s main execution site, it also became famous thanks to its official prison casino that was run by – and for – inmates for 35 years between 1932-67.

A Casino To Help Rebuild The Economy

The Nevada State Prison was initially constructed in 1862 and suffered two big fires within its first decade, one of which completely destroyed the original building.

We won’t go over the prison’s history today, though, so let’s fast forward to around 70 years later to March 19, 1931, when gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada.

Governor Fred Balzar signed Assembly Bill 98 into law, which had been introduced after the stock market crash of 1929.

During the period of the Great Depression that followed, Nevada was funding the construction of the Hoover Dam and needed to generate revenues from alternative methods.

It was this ruling that saw Nevada State Prison take the unprecedented step of opening an inmate-run casino known as the “Bullpen” in 1932.

This was something that had never been done before and has never been replicated since in United States penal history.

A Legitimate Operation?

Now, your first thought on hearing about a casino run in a prison is probably that things must have quickly descended into chaos.

But the opposite was true; the casino ran effectively for over three decades.

During this time a wide range of casino games were available for inmates to wager on, including blackjack, craps, poker, gin rummy, and even sports betting – the theory being that a casino would keep the prisoners busy and out of trouble.

One Assemblyman, Howard McKissick, even suggested that gambling would prevent “homosexual problems”.

It was well known that gambling took place in US prisons anyway, so it was figured that a regulated venue would help to prevent more sinister forms of gambling taking place within the prison walls.

The Bullpen had such a good reputation during its golden years that even state officials and members of the local Kiwanis Club would come to enjoy a flutter.

In other words, there was no feeling that this was a seedy or dangerous operation. 

Interestingly, the Bullpen even had its own form of currency: Coins in the denominations of 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, $1, and $5.

All in all, they were not much different to the gambling tokens you can find in any regular casino.

Today, casino tokens from the Bullpen are serious collectors’ items with some of them selling on eBay for over $300 per coin.

Why Did The Bullpen Close?

If it was clear that a regulated casino within a prison was having a positive impact on inmate behavior and the general prison environment, why was the operation scrapped in 1967? 

The answer to that question begins with the name of one man, Warden Carl Hocker.

Hocker had come in from the California prison system to run Nevada State Prison.

At the time, the California prison system had different ideals to those in place in the Silver State and it was obvious that he saw no benefit in maintaining a pro-gambling atmosphere within the prison.

“I think gambling in prison is a degradation, and it’s certainly not constructive. We’re trying to replace it with constructive, wholesome activities that will contribute to a decent, healthful state of mind,” Hocker said at the time.

The controversial decision saw Hocker put an emphasis on more socially acceptable prisoner activities, such as handicrafts, chess, volleyball, ping pong, and bridge.

There remains a degree of skepticism around Hocker’s reasons for closing the casino.

Speculation was rife at the time that a prison riot – caused by a disagreement in the casino – had led to legislators introducing a bill to close it.

Could It Happen Again?

The U.S. government spends approximately $80 billion every year on prison running costs.

It’s food for thought that part of that money could be recouped in revenue generated by opening legitimate and regulated casinos within prisons.

But despite the evidence that the Bullpen helped to improve prisoner behavior during its time in existence, there appears to be no appetite to re-introduce casinos into U.S. prisons.

And while illegal and underground gambling will always occur in prisons it is unlikely that we will see an official, regulated U.S. prison casino again.

The Bullpen’s relative obscurity is proof that the authorities are not exactly proud of having operated a casino within Nevada State Prison for over 30 years and the argument about whether it did more harm than good for the prison and its prisoners will continue to rage on.

The Prison Today

The Nevada State Prison officially closed its doors on May 18, 2012 and ceased being the state’s site of executions in 2016 when a new execution chamber was completed at Ely State Prison. 

Since this time, guided tours of the old facilities have become quite popular. During the walking tours you can learn about the many unique sights and stories that made up prison life.

As the site of many executions, the prison’s bloody history has also led many people to suggest the huge building is haunted. The prison was even featured on an episode of the paranormal TV show Ghost Adventures.

Night-time ghost tours of the prison are also occasionally offered. But be warned, they are not for the faint hearted.

Many who have gone on them have reported unexplained voices and some very eerie encounters… 

? What Are The Most Popular Gambling Games In Prison?

In fact, the five largest NFL contracts ever were all given to players over the last few years.

The biggest of the lot belongs to Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs who signed a 10-year contract worth an eye-watering $450 million. 

Salaries are not the only way for NFL players to make their money. Instead, many current and ex-players make even more off the field through starting businesses, gaining sponsorships, and taking part in broadcasts.

All of this means that the very richest NFL players are not always those with the biggest on-field salaries. 

But who exactly are the richest NFL players of all time? Do any current players make it on to the list? And how many millions does it take to become one of the wealthiest NFL players in history?

Find out below, starting with the ‘poorest’…

10. Russell Wilson – $165 Million

The 10th richest NFL player ever is Russell Wilson, the Denver Broncos’ quarterback who is currently having a season he’d probably like to forget. 

It might seem like a long time ago, but it’s only been a few years since Wilson was dominating with the Seattle Seahawks, a team he was drafted by in 2012 and won the Super Bowl with in 2014. 

Clearly attracted by his skills, the Denver Broncos offered Wilson a massive $242,588,236 contract for 5 years, which earns him around $49 million per year.

Add to this Wilson’s impressive range of endorsement deals including Nike, as well as Amazon and it’s not hard to see how he has built such a huge fortune. 

9. Eli Manning – $170 Million

While not the highest ranking Manning on our list, Eli has earned himself a very respectable fortune worth around $170 million.

After attending the University of Mississippi, Manning was drafted in 2004 by the New York Giants, a franchise he would spend his entire career with, before retiring in January 2020. 

During this time, the Giants won the Super Bowl twice and Manning was named Super Bowl MVP on both occasions.

From his football salary alone Manning earned $252.3 million, which – at the time – made him the highest earning NFL player in history.

Since retiring, Manning has continued to make millions through broadcasting contracts with top companies such as ESPN.

8. Aaron Rodgers – $200 Million

Drafted 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers in 2005, Aaron Rodgers played backup to NFL star Brett Favre for his first few seasons before taking over in 2008.

It only took 3 years for Rodgers to lead the Packers to a Super Bowl victory, a game they won 31-25 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  

As one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, Rodgers is among the highest-earning NFL players of all time, with his career long salary takings being worth more than $260 million. 

Rodgers’s current annual salary of $50,271,667 is an NFL record and he further adds to his wealth through endorsing many brands including Adidas and State Farm.

He even owns a small percentage of NBA franchise The Milwaukee Bucks!

7. Steve Young – $200 Million

Next up we have Steve Young, another quarterback. He played 13 of his 15 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, winning the Super Bowl an impressive three times. 

Two of these Super Bowls came during the four years Young played as a backup behind legend Joe Montana. However, Young did start and won Super Bowl XXIX, earning the Super Bowl MVP in the process. 

While Young made millions on the pitch, most of his wealth came during retirement when he co-founded a private equity firm called Huntsman Gay Global Capital. 

At the moment, the firm has nearly $7 billion in cumulative capital commitments and since 2005 has completed transactions with a total value of over $68 billion. 

6. John Madden – $200 Million

There’s no doubting that John Madden was one of the most famous football coaches of all time.

What people don’t often realize, though, is that he was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad in the 1958 season, playing tackle until an injury ended his career. 

While Madden earned a lot of money as a coach, he made most of his fortune through his association with the hit game franchise “Madden” from EA Sports. His yearly earnings from the game were reported at being around $14 million.

Madden also got considerable sums of money from broadcasting. He starred in commercials for a variety of companies, including Verizon Wireless, Miller Lite, and Outback Steakhouse.

5. Peyton Manning – $250 Million

Pretty much everyone in the United States has heard of Peyton Manning.

The two-time Super Bowl winner and 14 x Pro Bowl player spent most of his career as quarterback at the Indianapolis Colts, before spending a few years playing with the Denver Broncos.

Just like his brother Eli, Peyton Manning loves endorsements and has earned money from a huge number of companies, including ESPN and MasterCard.

At one point Manning owned 31 Papa John’s franchises and in more recent years he has made money investing in new trends such as NFTs. 

4. Tom Brady – $250 Million

The GOAT spent 19 seasons with the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowls before a blockbuster trade took him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he won another Super Bowl, taking him to an incredible total of seven.

A number he hopes to add to in this, his 23rd NFL season, after backtracking on his decision to retire.  

Forbes calculated that in 2022 alone Brady made $75 million thanks to his incredible salary and huge off-pitch earnings, with endorsements from brands like Aston Martin, Under Armour, and Tag Heuer. 

The fact that Brady is worth such an incredible amount of money is even more impressive when you learn he turned down higher salaries during his time at the New England Patriots.

All in all, Brady is said to have given up around $60 million so the Patriots could invest in building a better, more competitive team around him. 

3. Fran Tarkenton – $300 million

Fran Tarkenton was a quarterback in the NFL for 18 seasons. He played most of these seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and went to the Super Bowl three times with them, losing all three to different opponents. 

When he retired after the 1978 season, Tarkenton was seen as one of the best quarterbacks to have ever played the game thanks to his ability to pass the ball and scramble for yards using his legs.

Interestingly, it wasn’t Tarkenton’s footballing career that made him incredibly rich, but what came after.

During retirement Tarkenton became involved in computer software and launched a software company called Tarkenton Ware, a business that earned him huge amounts of money. 

Apart from computer software, Tarkenton has written many books, is a major shareholder in Apple, and also owns a financial-planning business.

Not bad for someone who only earned $1 million during their playing career. 

2. Roger Staubach – $600 Million

Next up is another player you probably didn’t expect to be so rich – Roger Staubach.

The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and two-time Super Bowl winner played for 10 years, retiring in 1979.

While Staubach certainly made a good living from the Cowboys, most of his riches have come from other businesses.

The Staubach Company was a real estate business he was a partner in, and it sold for $613 million in 2008.

He has also earned money from advertisements and color commentary.

1. Jerry Richardson – $2 Billion

At number one on our list of the richest NFL players ever is Jerry Richardson.

The former owner of the Carolina Panthers – a franchise that was sold for $2.3 billion in 2018 amid misconduct allegations – was a halfback who played in the late 1950s.

Richardson played for the Baltimore Colts and won he won the 1959 NFL Championship. 

Richardson didn’t get rich from football though. Instead, he earned money via Hardee’s franchises, with his first coming in 1961.

He would end up owning 50% of Hardee’s, as well as having interests in many other businesses. By 1993, he was rich enough to establish the Carolina Panthers, the NFL’s 29th franchise.

This meant he became one of only two NFL players to have ever owned a franchise. 

How Much Do NFL Players Make?

The average NFL player earns around $2.7 million per year.

But while some, such as Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, earn tens of millions a year, not everyone in the NFL has salaries this high.

Actually, many rookies are paid the league minimum, which for the 2022/23 season is $750,000. 

If you break salaries down by position, quarterbacks earn the most by far, with NBC reporting the average salary for players in this position to be over $7 million. 

Up next are wide receivers who earn an average of $2.8 million, although superstars such as Tyreek Hill are raking in as much as $30 million.

On the defensive side, the highest earners tend to be top quality edge rushers like Myles Garrett who signed a five year contract worth $125 million with the Cleveland Browns. 

However, the highest paid defensive player for the 2022 season is the defensive tackle, Aaron Donald who is netting $31.7 million for the year.

NFL vs Other Sports Stars

Given these huge salaries it might surprise you to discover that NFL players do not have the highest average salaries of sports players in the world, or even in America.

Actually, NBA players have a much higher average wage of around $8 million. 

But when it comes to the superstars’ on-field earnings, NFL players can expect to be paid a similar amount as the World’s best soccer players including Neymar, champion boxers like Tyson Fury and even the top Formula 1 drivers.

By comparison, check out the average salary of an NFL mascot!

Lead image: Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons

Although these are tougher than the average bet to pull off, there have been some occasions when bettors have defied the odds and landed huge prizes with accas.

If you aren’t familiar with ‘accumulators’ or ‘accas’, then this is how they work.

You place a wager that contains several selections in different sporting events. In order for your bet to win and the acca to land, all legs must be winners.

You can get a big profit off small stakes, which is why they appeal to bettors.

Here are 10 of the biggest sports betting accumulator wins ever – and some very happy winners!

10. Won ￡473,985 – ￡16 on 29,000/1 Odds

The NFL’s 2022 Conference Championship Sunday was the highlight of many people’s 2021 sporting calendar with both games going down to the wire.

Picking a winner of the two games was difficult enough, but selecting the correct scores seemed almost impossible.

Incredibly one bettor managed to beat the odds, using $20 (~￡16) site credit on FanDuel to place a 29,000/1 bet that came in thanks to two game-winning field goals.

One was kicked by Bengals’ rookie kicker Evan McPherson in overtime and the other by Los Angeles Rams’ Matt Gay towards the end of regulation.

Thanks to these clutch field goals the anonymous bettor walked away half a million dollars richer. 

9. Won ￡573,019 – ￡32,744 on a 10-Leg Acca

Winning a bet is not a certainty, even if you side with the favorite every time.

However, this bettor was willing to wager a massive $40,000 (￡32,744) that the favorites would prove too strong for the underdogs across 10 football matches, eight in college ball and two in the NFL.

The heaviest favorites on the card were the Green Bay Packers (-1100), who took on a struggling franchise, The Jacksonville Jaguars.

Surprisingly, the Jaguars, who would end the season 1-15, were leading the Packers 20-17 in the fourth quarter.

However, a late Packers touchdown would see them steal the win, landing this bettor over $700,000 (￡573,019) and forcing William Hill to hand over their second big pay-out in as many weeks. 

8. Won ￡791,000 – ￡6.55 on a 12-Leg Acca

Betting on matches when the results don’t really matter is a dangerous business.

After all, if the championship has already been decided, how can you be sure that both or either side is going to play to their maximum ability?

One bettor at FanDuel didn’t let these questions affect them, placing a 12-leg acca that predicted the outcome of every match on Sunday of the 2021 Ryder Cup.

America had all but secured the cup in the previous days, only needing 3-1/2 points to clinch the title.

Despite this, the anonymous bettor from Illinois predicted all the correct winners, including an upset secured by rookie Scottie Scheffler over the top ranked golfer in the world.

More impressively the bettor also anticipated the two tied matches, finishing an incredible set of wagers that won them a well-deserved payout.

7. Won ￡818,135 – ￡11 on 74087/1 Odds

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is a 160-lap NASCAR race that takes place at Daytona International Speedway every year.

The high octane action, and frequency of crashes, makes predicting the outcome of any NASCAR race very difficult.

But recently one FanDuel Sportsbook bettor managed to correctly predict four top 10 finishers. What makes this even more impressive is that nearly all the bettor’s choices were longshots.

The bet came in thanks to a huge crash that wiped out most of the leading pack with only 23 laps to go. This cleared the way for all the bettor’s choices to squeeze into the top 10.

Three of the drivers even managed a career best finish to boot!

6. Won ￡822,973 – ￡19 on a 5-Leg Acca

The Punchestown Festival brings the curtain down on the Irish jumps season, so some of the top racehorses in Ireland are on show.

One fearless punter, who wished to remain anonymous, put accumulators on the Friday of the 2017 meeting, Punchestown Champion Hurdle day.

When Das Mooser (10/1), Woodland Opera (9/2), Definite Ruby (7/1), Bacardys (10/1) and Canardier (33/1) all came in, it led to Coral bookmakers paying out the greatest amount on horse racing in their history.

The five ￡3 fourfolds and a ￡4 fivefold acca turned ￡19 into approximately ￡867,691.55.

Talk about bookie bashing!

5. Won ￡930,368 – ￡41 on a 15-Leg Acca

Most acca bettors tend to place their wagers on one or two sports. This keeps the betting simple and means they can bet on the sports that they understand best.

In one of the most exciting bets we have ever heard of, a BetMGM customer decided to do the exact opposite, throwing caution to the wind and placing a 15-leg accumulator bet on a range of sports that included college football, professional football, basketball, ice hockey and even golf.

The bet wasn’t without some close calls, including the Baltimore Ravens vs Chicago Bears NFL game.

Baltimore only secured victory thanks to a game winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Incredibly, all 15 of the wagers came through, netting the bettor over $1.13 million (￡930,000+) in winnings. 

4. Won ￡988,013 – ￡24,558 on 39/1 Odds

Not all accumulator bets are tiny wagers made on massively long odds.

In fact, some serious gamblers prefer to place huge amounts of money on relatively short odds.

This bet from Marco Piemonte is the perfect example of why.

At the beginning of 2022 he wagered a huge $30,000 (￡24,558) on a five-leg parlay (acca) that featured four NFL games and the NCAA National Championship game, where he selected The University of Georgia to beat The University of Alabama.

After all the NFL results fell his way, Piemonte decided not to accept the offer of a $600,000+ (￡500,000) cash out, despite The Crimson Tide having beaten the Dawgs in the two teams’ last seven meetings.

Piemonte’s bravery was rewarded when Georgia snapped their losing streak, trouncing Alabama 33-18 and making Piemonte a huge amount of money.

3. Won Over ￡1 Million – ￡13 on a 6-Leg Acca

Golf is known as a tricky sport to bet on because of the huge range of factors that influence play on every hole.

However, that didn’t stop one lucky bettor from selecting the outright winners of four separate golf championships as well as the results of two Euro 2020 soccer matches in a monster six-leg parlay (acca).

The final part of this wager came down to golfer Harris English, who the bettor had to win the Travelers Championship at 35/1 odds.

English made a dramatic 28-foot putt on the final hole to send the championship to a sudden death playoff.

Eight terrifying holes later, English finally secured his victory with a birdie, handing the bettor ￡1,039,554 in winnings. 

2. Won ￡1 Million – 50p on 2,800,000/1 Odds

Another horse racing win on the list of big acca wins is fertilizer salesman Fred Craggs and his incredible eight-leg win from 2008.

The Yorkshireman popped into his local William Hill betting shop in the market town of Thirsk and put on a 50p accumulator.

This bet was struck at monumental odds of 2,800,000/1.

Craggs got the perfect 60th birthday present when all eight of his fancied runners came in, but he didn’t know that the acca had come off until he visited the Bedale branch.

His winnings should have totaled ￡1.4 million but were capped at ￡1 million by William Hill.

Craggs decided to keep the massive win quiet for a little while, and even sat through a family meal without saying a word about his new fortune.

? How to Bet on a Live Horse Race

1. Won ￡1,445,671 – ￡2 on 725,335/1 Odds

To date, the biggest acca winner recorded in the UK happened through the Tote horse racing pool betting service in March 2011.

Steve Whiteley, a heating engineer from North Tawton in Devon, attended a day at the races at a local track in Exeter for free.

He placed a ￡2 Jackpot bet containing six selections.

When Semi Colon (2/1), Black Phantom (12/1), Ammunition (16/1), Mr Bennett (16/1), Lundy Sky (5/1) and Lupita (12/1) all won, Whiteley had a windfall of a cool ￡1,445,671.71.

He really hit the jackpot!

Lucky For Some?

Some people on this list just got totally lucky, while others chose to study the game to give themselves the best chance.

We’ve got a number of betting guides and bookie recommendations for our readers, so be sure to check out our pages on NHL betting, NBA betting and Super Bowl betting before placing your accas – good luck!

After all, it is this very same industry that transformed this once sleepy town into a bustling city with a population of nearly three million people.

Ever since the first Las Vegas casino opened back in 1906 the city has seen not only growth, but also a never-ending process of evolution that has caused many famous casinos to come and go.

And while most have long been destroyed, their legacy continues to shape Sin City today.?

Las Vegas, A Railroad Town

Las Vegas was first founded in May 1905, when 110 acres of land was sold by the Los Angeles and Salt Lake railroad company.

It only took a year for the very first casino to open, Golden Gate, a hotel-casino which was located at 1 Fremont Street.?

Back in these early days you could get both room and board for a single dollar.?

Las Vegas, which was still just a railroad town at this time, voted to become incorporated on June 1, 1911.

For 20 years Las Vegas remained a relatively quiet place. But then, in 1931, two things kickstarted its transformation into the busy city we all know today.

First among these were changes to the area’s divorce laws. This meant that anyone who had been a resident of Las Vegas for six weeks could file for divorce, which led to many “divorce tourists” visiting the city.?

1931 also saw the construction of the Hoover Dam beginning just east of Las Vegas.

This attracted thousands of workers to the city and led to casinos and other entertainment venues opening along the length of Fremont Street.?

Many of these establishments, such as Northern Club, were known for illegally selling alcohol during the Prohibition Era, as well as offering gambling.?

Fortunately, the ban on gambling was lifted in 1931 and Northern Club was the very first establishment in Las Vegas to receive a gambling license in March of that year.

After the end of Prohibition in 1933, both alcohol and gambling began to bring big money into Las Vegas. Aware of this fact, The Mob began to establish themselves in the city at the beginning of the 40s.?

By 1941, infamous mobster Bugsy Siegel was operating the Northern Club.?

The Mob, The Strip And Booming Casinos

By the 1940s casinos had been operating both legally and illegally in Las Vegas for decades, most notably on Fremont Street.

However, it was only in 1941 that the iconic Las Vegas Strip was born.?

The very first casino built on the Strip, which was just outside the city’s jurisdiction, was El Rancho Vegas, opened by Thomas Hull.

The casino part of the development was seen as an afterthought on this project, Hull’s focus being mainly to provide a motel for tired drivers.

El Rancho Vegas proved to be a hit and its success soon inspired others to develop their own complexes on Highway 90. Bugsy Siegel was one of them.?

Having recently bought El Cortez, a casino on Fremont Street for $600,000, Siegel was having some trouble with law enforcement who knew of his ties to The Mob.?

Looking for a casino-hotel outside city limits led Siegel to a man called Billy Wilkerson, who had planned a resort named Flamingo.?

Wilkerson needed funding to make the project happen and was only too happy to accept an offer by Siegel who posed as a legitimate businessman.?

Siegel bought two-thirds of Flamingo from Wilkerson and eventually took complete control of the project after intimidating Wilkerson so much that he fled to Paris.?

Having taken over, it cost Siegel $6 million to finally open Flamingo, which he did in 1946. Although the initial opening flopped, other Mob members reopened the resort in 1947.

While incredibly expensive, The Mob had finally built something unique; a luxury hotel-casino that offered the full “Las Vegas experience.”

This included excellent entertainment and high-level gambling, all in a luxurious setting.

The Mob’s success with Flamingo, which turned over $4 million profit in 1948 alone, led them to open several other casinos on the Strip including the Frontier and the Sands, both of which continued to develop the idea of a full Las Vegas experience.?

Back on Fremont Street, other notable players in the casino business included Benny Binion, who opened the massively popular Horseshoe Casino in 1951.?

In contrast to The Mob’s glitz and glamor casinos, the Horseshoe was all about gambling.

There were no entertainment shows, no music, and no private gaming rooms or pits.?

Binion was also the very first casino owner to offer no upper limit on maximum bets and to introduce comps, such as free drinks, to gamblers, shaping casino culture as we know it today.

The huge number of casino complexes that were being opened, luxury or otherwise, across Las Vegas saw tourist numbers reach eight million per year by 1954.

The city even attracted the day’s biggest performers like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.?

In other words, Sin City was officially open for business.?

Wynn And The Megaresort Era

While Las Vegas kept rolling through the 1950s and 1960s, the huge success achieved by The Mob and other investors in Las Vegas’s early casino scene could not last forever.?

The economic effects of The Mob skimming money off the top of casinos like Stardust, combined with two separate recessions (1973-1975 and 1981-1982), saw Las Vegas begin to stagnate during the 1970s and 1980s.?

Las Vegas also had new competition towards the end of the 1970s thanks to the first casino in Atlantic City, Resorts International, opening its doors in 1978.?

The city was tired, a little run down, and many people weren’t sure if it would continue to thrive.

Las Vegas needed revitalizing and Steve Wynn was the man to do it.

Wynn dreamed up an outrageously large and lavish resort called The Mirage and managed to find the financial backing to build it.?

Located on the Strip, The Mirage cost $630 million to build and was opened in 1989.

The huge complex was the first megaresort to open on the Strip and its opening was a definite turning point in Las Vegas history, inspiring a massive construction boom during the 1990s.?

This led to other iconic casino-resorts, including Wynn’s own Treasure Island, the MGM Grand, Luxor, Bellagio, Venetian, and many more being opened during this decade.?

These megaresorts focused on providing middle class customers with an affordable, luxurious experience, many of them in a family-friendly setting.

A very different approach to the hard gambling and raunchy entertainment of Las Vegas in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

Nearly all these resorts helped usher Las Vegas into the 21st century and many still stand as the most recognizable buildings in the city today.?

Although gambling revenue in Macau first surpassed Las Vegas in 2006, Sin City has remained the most iconic gambling destination in the world thanks in part to these landmarks.?

The Mirage and later megaresorts were also among the first Las Vegas developments that attracted corporate investment, leading to a huge injection of money for the city and the beginning of a new era.?

Vegas In The 21st Century?

The megaresort mania that gripped Vegas in the 90s is still very much alive.

This has been demonstrated by the opening of the city’s newest resort, the 3,500-room Resorts World Las Vegas in 2021.?

As the most recent megaresort in Vegas, this gigantic complex offers some insight into what the future might hold for Las Vegas casinos.?

Of course, technology will play a huge role as it continues to transform the entire gambling industry.

For example, Resorts World offers cashless betting at slots and tables, plus an app that allows all purchases, including food and entertainment, to be made digitally.?

People used to solely travel to Las Vegas for gambling, however the city itself has become a huge attraction thanks to world-class sports teams, enormous convention centers, brilliant restaurants and tons of things to do.?

At the moment brick-and-mortar casinos still dominate Las Vegas, and there are around 150 in the city in general and 31 on the Strip.

However, one of the biggest changes facing Las Vegas casinos in the future is the rise of virtual, online gambling.?

There are worries that hyper realistic online gambling, including features such as live dealers, could reduce the number of gamblers who head to Vegas.

However, online gambling doesn’t seem to have damaged the casino industry so far.

In fact, many brick-and-mortar casinos are doing extremely well by offering both virtual and physical gambling options.?

Las Vegas casinos have also dealt with similar threats before. Many people believed the widespread legalization of sports betting would damage Las Vegas casinos.

Instead, they have been performing brilliantly with Nevada sportsbooks taking record bets before the last Super Bowl.

What’s more, many people believe the atmosphere and excitement Las Vegas is known for will always draw crowds to the city, meaning there will always be a demand for its casinos.?

Whatever the future holds it’s probably safe to assume Sin City’s casinos will find a way to cash in. After all, it’s what they’ve been doing for over a century.

Lead image: Lorie Shaull/Flickr

Dabang Deli began their title defense with a resounding victory over U Mumba at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

As always with professional kabaddi, the match was exciting, the player’s uniforms were colorful, and a TV audience that numbered in the millions tuned in.

The version of kabaddi played by Dabang Deli, U Mumba and the other 10 teams that compete in the PKL is one that has become known by players and fans around the world.

But the blaring speakers and bright lights often mean people forget about the sport’s rich, rural history. A history which started over 4,000 years ago.

The Origins Of Kabaddi

The exact date and place of kabaddi’s invention is a mystery.

However, most people can agree that the sport was first played between 4,000-5,000 years ago in Tamil Nadu, one of India’s southernmost states.

Some suggest the game was created as a way of training people how to attack and defend in groups for both fighting and hunting purposes.

Others believe kabaddi was inspired by ancient, epic poems that told stories about war and battlefield heroics. 

Either way, it’s a well-known fact that kabaddi was – and is – a hugely popular pastime throughout South Asia, especially in India, Iran and Bangladesh.

Most regions within these countries had their own, slightly different version of the game, many of which are still played today. 

Despite there being regional differences, the basics of kabaddi have remained largely unchanged through the centuries, with a focus on solitary attack and group defense.

It is this simplicity that makes kabaddi so fun to both play and watch, ensuring the sport’s survival from 2,000 B.C to the current day. 

The version of kabaddi played in the PKL was first created in the 1920s when an official ruleset was formalized and published by an Indian committee.

The sport grew in popularity over subsequent years with kabaddi even being demonstrated in Germany just prior to the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

However, it was only after South Asian countries like India and Bangladesh gained independence post-World War Two that international matches began to be played, leading to renewed interest in kabaddi during the 1970s. 

Eventually these occasional internationals were replaced by the first Asian Kabaddi Championship, which took place in 1980.

A decade later kabaddi was introduced to the Asian Games. Then in the early 2000s another standalone tournament, the Kabaddi World Cup, was launched.

How Do You Play Kabaddi?

As previously mentioned, the version of kabaddi popular today is very similar to historical kabaddi but with a codified, international ruleset.

Matches run for 40 minutes, split into two halves of 20 minutes. At the start of each match both teams have seven players on the court and between three and five substitutes.  

For senior men events the sport is played on mats that measure 33 ft × 43 ft. For women, the mat is slightly smaller, 26 ft × 39 ft.

This mat is split into two halves with a dividing midline and exterior boundary lines. There are also two further lines, a baulk line, and a bonus line.

To play, two teams occupy opposite halves of the court and take turns sending a “raider” into the opposing half.

Raiders win points by tagging members of the opposing team. The raider then tries to return to their half without being caught. 

Raiders have to execute the whole raid in a single breath. They chant the word “kabaddi” to prove they are not breathing in. Pro Kabaddi also has a 30-second time limit on each raid.

A raider can score points in two ways. They can touch a defender – each touch is worth one point – or they can score a bonus point.

To do this a raider needs to plant one foot across the bonus line while having the trailing foot in the air.

If touch points are scored, the defender who has been tagged has to exit the mat, although they can come back on when their own raider scores touch points.

Raiders can also be kicked out of the game if they’re tackled or pushed out of bounds by the opposition’s defenders during a raid. Both actions earn the defending team one point.

If a raider stops chanting during a raid, he’s also out and the defending team gains a point. 

If a team can eliminate all seven players of the opposition team, they earn two extra points. After this, all members of the opposition team are revived and play resumes.

Teams keep on taking turns raiding each other and, when the time is out, the side with the most points win.

The History Of Professional Kabaddi

Professional kabaddi is relatively new, starting – like many Indian sports leagues – after 2008, the year when the Indian Premier League took the sporting world by storm. 

The organizers of the VIVO Pro-Kabaddi League have openly credited the IPL for inspiration on how to design and execute a successful sports league and have clearly borrowed some of the IPL’s most attractive features.

This includes bright uniforms, fast-paced action and top entertainment, like music and dancing, between matches and at halftime. 

The VIVO Pro-Kabaddi League was launched in India during 2014 as a joint venture between Mashal Sports Pvt. Ltd and Disney Star.

In this first season eight teams competed over a five-week period to be crowned PKL champions.

The league was immediately popular, bringing in 435 million television viewers, instantly making it India’s second most popular sport behind cricket.

Since then, kabaddi has consistently ranked as India’s fastest growing sport.

During 2016, only two years after the league launched, PKL began to host two kabaddi seasons per calendar year as opposed to one.

This, along with improved media distribution meant that 164 live matches were streamed in 100 different countries in 2016 alone.

Fast forward to 2022 and the number of franchises has been expanded to 12 teams, making the PKL the Indian sports league with the most franchises.

Many of these teams are fighting it out to be crowned PKL champions in front of sold-out stadiums across India.

As the game’s profile has grown so has that of the players.

Now, kabaddi stars like Pardeep Narwal, Pawan Sehrawat and Rahul Chaudhuri are legitimate celebrities with hundreds of thousands of fans and enviable lifestyles.

?? Top 10 Kabaddi Players Of All Time

Of course, ever larger sums of money are also becoming part of kabaddi.

For example, star raider Pawan Sehrawat was recently traded from Bengaluru Bulls to Tamil Thalaivas for a record fee of Rs 2.26 crore which is equal to around $280,000. 

The huge excitement surrounding kabaddi, thanks to the success of the PKL, has also helped boost the profile of other kabaddi competitions. 

After being dormant for nine years the Kabaddi World Cup was held again in 2016. India emerged as world champions, beating Iran 38-29 in the final.

Unfortunately, subsequent World Cups have been canceled for various reasons including the Coronavirus pandemic.

2016 also saw the rise of professional female kabaddi.

The Women’s Kabaddi Challenge gave three women’s teams a chance to compete, with the Storm Queens being crowned champions after defeating the Fire Birds 24-23 in the final.

As with the PKL, the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge proved popular and was seen as a fantastic way of providing young girls with strong role models.

A fact highlighted by statistics that revealed females made up 40% of the challenge’s entire viewership. 

However, for various reasons the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge did not become a permanent fixture like the male’s PKL. 

What’s In Store For The Future Of Pro Kabaddi?

One of the main goals held by the International Kabaddi Federation, players and enthusiasts alike is to see kabaddi become a fully-fledged Olympic sport. 

For a sport to qualify as recognizable and worthy of Olympic qualification, it must be played in 75 countries across four continents by men, and in 40 countries across three continents by women.

Unfortunately, kabaddi is not close to achieving either of these requirements at the moment.

This isn’t to say the sport has stopped growing, quite the opposite.

A fully fledged professional women’s kabaddi league is set to launch in Dubai for 2023 which should make the sport even more popular among women and girls.

In terms of the men’s game, kabaddi looks set to continue its incredible trajectory thanks to the ever popular VIVO Professional League and growing interest around international competitions. 

As Iran’s recent victory in both the men’s and women’s kabaddi events at the Asia Games highlights, these competitions are becoming more exciting and competitive with every passing year.

A fact that should only boost the international appeal of kabaddi. 

Lead image: Wikimedia Commons

And as kabaddi is the fastest growing sport in India and is becoming more popular in countries throughout the world, we thought we’d take a look at the top 10 players to have ever graced the sport.

1. Pardeep Narwal (UP Yoddah)

If you’re going to leave a legacy on the sport of kabaddi then being remembered as the “Dubki King” isn’t too bad.

Narwal currently plays for UP Yoddah and is widely regarded as the best raider of all time. 

His list of achievements is near endless. Some highlights include being the top point scorer of all time, having the most successful raids of all time, achieving the most ever super 10s and being the first individual to win back-to-back MVP awards.

Narwal was also the first player to hit the 1,000 points mark. 

Outside of the PKL, Narwal won a gold medal with the Indian national team at the 2019 South Asian Games. He also won three consecutive PKL titles with Patna Pirates. 

His most memorable moment came in a match against Haryana Steelers when Narwal scored an incredible eight points in a single raid. 

2. Anup Kumar (Retired)

Next on our list is the man known as the “God of Kabaddi.”

Kumar’s story began from humble beginnings, when he used to play the sport as a youngster simply to pass the time.

Today, he is known as one of the most prolific raiders that the game has ever seen. He spent five years playing for U Mumba before moving on to the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Undoubtedly, the greatest achievement for Kumar was captaining the Indian national team and winning gold medals at both the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. 

During his career Kumar received one MVP award but it is his legacy as one of the sport’s very first superstars that makes him one of the greatest to ever play the game.  

3. Rahul Chaudhari (Jaipur Pink Panthers)

Transforming from defender to raider is quite rare in the VIVO pro kabaddi league but Rahul Chaudhari has made it look easy and is one of kabaddi’s most dangerous raiders.

The Indian national team member is affectionately seen as a showman within the sport due to his flair raids and lavish lifestyle. On the court his trademark running hand touch has helped him become a PKL legend.

Chaudhari is only the third player in history to reach 1,000 raid points and is a veteran, having played in every PKL season to date.

Although he is in the twilight of his career Chaudhari is still making plays for Jaipur Pink Panthers and recently led Uttar Pradesh to the National Games title.

4. Deepak Niwas Hooda (Bengal Warriors)

The story behind Hooda is a tragic one.

Born to a farming family in Chamaria village in Haryana’s Rohtak district, his mother died when he was just four years old, and his father later passed away in 2013.

However, Hooda has used kabaddi to transform his life, developing a reputation for being one of the most clinical all-rounders the sport has ever seen. 

Hooda’s statistics are impressive with more than 1,100 total points earned, 250 tackles and 2,000 raids during his PKL career.

What’s more, Hooda has the honor of being India’s captain, a role he was allocated towards the end of 2019. 

5. Naveen Kumar (Dabang Delhi K.C.)

Once deemed to be an up-and-coming star, Naveen Kumar was the first player born in the 21st century to feature in the PKL.

These days he’s known as one of the greatest raiders of all time and is only the second player to win back-to-back MVP awards. 

Kumar has a knack for turning up when his team needs him most and that’s what he did in the final of PKL’s eighth season.

In this crucial match Kumar scored an incredible super 10, helping Dabang Delhi K.C. to beat Patna Pirates by a single point. 

He also played a vital part in India’s kabaddi win at the 2019 South Asian games and many think that, in time, his career might even surpass that of kabaddi legend Pardeep Narwal. 

6. Pawan Sehrawat (Tamil Thalaivas)

During the league’s sixth season, Pawan Sehrawat announced himself on the PKL stage in dramatic fashion, scoring 282 points, an incredible 22 of which came in the Bull’s finals victory against Gujarat Giants. 

Sehrawat was awarded MVP for that season. The following year he set a PKL record by scoring an incredible 39 points in one game.

These performances have not gone unnoticed; Sehrawat was recently traded from the Bulls to Tamil Thalaivas for a record fee of ?2.26 crore, which is equal to around $280,000. 

Unfortunately, Sehrawat has hardly featured in the 2022 season after suffering a serious knee injury just 10 minutes into the opening game of the year.

However, we are all excited to see Sehrawat add to his legacy when he is fully recovered. 

7. Maninder Singh (Bengal Warriors)

As the player with the second highest points total ever (1,126), Maninder Singh, raider and captain of the Bengal Warriors, definitely deserves his place on this list. 

In his first season Singh played for the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

They won the league and Singh racked up 130 points. However, he was to miss the next three PKL seasons due to a major back injury and was traded to the Bengal Warriors in 2017. 

Singh bounced back amazingly from his injury, scoring 190 points during his second season. The following year he became the quickest player ever to reach both 400 and 500 raid points. 

In 2019 Singh captained the Warriors to their first title, although an injury meant he couldn’t play at the very end of the season.

Despite having been in the league for a long while, and his many injuries, the captain of the Bengal Warriors shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, on November 5, Singh scored a career best 20 raid points against Gujarat Giants.

8. Fazel Atrachali (Puneri Paltan)

The only non-Indian player to make this list is Fazel “Sultan” Atrachali.

Born in Iran, Atrachali has taken the PKL by storm, cementing himself as the best defender to ever play the game. 

Not only does he have the most successful tackles of all time (379), but he is also the only player to have ever achieved 400 tackle points. 

Atrachali has also been awarded the Best Defender Title on two occasions, most recently in season 7 when he had an astonishing 82 tackle points.

He achieved 45 tackle points in Season 4 to help Patna Pirates win the title. 

As an Iranian national, Atrachali is not only breaking the mold in the VIVO pro kabaddi league but also shaking up the international competitions.

He captained Iran to victory at the 2018 Asian Games, beating India 27-18 in the semi-final and then South Korea 26-16.

9. Sandeep Narwal (UP Yoddahs)

The story of Narwal’s career is one of adapting and evolving. He has gone from being a corner defender to one of the best all-rounders to play the sport. He even has the most super tackles of all time (29).

Narwal’s aggressive style of defense is respected across the game and his landmark season 3 saw him become an integral part of the Patna Pirates defense.

The ability to mix his blend of unpredictable pace and agility along with his brute strength has helped him become one of the legends of the game.

In recent years his form has dropped somewhat, however, he has recently been signed by UP Yoddahs and has a big opportunity to help turn their season around. 

10. Ajay Thakur (Dabang Delhi K.C.)

One of the most consistent raiders in the history of the VIVO pro kabaddi league rounds out our list.

Thakur has been involved in the game for a number of years representing the likes of Bengaluru Bulls, Puneri Paltan, Tamil Thalaivas, and Dabang Delhi K.C.

Outside of the PKL, the man dubbed “King of Kabaddi” captained the India national team to gold at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship.

He has earned over 800 points and played in more than 110 matches meaning Thakur is experience and quality personified.

Lead image: India Times

The building even stood as the tallest casino on the strip, although it’s since lost this title.

However, it wasn’t just the size and shape of the building that made the Luxor so widely loved.

Instead, it was thanks to the Luxor sky beam, an incredibly bright beam of light that shoots from the tip of the pyramid into the sky above.

Often called the world’s brightest light, the sky beam has drawn people from all over the world to come and see it. 

But it isn’t just humans that the sky beam attracts… 

The Sky Beam Has Created Its Very Own Ecosystem

Anyone that has ever gone camping will know that bright lights attract bugs, moths in particular.

As the brightest light in the world, it should come as no surprise that the Luxor sky beam attracts bugs in their thousands.

The massive swarms of flying critters are mostly sphinx moths, which Luxor staff have reported to give the beam a golden glow.

With so many bugs in one place it was only a matter of time before they attracted Nevada’s hungry bat population.

Now there are so many bats in the air that tourists end up mistaking them for UFOs. 

Owls, who as nocturnal hunters must be rather confused by the bright lights of Las Vegas in general, are natural predators for bats.

So, owls have also descended on the sky beam, getting their own feast, and adding even more UFO fever when they are caught in the light.

In 2019, there was even a swarm of migrating grasshoppers in Vegas that also added to the Luxor sky beam’s ecosystem.

Of course, all these flying creatures can cause problems if they manage to get into the lights themselves.

If they land on the actual lamp, they instantly cook and can cause the glass to crack. 

No wonder the staff at the Luxor keep all the windows closed.

How Bright Is The Sky Beam?

The sky beam is a 42.3 billion candela tunnel of light.

To put that into perspective, the beam thrown by a modern lighthouse is equivalent to about 1 million candela.

In other words, the Luxor sky beam is brighter than 42,000 lighthouses combined.

So bright is the sky beam that on a clear night it is visible from 275 miles away. 

Some people wrongly believe that the beam is made by a single giant flood light, plugged into the top of the Luxor.

In fact, the light is powered by 39 xenon lights with 7,000-watt bulbs that you certainly can’t pick up at your local store.?

The beams from these different lights are then combined using a number of mirrors to create the sky beam.

Because of the heat from the lamps and mirrors, workers can’t do any maintenance on the setup while the system is on.

Temperatures have been measured at 500 degrees Fahrenheit just above the surface of the lamp, while the workers’ platform 25 feet above the lights hits 300 degrees when the lights are on.?

The sky beam is known as the brightest light on Earth, but it has actually been dimmed since it was first turned on in 1993.

In an effort to save energy and money, only half of the lamps are used every night.

A Light So Bright It’s Used By Pilots

For the most part, aeronautical equipment is so advanced that pilots do very little manual navigation.

But sometimes, aviation requires pilots to figure out where they are, which is why they use literal landmarks to find their way.

These could be skylines or natural formations, but one of the most popular throughout the southwest of the United States is the sky beam.

Because it’s visible from so far away, pilots can use the beam of light as a means of orientation.

Plus, it is fun to point out to passengers flying in the area at night.

Despite being extremely bright, the Luxor sky beam can’t be seen from space.

This is because, at that distance, all the lights of the Las Vegas strip blend together, meaning that picking it out with the naked eye is impossible.

However, special cameras can just about manage it.

The Sky Beam‘s Running Costs

Back in 1993, it reportedly cost the hotel $1 million per year to keep the massive light on.

However, with the Luxor now only using half the lights, they’re saving quite a bit of energy as well as money.

No one knows exactly how much energy or money this effort saves, but the last numbers available suggest that the sky beam costs $51 per hour to run.

The shortest nights are the cheapest, which means a month like July would cost the least to run the sky beam.

With an estimated 300 hours of darkness in July in Las Vegas, the hotel spends about $15,300 to keep the sky beam on, going up to $22,700 during the darker months of the year.

You have a 1 in 187 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime in Sin City, compared to in the whole of the United States where your odds stand at around 1 in 250.

It might sound scary but, like everywhere, crime is not evenly spread throughout Las Vegas and some neighborhoods are a lot more dangerous than others.

And, unless you know Las Vegas well, working out which neighborhoods to avoid can be a tricky business, so we’ve put this guide together for you. 

If you’re a tourist and want to visit places other than the Strip, be sure to steer clear of these areas.

1. West Las Vegas

Notorious for drug and gang activity, the most dangerous neighborhood is West Las Vegas, located northwest of the Strip.

This is one of the most deprived areas of the city, with many people living below the poverty line and where violent crime rates are a whopping 713% higher than the national average.  

This translates to a 1 in 32 chance of being a victim of a violent crime. Shockingly, people in West Las Vegas are running a 1 in 7 risk of being a victim of any crime.

Homicides are frequently reported in West Las Vegas.

Recent disturbances include an armed barricade situation and a young mother who was stabbed to death in her home. 

To put it simply, West Las Vegas is not somewhere you should go when vacationing – either after dark or during the day.

2. Naked City

Naked City is located just west of The Strat (that big tower at the end of the Strip) but it’s a far cry from the glitz and glamor of the casinos.

While many people like to walk the Strip, you should never wander into Naked City where violent crime is common. There are numerous reports of homicides, as well as drug dealing. 

So bad is Naked City’s reputation that taxis won’t go there at night, and it’s generally considered to be one of the roughest parts of Las Vegas.

3. East Las Vegas / Whitney

Another area worth avoiding is around Whitney, where the violent crime rate is an astonishing 288% higher than the national average.

With figures that high it’s clear that tourists and newcomers should stay away.

Unfortunately, this area, in particular the area around the Boulder Highway, is also where many of the extended stay hotels are situated.

As a result, people looking to move to Las Vegas might think that it’s worthwhile to stay in one of these cheap hotels while searching for a new home. 

However, these hotels are hotbeds for property crime, with the neighborhood having rates 167% higher than the national average.

This means that, if you are staying in these areas, you are at an extremely high risk of having your possessions stolen. 

The best advice? Avoid this area at all costs.

4. Charleston Heights

Charleston Heights is one of the lowest income neighborhoods in the entire country. Here 45.5% of children live below the federal poverty line and unemployment is 73% higher than national average.

When in Charleston Heights you have a 1 in 13 chance of being the victim of any crime, with many being committed every day.

For example, between October 3-–4, 2022, at least 50 crimes were reported in and around Charleston Heights, including thefts, assaults, and burglaries. 

One redditor even reported their horrific experience of living in Charleston Heights: 

“Well in the 2 years I lived there, my girlfriend was shot and killed in the neighborhood in a drive-by and there was another homicide near the 24hr fitness. Not to mention the multiple times I’ve also heard gunshots at night.”

All of this makes Charleston Heights a neighborhood we would recommend avoiding. 

5. Huntridge

Huntridge, which is located in south Las Vegas, is another area with a reputation for being dangerous.

The neighborhood is home to Circle Park, a place well known for attracting drug addicts, homeless people, and thieves. 

Circle Park was first closed in 2006 after a stabbing. More recently, in 2018, the assault and shooting of an 80-year-old lady in the park caused outrage in the community. 

Despite these crimes, the park is now open once again and is accessible between 7 a.m. – 11p.m.

As a tourist, it’s probably best not to visit this neighborhood unless you absolutely have to.

6. Downtown

In Downtown, the “older” part of Las Vegas, you’ll find plenty going on and will probably want to visit this area when on vacation.

And while it’s a lot safer than it used to be, violent crime rate in Downtown is 98% higher than the national average. 

In fact, violent crime has become such an issue that the local police force expanded its presence in the area during the summer months. 

This was seen as a response to a growing number of violent crimes, including homicides, that were occurring on Fremont Street – the second most famous street in Las Vegas.

During summer, police manned entrances around Fremont Street, using metal detectors, bag checks, and an 8pm curfew for under 21s to reduce crime and violence rates.

During the first week of operation in the area, police made over 350 stops and seized four firearms.

There are, of course, a ton of fun things to do in Downtown, so if you do head to this area just be vigilant and stick within a few blocks of Fremont Street.

Don’t Be Too Alarmed

While we may look at various neighborhoods and say that it’s best to avoid them, the reality is that Las Vegas is generally a safe city.

In fact, Forbes even ranked it as the 14th safest in a list of American cities with populations over 300,000.

So, if you are visiting, feel free to explore a little. Just be sure to not put yourself in any unnecessary, dangerous environments. 

Lead image: Clément Bardot/Wikimedia Commons

For starters they’re all famous celebrities with money to burn. What’s more, many of them have loving partners to come home to at the end of the day. 

But despite having it all, some soccer players still want more. More fame, more money, and above all else, more women – even if that means cheating. 

Despite these athletes spending just as much time playing the field as they do playing soccer, many have earned themselves a spot on the plane to Qatar.

And, with the World Cup fast approaching, we thought it best to reveal which of these competitors are soccer’s biggest playboys.

Who Are Soccer’s Biggest Playboys?

At the top of our list is Phil Foden, England’s electrifying midfielder.

Unfortunately, for Foden’s wife and childhood sweetheart Rebecca Cooke, this will come as no surprise.

Not only has Foden been caught cheating multiple times by Cooke, but his antics have even made national headlines on quite a few occasions.

Just this summer newspapers reported that Foden and Cooke were escorted out of a resort in Corfu after she discovered he was arranging meetings with other women. Ouch!

Another English heartthrob, Jack Grealish, comes in second with two previous cheating scandals having rocked his and Sasha Attwood’s long-term relationship.

Unlike Foden, Grealish does seem to have calmed down a little bit in the last year, especially since Attwood gave him an ultimatum over an affair he was supposedly having with actress Emily Atack. 

The rest of the players on our list all sit together with one reported instance of cheating.

This includes legends of the game like Neymar Jr., Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, and Liverpool’s star centerback Virgil van Dijk. 

Which Countries Have The Most Playboys?

At least England are sure of topping one table this World Cup, with their team containing the biggest playboys by far.

The combination of Foden, Grealish, Stones, and Sterling gave England a grand total of seven separate cheating scandals.

That’s more than double the number of goals the quartet managed to score at Euro 2020.

Mexico came in second place with four players cheating on their partners.

This should come as no surprise given that before the last World Cup, eight members of the Mexican team were caught up in a sex scandal involving 30 women!

Tied for third were France, Portugal, Brazil, and Belgium, all of which have two playboy soccer stars.

At the bottom we have well-behaved soccer teams like Croatia and Argentina who will surely be hoping that focusing less on extramarital affairs translates into better on-field performance.

Focus On The Game Instead, England

So, there we have it. As a team, England far and away have the biggest playboys with Foden and Grealish leading the charge.

It will be interesting to see how this extra stress affects the team’s performance at the World Cup.

Fans of other countries will be hoping the guilt has exhausted England’s playboys.

On the other hand, England supporters will be praying that running rings around their partners has left players like Foden in excellent condition.

Lead image: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

Unfortunately, planning a casino-themed party is nowhere near as fun as attending one. In fact, it can quickly become a chore. 

To help you out, we’ve put together this step-by-step guide that tells you everything you need about throwing casino parties, from guidance on the law to what games you should play.

Take the guesswork out of party planning and read on to make sure that your party is perfect in every way. 

Step 1: Check The Law

It’s important to state at this point that holding a commercial casino night without a license is very, very illegal almost everywhere in the world.

It could land you with hefty fines and even prison. So please don’t do that.

Remember, in the US gambling laws differ widely from state to state, so it’s important to check that whatever you’re planning complies with federal, state, and local laws.

But rest assured, you only need a permit if you’re running a casino business and profiting from real money wagers. Holding a casino party for fun at home is completely legal.

Often the best way to stay on the right side of the law is to play it safe by providing your guests with play chips (instead of cash) and awarding a prize for whoever finishes the night with the biggest heap.

Hosting a casino-themed fundraising party is slightly more complicated with every state having its own unique laws. So, be sure to check out our other guide if you’re looking to raise money for charity. 

?? How To Legally Host A Gambling Fundraiser

Also, don’t forget that for both parties and fundraisers you need to be sure that alcohol doesn’t fall into underage hands.

If minors are going to be attending be sure to have a system in place to check IDs. 

Step 2: Work Out Your Budget

The great thing about throwing a casino-themed party is that it doesn’t have to break the bank.

You can always host it at home or in the office; just buy a few green tablecloths to throw over tables or desks and you’ll get an instant casino feel.

Card games are the easiest and cheapest games to organize; all you need is a few decks of cards and some tokens to act as chips. 

However, if you have a bigger budget you can set about building the party of your dreams. 

This can include hiring out a location, renting proper casino games such as roulette wheels and slots, or even bringing in professional dealers and live music!?

Either way, the most important thing to do is work out your budget before you start planning the party and to make sure that you stick to it.

After all, you don’t want to run out of money halfway through the planning process.

Step 3: Choose Your Location

The location will depend on your budget. Can you afford to rent out a space? 

If not, having it from the comfort of your own home can work too. Decorating the space with giant dice and playing cards will go a long way in giving you that casino feel.

Add in some playing tables and you may not even recognize your own living room.

If the party is for work, having it in your own home might not be appropriate. Instead, the office should be fine.

Just make sure to get the business owner’s permission and to make sure they are comfortable with the theme. The last thing you need is for the boss to come and shut the fun down. 

If you have the money, hiring a venue will instantly add some glitz and glamor to your party. You could consider renting a function room in a hotel, or maybe even a marquee to put up in a garden. 

Of course, the easiest way to throw a casino-themed party is to rent out an actual casino. There are many businesses which will help you find and rent out a space, whether it be a private room, or the entire casino. 

This is an expensive choice for sure, but it will definitely make this party one to remember.

Wherever you decide to host the party be sure to choose a location that is neither too big or too small. No one wants to be packed into a tight space or for your party to feel empty. 

Step 4: Pick A Theme And Dress Code

Now, before you say anything, we know the theme is casino, but that doesn’t mean your party has to be the same old Las Vegas themed night.

Why not get creative and pick a more specific casino theme?

For example, you could have a James Bond casino party with everyone dressing up as their favorite character from the films and books. 

Or, if you’re feeling more retro, why not go for a Great Gatsby theme and break out the jewelry, elbow length gloves, and fancy cocktails?

Either way, picking a theme is a great way of telling your guests how they are expected to dress – a vital part of any party.

And while having an extra theme will make the outfits that much more exciting, a generic casino theme still offers a lot of scope to get fancy.

If you decide to go formal, ask your male attendees to wear black suits and ties or bowties. Women should come in evening dresses, complete with as much gold and sparkly jewelry as is humanly possible.

If “chilled out” is more your style, jeans and t-shirts will work just fine, although formal wear will bring a touch of class to your party.

Step 5: Decide On Entertainment

This is the really fun part. After all, what’s a casino party without any gambling?

When it comes to games our advice is to pick the one you think your guests will enjoy the most and, above all else, keep it simple!

No one wants to be forced to learn a load of complicated instructions for a game they’ve never played before while at a party. So, we recommend going for the casino classics – roulette, blackjack and poker.

That’s because these games are all easy to set up, learn and play. What makes them even better is that you don’t need any expensive equipment to play them either.

You can pick up a poker tabletop, a blackjack table cover, and a roulette set for under $30 each.

Regardless of what games you decide on, it’s important to remember to buy some playing chips.

It’s a good idea to only use a maximum of three different colors. This will make the chips easier to keep track of and means that players don’t have a lot of values to learn. 

If you’ve got a bit more cash, it’s worth thinking about hiring a professional dealer. That way you and your buddies are free to hang out and enjoy the action.

Want to make your casino party even more legit? Then hire slot machines for the night. A local party store or casino equipment rental company should be able to help you out.

Or, as we have previously mentioned, go all the way and rent yourself an entire casino!

When it comes to entertainment, casinos don’t rely on gambling games alone and your party shouldn’t either.

You’ll want to make sure there’s music. This can range from organizing a playlist, hiring a DJ, or even paying for a live band if you have space in your budget. 

Another good idea is to hire a photographer or photo booth. Trust us, you’ll want to have memories of this night to look back on!

Step 6: Send Out Invitations

A party is nothing without its guests, so be sure to send out invites well ahead of time.

What’s more, this gives you the perfect opportunity to finalize a guest list, and double check how many people you are inviting. 

Using physical invitations is an opportunity for you to get creative. Depending on your theme you could style them as giant playing cards, or formal 1920s invitations.

If you don’t have much budget and you already have everyone’s contact details, then a group email should be fine too.

This type of invitation works really well for office parties because you probably all email each other on a daily basis anyway. 

The most important thing to do when sending out invites is to make sure that all the necessary details are included:

• Occasion
• Location
• Date
• Start and finish time
• Theme
• Dress code
• Plus ones
• RSVP/Contact details
• Any extra info e.g. food will/won’t be provided

Just remember, the more information you put on the invitation, the fewer questions you will have to answer in private.

Step 7: Make Sure There Are Refreshments

Food and drink are an important part of any party, and your night will be no different. But not all types of food are suitable for casino-themed parties. 

Why?

Because your guests are going to be busy with their hands.

That means, when it comes to food, you should give them something that’s both easy to eat and non-greasy/sticky so the cards and chips remain clean.

Of course, when it comes to drinks, cocktails are the order of the day. After all, who doesn’t want to sip on a martini when they play poker?

Cocktails can be expensive to make, so limit your costs by only having a few popular options like mojitos and martinis. You can even make them in bulk beforehand to save time. 

Unless, of course, you have the means to hire a private bar. 

Remember that cocktails aren’t for everyone, so be sure to provide popular alternatives like beer and wine, as well as non-alcoholic options for non-drinkers. 

Step 8: Enjoy The Fun

Now that you’ve set the stage for an awesome night, all that’s left to do is get yourself ready and wait for your guests to arrive. 

We can’t promise that you’ll finish the evening richer, but we can guarantee you’ll have an amazing night of casino-themed fun.

But could there be another sport about to take the number one spot?

Many pickleballers would say so, and they would have good reason to. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the US, expanding by nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021. 

There are now around five million Americans who play pickleball on a regular basis and an average of three new pickleball venues are opening every day across the States.

The sport even has a professional tour with teams backed by the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady!

If you have no idea what pickleball is then don’t worry, we have you covered. Who knows, after reading this article you might even want to try dinking a few wiffle balls yourself.

What Is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a fun sport that is a bit like a mix of badminton, tennis, and ping-pong. It was invented decades ago, in 1965 to be exact, and has hit the mainstream in recent years. 

We have three men to thank for pickleball: Barney McCallum, Bill Bell, and Joel Pritchard.

This trio came up with the game one afternoon in Washington State to occupy their bored families.

Fast forward 57 years and pickleball now has official rules, regulations and even an international governing body, the International Federation of Pickleball.  

But how is the sport even played?

Well as mentioned, the game looks, and plays, a lot like some sports you’re probably already familiar with. Courts measure 20ft x 44ft and are split by a net, like a tennis court.

A “no-volley zone” occupies the 7ft section of the court nearest to the net, while the rest of the court is split by a centerline, creating both right and left service areas. 

The ball, known as a wiffle ball, is made of plastic and has holes covering one half of it. This means it travels slowly through the air no matter how hard it’s hit.

The rackets that are used look like big table tennis paddles and are usually made from materials like aluminum and graphite.

Points are started with an underarm serve and the rest of the point is played just like tennis; only one bounce is allowed, and the ball’s first bounce must be within the boundaries of the court.

The winner is the first to 11 points and you must win by two. However, points can only be won on serve, like squash. 

It’s also important to say that, despite the name, pickles have absolutely nothing to do with the sport. 

Joan Pritchard came up with this name in reference to pickle boats, rowing boats that are manned by the leftovers of all other rowing crews.

Her point being that pickleball is made from the “leftovers” of badminton, table tennis, and tennis.

Why Is Pickleball So Popular?

There are a number of reasons why pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the US. 

1. It’s extremely easy to learn

If you’ve played or know anything about tennis, table tennis or other racket sports, then you’ll be able to pick up pickleball in minutes. 

2. Anyone can play

Thanks to the small court, nearly every shot in pickleball is reachable, meaning that players don’t have to exert a great deal of energy or be very mobile to play, especially when they’re playing doubles. 

Not needing to run or change direction quickly makes pickleball a sport suitable for older players.

Because of this, older people have formed a huge part of pickleball’s community; of those who play pickleball eight times a year or more, half of them are over 55.

3. It’s good for business

The small court size also means that businesses can make a lot more money by providing pickleball courts.

For example, three pickleball courts can fit on the same area as one regulation tennis court, meaning more paying customers can play at any one time. 

4. It’s sociable

Pickleball is a great way for people to have fun and spend time together.

The sport is often played in doubles teams, which when combined with the small court, and relatively easy style of play, makes for a very sociable time. 

Scientific studies have shown that playing pickleball can have a huge, positive impact on mental health, especially those of an older age. 

But while pickleball has a reputation for being an “old person’s sport” many youngsters are also being attracted to it. In fact, the sport is growing quickest in groups of players who are aged 24 and under.

This is a trend that only looks set to continue as professional tours such as The Professional Tour of Pickleball, breathe more excitement – and growth – into the sport. 

Welcome To The Major Leagues

Major League Pickleball was founded in 2021 and has quickly become the leading professional league for the sport.

The number of teams will expand from 12 to 16 for the 2023 season, and the number of events has doubled from three to six. 

Player prize money and pay-outs are also set to break the $2 million mark for the very first time. 

In Major League Pickleball the teams are made up of two male athletes and two female athletes, selected via a draft.

At each tournament, teams play each other in four different matches: Female doubles, male doubles, and two mixed doubles matches.

If teams are tied 2-2 after these matches, then a special tiebreaker game is played. 

Pickleball’s growing popularity in America has not gone unnoticed, and many savvy entrepreneurs are looking to invest in Major League Pickleball.

These include NFL legend Tom Brady and NBA stars LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Draymond Green, who have all become partial buyers of an expansion team. 

They join ex-NFL quarterback Drew Brees, and celebrity entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk who are already owners of Major League Pickleball teams. 

Not Everyone Is A Fan

It’s easy to look at pickleball as a giant success story.

After all, it’s a sport that provides a fun way for a whole host of people to exercise, from pensioners to children. 

However, there are many Americans who are not happy with the sport’s sudden popularity.

Chief amongst these are tennis players who are upset that many tennis courts are being converted into pickleball courts in order to keep up with the high demand. 

And it’s not just tennis courts that are being sacrificed, either. 

Other public spaces like basketball courts and even children’s parks are being taken over by pickleballers who use masking tape and portable nets to set up mobile courts. 

While playing pickleball in parks is not an issue by itself, the crowding it causes is, as parks are becoming increasingly busy with pickleballers and children playing very close to one another. 

Of course, this crowding increases the chances of accidents and injuries occurring, a fact that has led to arguments and alterations.

It’s Exploded In Popularity And Is Set To Continue

The pickleball craze looks like it’s here to stay.

Not only is the amateur game flourishing, but the professional tour looks set to attract thousands of new fans and players in the coming years.

As the sport becomes more common it is hoped that private businesses and local councils will find ways to improve public pickleball facilities.

In turn, this should reduce the pressure mobile pickle ball games are placing on public parks. If this does happen there’s no telling how big pickleball will become.

Lead image: Michael & Sherry Martin/Flickr

Just after opening the Seminoles were threatened with closure by the county sheriff. 

A long legal battle closed in 1981 when the Supreme Court ruled that the Seminoles had the right to operate the parlor thanks to their sovereignty rights.

This led to many Native American Tribes rightly opening their own parlors and casinos.

In recent years the number of Indigenous-owned casinos in the United States has grown to over 500. 

But how exactly do these casinos differ from others around the US?

1. Tribes Don’t Pay Taxes On Casino Income, But Employees And Winners Do

There’s a bit of confusion around Native American casinos and tax.

In reality, it’s all quite clear. The federal and state governments are not allowed to charge taxes on the tribes’ activities. 

This means that the casinos don’t need to pay taxes to the federal or state governments, including on commercial or business incomes.

However, there are usually still compacts and stipulations that see casinos paying local counties or states a portion of the profits.

When they pay out funds as salaries or profit sharing to tribe members, that income is taxable. However, individuals who are given money under general welfare or social benefit programs do not have to pay tax.

For players, taxes apply as normal, so if you win money at a Native American casino the IRS wants to know about it.

Casinos can also issue win/loss statements using loyalty card transactions to help when people are filing taxes, too.

2. Native American Casinos Bring In More Gambling Revenue Than All The Casinos On The Las Vegas Strip Combined

In fiscal year 2021, tribal gaming revenues increased by over 40% from the previous year to reach gross gaming revenues (GGR) of $39 billion – a new record.

During the same year, the Las Vegas Strip brought in $7 billion in GGR. These amounts are before salaries, management costs and other expenses.

Of course, this comparison is not entirely fair as it pits the combined revenues of around 500 tribal-owned casinos against the approximately 30 casinos found on the Las Vegas Strip. 

But it still shows us that, while the Las Vegas Strip gets all the attention, there is serious money to be made by running casinos on sovereign Native American land. 

3. Security Guards At Tribal Casinos Have The Power To Detain, But Not To Arrest

Planning to cheat at your local tribal casino? You might want to think again.

In Las Vegas, the security officers are only allowed to watch and report, bringing the police in should any crimes take place.

At Native American casinos you’re on sovereign land. This means that the Indigenous police are usually guarding the casinos.

Because of this it is in their power to investigate crimes, search suspects, and detain non-Indigenous people. 

However, Indigenous police forces are only allowed to arrest and persecute other Native Americans. 

The fact they are limited in the arrests they can perform often means Indigenous police forces have to wait for non-Indigenous police forces to arrive and formally complete arrests.  

4. Palms Casino Resort Is The First Casino In Las Vegas To Be Owned By A Native American Tribe

Palms Casino Resort is a 703-room hotel and casino resort that was first opened in 2001. 

After changing hands a couple of times, Station Casinos purchased Palms Casino Resort in 2016 for $312.5 million. The company then paid for a $620 million renovation. 

Like other casino resorts in Las Vegas, Palms closed at the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020. This, amongst other reasons, led Station Casinos to list Palms for sale. 

In May 2021 it was announced that the resort would be sold to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for $650 million.

This sale marked Palms as the very first Las Vegas casino resort to be owned by a Native American Tribe and it re-opened after a two-year closure on April 27, 2022.

Speaking before the sale was finalized, CEO of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Laurens Vosloo, said: 

“It’s the gaming Mecca of the world and the place to be. It’s a natural and a good fit for us to have an asset there that we can send our customers to, contribute to that economy and be part of the Las Vegas community.”

5. Games Aren’t Regulated In The Usual Way

Casino games at tribal casinos aren’t regulated like Las Vegas casinos.

Instead, they must adopt a gaming ordinance approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission. This determines the casino’s payment schedules and payout percentages. 

What’s more, there aren’t clear rules about displaying these payout percentages, so many gamers won’t know the odds they are coming up against.

However, this doesn’t mean that Native American casinos are tighter than other casinos elsewhere. Some casinos might even have looser odds. 

It’s important to remember that because each casino can follow different rules, most experiences are purely anecdotal.

In general, though, it appears that the table games are more generous at tribal casinos, while slots are a bit tighter.

6. Native American Casinos Are Some Of The Biggest In The World

Many of the world’s most famous casinos, such as the MGM Cotai and The Venetian Macau are well known for their massive gaming spaces.

The MGM has around 500,000 sq. ft. of gaming space. The Venetian Macau, a whopping 546,000. 

However, the casino with the largest gaming space in the world is the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville Oklahoma, a casino owned by the Chickasaw Nation. 

This casino boasts an incredible 600,000 sq. ft. of gaming space; that’s nearly the size of 10 and a half football fields!

Another massive, Indigenous-owned casino is Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.

Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Foxwoods offers 344,000 sq. ft. of gaming space – making it 2.7 times larger than the gaming space available at Caesars Palace.

? Top 10 biggest casinos in the world

7. Although They Own The Land, The Tribe May Not Run The Casino

Indigenous land is sovereign, but that doesn’t mean that all casinos found on Indigenous land are run by Native Americans.

Just like any business, Indigenous-owned casinos frequently turn to investors, advisors and managers to aid the success of their business. 

For example, before its merger with El Dorado Resorts, Caesars (through Harrah’s) managed Native American casinos for years. 

At the time of the merger these included Harrah’s Ak-Chin, outside Phoenix, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel in North Carolina. 

What’s more, famous businessmen have also been involved with tribal casinos over the years.

Lim Goh Tong partnered with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe for Foxwoods Casino, and Donald Trump partnered with Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians of California to open what was then called Trump 29 Casino. 

8. Native American Casinos Improve Local Employment Rates

One of the key benefits of Native American casinos is that they provide a ton of jobs for locals.

Research highlights that casinos result in both a 26% increase in local employment rates and a 14% drop in the number of working poor. 

Casinos have also been shown to cause an 11.5% boost in reservation populations. This is thought to be because the good employment opportunities allow Native Americans to move back to the reservation. 

Other markers of poverty, such as childhood obesity, also declined in Indigenous communities that were close to a Native American casino. 

9. Casinos Can Negatively Affect The Local Indigenous Community

Unfortunately, developing casinos on Indigenous land can result in a list of negative effects as well. 

These include a 10% increase in violent crime, a 10% increase in car theft, and an increase in bankruptcies of those who live within 50 miles of the casino. 

This is nothing new; casinos have been shown to increase crime pretty much everywhere they are built. 

However, it is thought that Native Americans are at an increased risk of developing gambling addictions when compared to the wider American public.

This has led people to wonder if building casinos on reservations is something that benefits or harms the tribe.   

10. Tribes Use Profits From Their Casinos To Build Infrastructure And Fight Inequality

Many people assume that, with such a huge market for local casinos, all Native American communities must be flush, too. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Native Americans are still one of the most impoverished populations in the whole of the United States. 

One of the key reasons for building casinos is to improve the lives of the Native American population.

But it’s important to point out that even if the casino is profitable the individual members of the tribe don’t really get profit sharing or additional cash.

Instead, the tribes generally use the money to invest in improving infrastructure, education services and healthcare. 

For example, the Muckleshoot, a tribe based in Washington, have used income from their casino to build a medical and dental facility, and to construct homes for the elderly. 

What’s even more impressive is that Native American tribes often give a large proportion of their earnings to charity.

The Muckleshoot Tribe gives away over $3 million annually to local governments, schools, churches, and non-profit organizations. 

But while our planet is home to a whole host of them, there are a few traditions that are little bit weirder and more wonderful than the others.

To highlight this fact, we have created a top 10 list of weird traditions you can find throughout the world. 

Some were created in the hopes of bringing good fortune to the local community. Others happened by accident or were designed as a way of having a bit of fun. 

However, bizarre as they seem, each has stood the test of time and is still practiced today.

1. The Mari Lwyd (Wales)

The Mari Lwyd is a Welsh Christmas tradition that can be traced all the way back to the early 1800s.

It involves decorating a horse’s skull then mounting it on a broomstick. The person that holds the stick is covered with a sheet, making the skull appear like the head of some terrifying animal. 

This “horse” is then carried throughout local villages, followed by a large group of people. At each home the horse and its followers will stop and knock. 

When a door is answered the people that are gathered around the horse burst into song, asking for entry into the home.

The homeowners must refuse (also in song), creating a lyrical argument that continues until the group are sent away, or are invited to enter.

2. La Tomatina (Spain)

As a country built from many separate kingdoms, Spain has a lot of old, regional traditions. Among these is La Tomatina, an annual festival held in the Valencian town of Bu?ol. 

To put it simply, La Tomatina involves the whole town having an hour-long food fight with overly ripe tomatoes.

The tradition started because of a genuine fight in 1945, during which some tomatoes were thrown.

In the years that followed more and more people started to recreate the food fight until it became a yearly tradition.

La Tomatina was briefly banned by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the 1950s but fortunately, the tradition survived.

These days it’s so popular that you have to buy a ticket to participate. 

During the 2015 event it was estimated that over 320,000 pounds of tomatoes were thrown.

Of course, cleaning up this many tomatoes can be a lot of work, so after the food fight is over the town get fire trucks in to hose everything down.

As a happy coincidence the citric acid from the tomatoes leaves the town looking extremely bright after the cleaning is finished. 

3. Cheese Rolling (England)

Rolling a 7–9-pound cheese down a 200 yard hill with a group of people chasing it doesn’t instantly sound like the most exciting tradition.

But, when that hill has a gradient of nearly 50% and competitors are willing to risk serious injury for winning, it becomes a very thrilling event. 

The tradition of the annual cheese roll races at Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester, England is an old one, being over 600 years old. 

Today, the races attract competitors from around the world who fling themselves down the hill with the hopes of catching the cheese or crossing the finishing line first. 

Cheese rolling is known as being an extremely dangerous tradition, with serious injuries, including broken bones and concussions being reported nearly every year.

Despite these dangers, the races remain as popular as ever. 

4. Nenana Ice Classic (USA)

Advertised as Alaska’s greatest guessing game, the Nenana Ice Classic is an annual wager organized by the residents of Nenana.

The aim of the game is to predict exactly when the ice covering the Tanana River will break. 

The exact melting time of the river is measured by a wooden tripod that is placed on the ice, 300ft from the shore.

A line runs from the top of this tripod and is attached to a nearby clock tower.?

When the ice melts and the tripod moves 100ft downstream, the line snaps and the clock stops, giving the competitors the exact winning time. 

The game began in 1917 when a group of engineers placed a bet.

Today, people all over Alaska buy tickets to bet on the ice breaking. In fact, the entry is so big that the jackpot for winning is usually over $200,000! 

As a non-profit organization the Nenana ice classic donates all excess money to charities. During the event’s 100+ year history over $10 million has been given away.

5. Polterabend (Germany)

The Friday evening before a wedding is the usual time for a German tradition, known as Polterabend, to take place.

The soon-to-be-married couple meet with family and friends outside the bride’s – or her parents’ – house. 

Once everyone has arrived an assortment of plates, bowls, and other pieces of porcelain and ceramics (sometimes even including toilet bowls) are thrown to the floor by everyone.

Sometimes metal objects are thrown; however, you won’t see anyone throwing glass or mirrors. This is because glass represents happiness and breaking mirrors is thought to bring bad luck. 

Once everything has been smashed, only the couple are allowed to tidy the shards up.

This long process is thought to symbolize that, when married, the couple will have to survive difficult times by working together.

6. Presidential Turkey Pardon (USA)

The annual Presidential Turkey Pardon is a well-loved tradition that many Americans will be familiar with.

However, to those outside the United States, the sight of one of the World’s most powerful leaders pardoning an innocent turkey is a very strange one. 

The history of giving turkeys to Presidents is old, beginning in the 1870s. But it was only in 1947 that the poultry industry began to officially present the President with a turkey. 

Since the 1960s pardoning the gifted turkey has become common. The birds are often sent to petting zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. 

President George H. Bush formalized the pardoning process and since then it has been seen as an opportunity for the President to show their funny side, cracking a few jokes with family members and the media. 

However, not all turkeys that have been offered to Presidents have been pardoned.

In 1948, President Truman famously said that the two turkeys presented to him would “come in handy” for Christmas dinner. 

7. The Bathroom Ban (Borneo)

The time before, during and after a wedding is full of traditions in all cultures.

And it’s easy to understand why, as everyone wants to set the lucky couple up for a marriage that’s as long and happy as possible. 

However, in Borneo the urge to bless a marriage has resulted in an extreme tradition.

For the first three days and three nights of marriage, couples from the Tidong Tribe are forced to stay in one room and are not allowed to visit or use the bathroom at all!

This rule is strictly enforced by family members who watch the couple night and day. They also make sure that the couple only eat and drink small amounts, for obvious reasons.

As with many marriage traditions, a failure to successfully complete the bathroom ban is thought to bring bad luck on the couple and to signify that the marriage won’t last long. 

8. Monkey Buffet Festival (Thailand)

The Monkey Buffet Festival takes place on the last Sunday in November every year in Lopburi, Thailand.

On this day, all around the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple, beautiful piles of fruits and vegetables are stacked high.

The celebration begins with dancers dressed as monkeys, performing amongst the ruins.

After this is over, the 2,000-strong population of local macaques are allowed to feast on the wonderful array of food – none of which is reserved for humans. 

This tradition is thought to bring good luck to the local area and its people.

9. Gurning World Championship (England)

Gurning, which means to pull a face, has a long history in some parts of England, particularly in a north-western town called Egremont.

This small town’s claim to fame is the Egremont Crab Fair, an event which has been going since 1267 and is home to the Gurning World Championship, a competition to see who can pull the world’s ugliest face. 

Those competing put on a horse collar and try to contort their facial features as much as is humanly possible. 

Some are more successful than others. Tommy Mattinson, from nearby Aspatria, has won the male competition an impressive 15 times.

Even more incredible is Anne Woods’s record. Before her death in 2015, Anne won the women’s gurning championships an incredible 28 times!

10. Cinnamon Throwing (Denmark)

If you turn 25 and are still single in Denmark, you need to be on your guard. 

This is because friends and family will likely pounce on you at some point and most probably tie you to a lamppost or a tree.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the worst of it. Next, they will throw heaps and heaps of cinnamon on you until you are covered from head to toe!

Although the exact reason behind the tradition isn’t known, it’s thought to have originated hundreds of years ago and is likely linked to the fact that spice salesmen were known for being bachelors.?

After you have been pelted with cinnamon you have five years to find yourself a partner.

If you don’t, when your 30th birthday comes around, you’ll get the same treatment – although this time it’ll be pepper instead of cinnamon! 

Would he retire from the NFL, or have another baby first?

Well, as we all know, Rivers left the NFL in January 2021, after playing 16 seasons for the Chargers and one for the Colts.

But has he ruled out having any more kids? 

The former NFL star and his wife, Tiffany, have never put a number on how many they want so there could be even more on the way…

Philip Rivers’s Children

Philip Rivers has nine kids.

NINE!

That’s seven girls and two boys, ranging in ages from three to 20 years:

• Halle (20)
• Caroline (17)
• Grace (16)
• Gunner (14)
• Sarah (12)
• Peter (11)
• Rebecca (8)
• Clare (6)
• Anna (3)

During his playing days, Rivers went to extreme lengths to create time to see his kids, including converting the back of his car into a mobile film room.

This meant he could watch film on his two-hour commute home and still make it back for family dinner time.

Now that he’s retired, he fortunately gets to spend a lot more time with his whole family at their home in Alabama.

He is currently a coach at St. Michael Catholic High School, where one of his children, Gunner, plays quarterback. 

The most recent addition to this family is little Anna, born in March 2019.

As the ninth little one of their crew, there were jokes on Twitter that, if they included mom and dad, the Rivers could field a whole offense!

How Philip Rivers Met Tiffany Goodwin

With an ever-growing family of beautiful kids we’re all dying to know how Philip Rivers met his beloved wife, Tiffany.

It’s a classic childhood sweetheart kinda story.

They started dating in middle school and ended up marrying whilst at college at NC State.

Philip was just 19 years old, and Tiffany converted to his faith, Catholicism, the night before their big day.

Their first child, Halle, was born the summer before Philip’s senior year of college.?

Both Philip and Tiffany are devout Catholics; the church and their faith having only deepened their bond.

And it’s their refusal to use contraception, opting instead to use the Natural Family Planning technique that probably has a lot to do with their large family.

The Future Is Bright

Being a father to nine children and the head coach of a football team means that, even in retirement, Philip Rivers is kept busy.

However, being busy has never stopped the Rivers from having children in the past.

So, don’t rule out the possibility of baby number 10 being announced sometime soon.

Whether you don’t want to carry money around or you’re looking for some extra security, checks are still viable options.

While casinos are known for cashing them, it’s vital that you ring up and double check in advance, as some of them don’t – especially now that many casinos are moving towards cashless gaming.

Another reason is that checks are easy to forge, and casinos don’t like to be fobbed off, so fewer casinos offer this as an option nowadays.

That, and the fact that literally no one writes checks out anymore. 

In 2005, 40% of worldwide transactions were made by cheques; by 2014, this number had dropped to just 8%. Many analysts believe paper checks might be extinct by 2026. 

So, it might seem like checks are a thing of the past.

After all, if the US government has already switched to direct deposits for Social Security transactions, the rest of the country can’t be far behind, right?

But there are still plenty of times when you’ll need to cash a check, and even the odd occasion when you’ll need to cash a two-party check. 

What Is A Two-Party Check?

Two-party checks are checks made out to two payees. These can be particularly common as wedding presents, or as a pay-out from the IRS when filing jointly. 

A small word makes a huge difference on a two-party check. 

The check could either be made out to “Person A or Person B” or “Person A and Person B.”

If the check says ‘or,’ either person will be able to cash the check without the other person present.

If the check says ‘and’ it can be much more complicated.

The law requires that everyone on the check endorses it. Sometimes this even means that both people need to be present for the deposit. 

What’s more, some banks require that two-party checks are deposited into a joint account, with the names on the check matching the names on the account.

How To Cash A Two-Party Check

If you’re cashing a two-party check with an ‘or’ between the parties, either person can endorse the check and cash it in the same way that you would any other check.

From your local casino to the supermarket, there are plenty of places that will cash this type of check for you.

Simple as that. 

But, if you’re cashing a two-party check with an ‘and’ between the parties, you may need to go directly to your bank branch, as many casinos avoid cashing these checks.

Depending on where you bank, both people may also need to be present and show ID. At some banks, the two parties will need to have a joint account for the funds to be deposited.

We strongly advise against signing the check and depositing it at an ATM as this may mean that you’ll need to get the check reissued, costing you even more time.

Instead, speak to a bank teller or go to the casino together and think of it as a fun excursion with your fellow check recipient. 

Just be sure to always ring the casino first to check if they offer this service, then go enjoy your cash. 

Who knows, if you get lucky you could come out with a lot more than you went in with!

Lead image: I-5 Design & Manufacture/Flickr

Although technically banned, inmates in prisons all across the world find ways to gamble, whether it is by playing traditional card games like poker or betting at the prison “bookie.”

So, let’s take a look at how, and why, inmates like to gamble.

Why Inmates Gamble

The first and most obvious reason for inmates to gamble, bet, and play games, is to pass the time.

After all, prison is an extremely boring place, and many inmates will do anything to kill a few hours of the day.

But passing the time isn’t the only reason why inmates gamble.

Many inmates who work in American prisons earn next to nothing for their labor.

For example, The Marshall Project reported that one inmate made 20 cents per hour working as a data entry worker for the Department of Transportation while on the inside. 

He received around only $24 per month for this work.

What’s more, in seven states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, most inmates get paid nothing for their labor. 

This is a huge problem because several necessities, like toothpaste, are not given to inmates and have to be purchased. This means money can be tight for many people in prison.

When you look at it like this, it’s easy to see why inmates would be eager to try their luck at winning a quick buck. 

Of course, gambling gives inmates an opportunity to win money, but organizing the bets can also provide a solid source of income.

According to The Marshall Project, the same inmate who made $24 a month working for the Department of Transportation also made $173.25 per month (in commissary items) from his unofficial job as a sports bookie.

This income dramatically improved his quality of life on the inside.

Other inmates don’t gamble to make money, but as a way of making friends. 

As an ex-inmate explained to VICE, playing and betting on games like spades and even sports like basketball, are ways of breaking the ice and becoming a part of a social group.

Of course, having friends to look after you is a hugely important part of life on the inside.

Most Popular Ways To Gamble In Prison

Even though inmates will gamble on all types of things to help pass the time, win money, and make friends, there are a few games which are very popular in prisons around the world. 

Pai Gow

The Chinese gambling game is popular across the world’s casinos, and prisons have followed the trend with inmates adopting their own rules to get away with playing. 

Behind prison walls, this is essentially glorified dominoes. The table markings can only be created by the inmates, although sometimes they do away with markings completely to ensure their game is not busted. 

Poker

As a highly competitive game, poker can often result in altercations, including accusations of cheating and ultimately fights.

However, inmates will keep coming back to this game, both to win wagers and to try to prove that they are the best poker player in the prison.

Even though poker is heavily clamped down on in a large number of prisons, it’s still played quite widely.

This is because the simple set-up of cards, wagers, and players means it can be easily concealed and kept secret.

Kaluki

More commonly recognizable as rummy, Kaluki or Kalooki, is particularly popular in the Caribbean, and has more recently adopted the name Jamaican Rummy. It’s proven to be quite a popular card game in many prisons. 

The rules of this game are essentially the same as rummy. The jokers are used as wilds, and the aim of the game is to be the first person to get rid of all your cards.

Once again, it’s a very simple game that can easily be played under the radar.

Blackjack

One of the most popular classic casino card games was always going to make this list. 

Blackjack is easy to learn and to operate without attracting the attention of the guards, making it very appealing to inmates.

It also helps that it is a fast and effective method of settling scores and exchanging bets. 

Craps

Dice games are always going to be popular in prisons, and craps is an obvious classic to appear behind bars.

The small dice are perfect for concealing when not in play, and they can also be used for any number of games.

Board Games

While not traditionally gambling games, checkers, chess, and scrabble are all popular games to bet on in prison.

According to one ex-inmate, scrabble games can get very violent, often resulting in fights.

Interestingly, the same person said they never saw a fight happen over a chess match, even when bets were involved. 

Sports Betting

Sports betting is fast becoming more and more popular in prisons, especially now that sports betting is big money across the US.

As we mentioned earlier, the popularity of sports betting creates opportunities for game organizers to make some good money. 

They usually have a connection on the outside who gives them the week’s odds. These are then passed on to other inmates. Bets are then taken, and pay-outs are made based on the outcomes. 

It can be hard for these pools to take off in prisons, with so much information needing to be transferred from the outside. The guards will also have to turn a blind eye because hiding this kind of betting system is difficult.

However, under the right conditions sports betting can be a well-organized pastime, enjoyed by many inmates.

Problems With Prison Gambling

While gambling can be a way of beating boredom in prison, it is also responsible for causing a lot of issues. 

Just like in any casino, gambling in prison involves high stakes and raised emotions. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in accusations of cheating and ultimately, fights. 

What’s more, in any prison there will be a number of inmates who are there for gambling related offenses, be that robbery to pay debts or embezzlement, for example.

These people are most likely addicted to gambling and betting in prison just gives them another avenue to feed their addiction.

However, under the right circumstances, gambling can offer a much-needed break from the boredom of everyday prison life.

And no matter how hard prison guards try, they are never going to be able to wipe out gambling completely. 

For something similar, check out:
Top 5 Hardest Games In The World To Master

Lead image: International Chess Federation

These are all questions we ask ourselves when fantasizing about winning the lottery.

After all, the massive prizes on offer, and the long delay between buying tickets and the actual draw, makes it almost impossible not to dream about how you would spend your cash. 

But the chances of winning the lottery are absurdly small. In fact, so tiny are the odds that many believe entering the lottery is pointless.

To put it into perspective, you have a greater chance of getting hit by lightning than winning the lottery. 

So, is buying another ticket like standing on a golf course during a thunderstorm? Will you boost your odds by buying more tickets, or are there better ways to improve your odds?

The Math Behind Buying Multiple Lotto Tickets

In theory, buying more tickets will give you more chances to win.

In smaller lottery setups, for example, a random ticket drawing at your local school or community center, there is a set number of tickets available and buying more of them boosts your chances.

So, if there are 100 raffle tickets and you buy five of them, you have a 5% chance of winning compared to a 1% chance of winning with a single ticket.

However, when it comes to lotteries, the math gets a bit more complicated. That’s because there aren’t set tickets sold, but rather a series of numbers that are drawn. 

Any number of people could pick the same series of numbers that you have. And, if those numbers come in, you will all have to split the prize.

What’s more, the odds of actually winning the jackpot are miniscule. 

For example, if you’re playing the Powerball lottery, you need to match five numbers, plus the Powerball to win the grand prize. Those are odds of 1 in 292,201,338.

Buying two tickets gives you odds of 2 in 292,201,338

Statisticians say that these odds are so tiny that it is hard for most people to truly understand them. 

One Quora user explained an interesting way of visualizing the odds:

If you knew a dog was only going to bark once in the next nine years, you would have a better chance of guessing the exact date and time of that bark, to the second (e.g. the 12th second of 4:07am on July 15, 2028), than winning the Powerball. 

Seems unlikely, doesn’t it?

In an effort to double their odds, many lottery players buy two lottery tickets. 

Of course, improving your odds doesn’t hurt, but it’s also not going to make much of a difference either. 

Would you really feel confident guessing when that dog would bark, if you could pick two seconds out of the next nine years instead of one?

To put it simpler, even if you bought 20,000 tickets, you would still be more likely to win an Oscar than win the Powerball jackpot. 

What About Lottery Pools?

So, if buying more tickets is a waste of time, effort and money, how can you improve your chances of winning the lottery?

Well, one of the best ways is to join a lottery pool. This is a group of people who put their money together every week and buy a bunch of lottery tickets.

This means you can increase your chances of winning the lottery, without committing money to buying up loads of tickets every week.

There is, however, a catch. If by some miracle, your lottery pool does win, you will then have to split the prize between the entire pool. 

For example, if your lottery pool has 200 people in it, and one of your tickets wins $10 million, you will each only walk away with $50,000. And that’s before tax. 

What’s more, winning when part of a lottery pool can create a lot of problems, with arguments breaking out and many people not coping with the sudden money and fame. 

Because of this, lottery pools have been the cause of some sensational fallouts over the years. Work colleagues, lifelong friends and even families have been torn apart by arguments over who should get what.

Unfortunately, many of these disagreements ultimately end up in court. 

Play The Lottery Just For Fun

There’s no two ways about it, your chances of winning the lottery are miniscule, and they will stay that way no matter how you decide to enter. 

But, if you are going to keep trying, it might be worth joining a lottery pool.

At the very least, you will have other people to fantasize over your potential winnings with.

And hey, should you beat the odds, check out our guide on what to do when you win the lottery.

Although you might not have realized it at the time, this “hug” is a very important part of the sport. 

Many of the best boxers ever, like Floyd Mayweather Jr and Lennox Lewis, were masters of this maneuver, using it to win countless bouts throughout their careers. 

So, while it may look affectionate, don’t be fooled by appearances. This is not anything like a normal hug.

Why Do Boxers Hug In The Ring?

Let’s get one thing straight: It’s not called hugging.

Instead, it’s known as clinching.

First things first, to get into a clinch you have to put your arms over your opponent’s, then rest your forehead on their shoulder. Then you hug them tight, all while leaning as much of your weight on them as possible.

Each of these elements are key to the clinch because they serve different purposes.

Obviously, holding an opponent’s arms down will make it harder for them to keep hitting you, giving you precious time to clear your head if you are stunned or tired.

Placing your head on their shoulder minimizes the risk of accidental headbutts occurring. 

Finally, putting your weight on your opponent also means that you get a rest while they have to work harder, even if only for the few seconds it takes for them to get out of the clinch.

So, while it might look like a hug from the outside, the clinch is actually a tactical maneuver, one that is typically used for three reasons:

1. To break up an opponent’s offensive rhythm.
2. To give you time to clear your head after you’ve been stunned.
3. To rest when you’re desperately waiting for the bell to ring.

Is Clinching Allowed At All Levels?

Clinching is different from holding, which is illegal in boxing.

Holding is usually when a fighter wraps one arm around the opponent’s waist or another body part, typically while leaving the other arm free to throw punches.

The amount of clinching allowed will vary depending on the referee and level of fighting. Some refs push for the non-stop action, breaking up clinches almost as soon as they start.

But clinches are normally allowed to continue for about 2-3 seconds, before they are broken up. 

If a referee breaks up a clinch, it’s required for both fighters to take a step back before re-commencing the fight. This creates space for the two fighters to reengage.

However, plenty of referees will allow the fighters to work their own way out of the clinch. This can be achieved either by spinning out or shoving.

It can be an interesting point in the fight when the two fighters do break apart because exiting the clinch can change the positioning of your opponent’s guard and give new openings for a punch.

When Should You Clinch?

According to experts, it’s best to clinch as a strategy, used to break up your opponent’s momentum and force a change in angles and technique.

For taller fighters clinches can be used to regain distance.

This might sound strange but if the shorter opponent has closed the distance and is now fighting “on the inside,” sometimes clinching and waiting to be separated by the referee is the safest tactic.  

Of course, some boxers turn to the clinch when they are exhausted.

Unfortunately, boxers who rely on clinching when tired often end up losing even more energy. 

So, if you do end up in a boxing ring anytime soon, try to remember that it’s usually a much better tactic to slow your opponent’s rhythm with clinches well before you’re worn out.

For something similar, check out:
Why Are There 12 Rounds In Boxing?

Lead image: Express

The topic still seems as popular as ever; “Monster” was watched for 196.2 million hours in its first full week on the site, setting a new record for Netflix – and despite an understandable wave of backlash.

The genre of serial killer, true crime entertainment has been around for decades and isn’t just limited to TV.

Films, books, newspapers, and internet media have also focused on serial killers, their stories, and their victims a great deal. 

But why is society so fascinated by serial killers? 

The answer to this is we don’t really know.

However, many people suggest it’s because we want to understand why serial killers murder and what drives them to act in a completely inhumane way.

Others say it’s because we want to understand how serial killers get away with murder time and again.

Of course, people also want to know who the victims of serial killers are. And many of us can’t help but wonder if we could be next.

So, what are the odds that you’ll be murdered by a serial killer, and how would they do it? Can you do anything to change your chances?

Read on for all the information you hope you never need. 

The Odds Of You Being A Serial Killer’s Victim

In 2020, the United States murder rate leapt by 27%, reaching a rate of 7.8 homicides per 100,000 and a total of around 21,570. 

Thomas Hargrove, the founder of the Murder Accountability Project and Michael Arntfield, the retired police detective turned author, agree that somewhere around 2% of all US murders are committed by serial killers. 

This means there was a rate of approximately 0.156 serial killer homicides per 100,000 in the US during 2020.

This equals a 1 in 645,000 chance of being murdered by a serial killer. 

To put this into perspective, during the same year, car crashes resulted in 11.7 deaths per 100,000.

This made your chances of dying in a car crash much higher, approximately 1 in 8,547. 

But this risk isn’t spread equally. Some people are more at risk than others, which we’ll explore later in this article.

The Typical Profile Of A Serial Killer

The FBI defines serial murder as “The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events.”

This distinguishes them from mass murderers, who might kill numerous people in one fell swoop.

Recent research highlights that only 54% of murders in the United States are solved, making it extremely difficult to estimate exactly how many serial killers are active on US soil. 

However, Thomas Hargrove, the founder of the Murder Accountability Project, has gone on record to state that there could be between 2,000-4,000 serial killers living in the United States alone, with around 50 of these being active at any one time.

With over 329.5 million people living in the States, this means that serial killers make up between 0.0006-0.0012% of the population.

Active serial killers only account for 0.000015%.

So there is only a tiny chance you will ever meet any serial killer, let alone one who might attack you. 

But how would you recognize a serial killer if you did meet one? 

Unfortunately, the real world isn’t like Netflix. Not all serial killers are lone men who wear wire-framed glasses and it’s important to remember that there is no generic template for a serial killer.

However, there is some research that gives us a bit more information about these killers. 

According to Insider, over 90% of serial killers are male, 52% of them are white and 27% of them are in their mid-to-late twenties, but of course this doesn’t mean that they always have all those traits.

In fact, only 12.5% of serial killers are white men in their twenties.

If you compare this to regular murderers, there are some similarities.

For example, men committed seven times more homicides than women in 2020, and the most common age of those committing murder was between 20-29. 

What may come as a surprise is that a lot of serial killers actually work together.

A study in 2004 found that 26% of serial killers work in partnership with at least one other person. So, it might not be just one person you have to keep an eye out for. 

It’s not just physical appearance which can help us identify serial killers, but also their profession.

Michael Arntfield, a retired police detective and author on serial killers, states in his book “Murder in Plain English” that certain jobs appeal to the killers, including policing, being in the military and driving trucks.

These jobs are attractive to serial killers for two reasons. The first is the ability to move around a lot, which makes it harder for the police to identify and catch them. 

The second is the opportunities to strike that they provide.

Police, military, and truckers come into contact with vulnerable populations a lot more than someone in an office job. This gives the killers an increased access to potential victims. 

The study by Insider also revealed that out of over 1,000 serial killers, 23.9% of them had served in the military.

A huge number when you realize that only around 8% of the American population are involved with the military. 

The 4 Main Types Of Serial Killer And Why They Do It

In 1985, R M Holmes authored a paper in the scholarly journal Federal Probation that depicted the four main types of serial killer, which are still relevant almost 40 years later.

Although there are some shared characteristics – often being charming and charismatic, intelligent, and psychopathic – their motivations differ.  

A serial killer’s motivation is likely to be one of four:

• Visionary: Believes that something or someone is telling them to kill e.g. God, demons. Hears voices or sees visions. Usually suffering from psychosis.
• Mission-oriented: Wants to “rid” society of a certain group, e.g. women, Catholics, sex workers.  
• Hedonistic: Kills victims for personal pleasure, seeking thrill and enjoyment.
• Power/control: Seeks full control and dominance over victims.

Although useful to have the four ‘types’, it’s important to remember that serial killers each have their own individual motives and reasons.

How Serial Killers Murder Their Victims

Generally, serial killers have average IQ levels. However, like all populations, you get individuals above and below the average. 

What’s interesting about IQ levels is how they’re linked to the way serial killers choose to murder their victims.

Serial killers of average intelligence tend to use a gun to kill their victims.

However, the “superior” intelligence killers are more likely to use a bomb or poison, while the lower IQ killers will bludgeon their victims.

TV shows and movies often show gruesome ways people are killed, but the reality is that these complicated murders simply aren’t the norm, even with serial killers.

Most killings are done with a gun, with gunshots causing 43% of deaths.

Strangulation, stabbing and bludgeoning are at 21.7%, 14.8% and 9.2% respectively.

This is very different to regular homicides.

In 2020, the FBI recorded that over 75% of all US homicides were committed with some type of gun.

What’s more, only 0.5% of all murders were committed by asphyxiation, 9% by stabbing and 2% with a blunt object. 

By comparing the datasets, it’s clear that although guns are the preferred method for serial killers, there is more appetite for more intimate methods, such as strangulation, than regular murderers.

Who Do Serial Killers Target?

The majority of serial killers have a preferred victim type, and those targeted are nearly always both vulnerable and easy to control.

Women have a slightly higher chance of being murdered by serial killers than men with 51.4% of serial killer victims being women.

This data is wildly different to non-serial killer homicides, where males make up nearly 80% of victims. 

Age is also a big factor.

24.4% of serial killer victims are aged 19 or younger, while more than half of all serial killer victims are aged under 30.

The highest risk ages are between 20-29, with 27% of serial killer victims being in that age bracket. 

The good news is if you make it to 30, you are at less risk of being targeted. This risk generally decreases with every passing decade. 

Race also plays a large part in serial killer victim choice.

While two thirds of serial killer victims are white, Black victims are hugely overrepresented.

Black or African American people account for only 12.4% of all people living in the United States, yet 24% of serial killer victims are Black.

As mentioned, most serial killers target vulnerable people. These are often young people who have high-risk lifestyles, especially sex workers. 

From 2009-2019, 43% of serial killer victims in the US were known to be sex workers.

This is incredibly high when you consider that sex workers only make up approximately 0.3% of the US population. 

Social psychologist Erich Hickey has since claimed that working in the industry makes you 200 times more likely to be killed by a serial killer. 

It is also true that some areas of the country see more serial homicides.

For example, using data collected between 1990 and 2020 World Population Review discovered that the area with the highest rate of serial killer murders was Washington DC, with Alaska coming in second and Louisiana third.

Over this time Hawaii, New Hampshire and North Dakota had the lowest rates of serial homicides. 

Conclusion

It is thought that the total number of murders committed by serial killers is now well below what it was during the 1980s, possibly because the number of serial killers is declining. 

What’s more, our culture has also changed, people are less likely to hitchhike or to let a child ride a bicycle alone in a park. This means it’s simply more difficult for serial killers to find vulnerable victims.

Serial killers only make up a tiny portion of the population and account for a few hundred deaths per year.

This means your chances of being targeted by a serial killer are incredibly small. 

However, these risks are elevated if you are a sex worker, live in a serial killer hotspot like Washington DC and are in your 20s. 

So remember, while the risk of being attacked by a serial killer is minimal, it always pays to be vigilant.

Just don’t expect serial killers to look, and act, like they do on TV.  

Lead image: Netflix

Some countries have strict anti-gambling laws while others proudly advertise their incredible casino complexes. 

The huge number of people that live in and visit Asia has seen the demand for casinos in the continent to become massive. 

This has meant that the few areas that allow and promote casinos, such as Macau, have become immensely popular, attracting millions of gamblers every year.

Casinos are high in demand but short in supply in Asia, meaning their owners gain incredible amounts of wealth and power. 

Both of which they have used to transform Asia’s gambling industry into the biggest in the world. 

1. Lui Che Woo – $12.4 Billion

Lui Che Woo first made his fortune by launching K. Wah Group, a quarry operator that focused on importing construction equipment from Okinawa to Hong Kong. 

K. Wah Group was eventually expanded to include property developments with locations spread across Southeast Asia.

After Stanley Ho’s monopoly on Macau’s gambling sector came to an end in 2002, Woo’s entertainment company, Galaxy Entertainment Group, won one of the three gaming concessions for the island. 

He wasted no time in putting his concession to use, constructing The StarWorld Macau Casino and Hotel, which opened in 2006. The 5-star hotel casino is known for its striking and colorful design. 

Woo followed the StarWorld by building his flagship casino, Galaxy Macau, in 2011 for $1.9 billion.

This world-class resort has helped Woo become dominant in Macau’s casino industry; in 2016 Galaxy Entertainment Group overtook Sheldon Adelson’s Sands China as the biggest casino and gambling operator in town, taking 23% of the market. 

Now 93 years old, Woo has largely handed control of his sprawling business empire to his 5 children with his eldest son, Francis, running Galaxy Entertainment Group. 

2. Stanley Ho – $6.4 Billion

Stanley Ho was one of the most famous casino owners Asia has ever seen.

Known both as “The Godfather” and “The King of Gambling” he was the founder and chairman of SJM Holdings, which had a government-granted monopoly on Macau’s gambling scene for 40 years. 

During this time Ho helped transform Macau from a modest fishing island into one of the world’s most iconic gambling centers. 

Throughout his life Ho has built a number of casinos, including the incredible Grand Lisboa, the tallest building in Macau. 

He proved to be an intelligent businessman during his career, thinking of many ways to attract would-be gamblers to Macau. 

Perhaps his most famous idea was to build a harbor and hire a fleet of high-speed boats that ferried gamblers from nearby Hong Kong to Macau.

However, there were some people who believed that Ho’s wealth was not entirely legal.

Accusations of links to Triad organizations, including 14K and Sun Yee On, followed him throughout his career. 

Ho retired at the age of 96 and died two years later.

Upon his death Ho’s business empire and wealth was split between a family that included 17 children and four wives. 

The most successful of his children is Pansy Ho who is a shareholder in both SJM Holdings and MGM China.

Stanley Ho’s fourth wife, Angela Leong, is the managing director of SJM Holdings and has accrued a $2.7 billion fortune, thanks to both Ho’s casino business and her own real estate holdings. 

3. Pansy Ho – $3.2 Billion

Despite being the daughter of Macau’s biggest casino legend, Stanley Ho, Pansy did not always work in the casino business. 

Instead, she first pursued a career as an actress and then launched a highly successful PR company, called Occasions. 

Nowadays, Ho is deeply involved in Macau’s casino scene. She gained shares in casino industry giant MGM Resorts after the company sought to increase its stake in MGM China.

She has been consistently selling these shares for massive amounts of money. Over two days in May 2021, she gained $86 million from sales of the MGM Resorts stock. 

Ho has large shares in both MGM China, which has two integrated resorts in Macau, and her late father’s SJM Holdings, which has numerous casinos on the island. 

She also owns nearly a third of the MGM Macau, a 600-room casino resort and is the managing director of MGM Grand Paradise, a position which earns her around $8 million every year. 

4. Chen Lip Keong – $2.4 Billion 

With a net worth of $2.4 billion, Chen Lip Keong is Malaysia’s 7th richest person.

Keong made his money in Cambodia, having first traveled there in the hope of finding oil. 

While his search for black gold would fail, Keong did not leave the country empty handed. 

Instead, his Malaysian company, NagaCorp, won an international tourism opportunity in 1994.

This saw Keong awarded a Cambodian casino license, a 70-year tenure and a government-guaranteed monopoly in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.

This monopoly will last until 2035 and has allowed Keong to transform Cambodia’s capital into an attractive gambling destination – while making a lot of money.

His flagship integrated resort, NagaWorld, is the only luxury casino hotel complex in Cambodia and boasts several separate casinos, gaming areas and further complexes linked together with passageways and underground tunnels. 

The newest of these is NagaWorld 2, which is an entertainment complex that boasts a 300-table gaming establishment, gaming suites and premium gaming halls. 

When Keong was trying to borrow money to build the Naga2 expansion he was frustrated by interest rates offered to him by the banks.

So, instead of borrowing the money for construction, he paid $369 million out of his own pocket and took company shares as payment. 

NagaWorld is currently undergoing another expansion. Naga3, which will include a 75-story hotel tower, is slated to open in 2025 and has a budget of $3.5 billion. 

5. Lim Kok Thay – $2.2 Billion

Lim Goh Tong founded Genting Group in 1965. He steadily built his empire by developing, marketing, and operating global integrated resorts. 

Lim Kok Thay, Tong’s second child now chairs the business, having been appointed as director in 1976. 

Genting Group owns a large number of casinos all around the world, including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. 

The company has also become known for owning palm oil plantations as well as the cruise line, Star Cruises.

Many of the ships, such as Genting Dream, featured casinos on board. 

Due to difficulties caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic, the parent company of Star Cruises, Genting Hong Kong, filed for liquidation in January 2022.

The ships it had ordered, including four that weighed over 150,000 tons, were left in the docks.

However, Thay has not let this setback unsettle him.

He recently launched Resort World Cruises which now operates Genting Dream, and is in talks to acquire the other ships that were previously owned by Star Cruises. 

He has also made a longshot bid for a Macau gambling license in the hope of breaking into the island’s lucrative industry.?

For something similar, check out the top 5 richest casino owners in the US.

Lead image: Jimmy Woo Man Tsing

It becomes even stranger when you see the bikes they are riding. Clunky, metal machines that look like they were designed in the 1960s. 

Add to this wagers worth thousands of dollars and you have keirin, a Japanese sport that has become a massive part of the country’s gambling culture. 

But why has such a specific sort of bicycle racing become so popular in Japan?

And why, of all the country’s famous sports, is betting allowed on keirin?

The answer to these questions is found in the sport’s 70-year history. One that begins in a post-World War Two Japan.

Why Gambling On Keirin Is Legal

In Japan, betting on nearly all sports is illegal. This means there can be no wagers placed on popular sports like sumo and baseball. 

However, keirin has always been exempt from this law, with betting being allowed since the first ever keirin event was held at the Kokura velodrome in 1948. 

This exception was made because Japan needed money to rebuild the country after the end of World War Two.

So, since the very first race, a proportion of all bets placed on keirin were set aside to fund this rebuilding process.

The plan worked and the rebuilding of Japan finished decades ago. However, gambling on keirin has continued, with the sport’s gambling industry worth an estimated $10 billion.

Today, keirin remains one of only five Japanese sports that allows legal wagering and a large amount of the money it makes is still used by the state to fund public services and build infrastructure. 

While keirin races take place all year round, the highlight of the racing calendar is an event called the Grand Prix. This is an annual race where the top nine rated riders battle it out to be crowned the top rider in the country.

Aside from being the top of the sport for riders, the Grand Prix also attracts an incredible number of bets. More money is bet on this one event than throughout the whole British horse racing season. 

Betting on keirin is very simple. Just like betting on any race, you can attempt to select outright winners, top three finishers and so on. 

There are, however, special bets like Dokanto! 7. This wager involves selecting the outright winner of each of the last seven races of the day. 

Due to the long odds, prizes for this type of bet are huge. If no one wins the bet the prize will often roll onto the next event.

As you can see from the graph above, the amount of money being gambled on keirin races grew steadily every year from 2013-2019. 

These figures include all bets, even those placed over the telephone or in off-track settings, like private ticket offices. 

2020 and 2021 saw large increases in total betting turnover with the amount leaping by over ￥200 billion (approximately $1.35 billion) to reach a total of ￥964.61 billion in 2021 alone. 

This would suggest that the popularity of keirin is growing. 

However, only looking at total betting turnover hides some other interesting trends that have been occurring in the keirin betting market over recent years. 

For example, the graph below shows that in 2021 ￥728.6 billion of the total betting turnover came through online channel betting.

The fact that online betting makes up a huge proportion of wagers is surprising because the majority of keirin fans and bettors are elderly individuals. A population who traditionally prefer to bet in-person.

Of course, one reason for increases in online betting during these years was the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

Throughout the pandemic numerous keirin races were held without spectators present, meaning that one of the only ways to wager on races would have been via online channels. 

Our third and final graph below demonstrates that the rise in online betting has been met with a steady drop in at-track betting. Only ￥12.3 billion was wagered at tracks throughout the 2021 season.

While this is a slight increase from the previous year, the overall picture is one of decline. 

This drop in at-track betting has happened at a time when race attendances are falling.

During 2021, a total of approximately 1.36 million people went to watch keirin live at the track. Much less than the 4.69 million that attended in 2012. 

The fact that total betting turnover has increased while fewer people visit the velodromes would suggest that those who used to bet at the track are now betting online. 

This might be because many bettors learnt that it was easier and safer to bet this way during the pandemic. 

However, it might also be because of the poor reputation keirin has in Japanese culture, where it is often associated with seedy bettors. 

Some tourists even report that the sport’s reputation is so bad hotel staff will not give them directions to the nearest velodrome.

So, it’s not difficult to understand why some people would prefer to place wagers from the privacy of their own home.

How Keirin Works

The rules of keirin have remained pretty much unchanged since the very first race in 1948.

The distance of the races depends on the riders’ gender and rank.

They range from 1,600 meters for the women and the lowest ranked men, all the way up to 2,800 meters for the annual Grand Prix.

Riders begin the race behind a pacer who starts at 16mph before gradually increasing their speed to 30mph. The pacer pulls off with around 650-760 yards left of the race, leaving the riders to sprint to the finish.

Before each race riders must declare which of the three tactics they will use to try to win. 

Senko, which means riding on the front for nearly the whole sprint. Makuri, where riders will attack with a lap or less to go. Or oikomi, a tactic where riders make a sprint during the final 100 meters. 

The keirin includes multiple races and can last several days. During this entire time all competitors are kept under strict control to reduce the risk of match fixing.

This includes riders not having access to their phones, not being allowed out unless it is to race and all sleeping together in large dormitories. 

During the race riders are forbidden to look at the crowd for fear that this might be used to send messages to bettors. 

While these controls may seem extreme, they were introduced because the early years of keirin were surrounded by fixing scandals and the supposed involvement of the yakuza, Japan’s biggest criminal organization.

Aside from controlling riders, officials also have strict rules about what equipment can be used. This is to make sure all riders have an equal chance of winning. 

The Nihon Jitensha Shinkōkai (Japan Bicycle Association) makes sure all bikes are made with approved products, including a chromoly steel frame which can only be made by a handful of licensed craftsmen. 

The bikes look very similar to those made in the 1960s, with no brakes and only a single gear.

The only keirin races exempt from tight equipment controls are the women’s races.

Women were allowed to race again in 2012 after the sport was banned in 1964. In these races athletes can use modern, carbon fiber bikes.

What’s The Deal With Keirin School?

To become a professional keirin rider, every person must graduate from The Japan Keirin School in Izu. 

The school is notoriously difficult to get into, with only 10% of applicants being accepted. There are usually between 90 and 100 students at the school. 

Those that are accepted spend 11 months of the year living in communal dormitories, eating in canteens and training six days per week.

Every minute of the day is structured: the day starts at 6:30am and includes an early morning run. Training, like hill sprints and weight sessions, continues throughout the morning. 

Usually, students have classes in the afternoon where they learn all about the history, rules and tactics of keirin. They must also learn how to build and deconstruct their own bikes.

Lights out is at 10pm. 

While most full-time students are Japanese nationals aged between 18-23, every year some foreign riders are invited to race the Japanese keirin season. 

These foreign riders, which have included cycling legends such as Sir Chris Hoy, have to complete a two-week course at the school before competing.

For full-time students, graduating from keirin school provides them with an opportunity to earn a fantastic living for the rest of their lives. 

This is because there is a lot of prize money on offer at keirin races. The average rider earned ￥11.07 million from prize money in 2021. An amount that is just under $80,000.

This is a lot more than the average salary in Japan, which is around ￥6.1 million.

The Pros Don’t Do The Olympics

In 2020 there were 2,350 registered athletes earning their living from professional bicycle racing events in Japan.

However, despite having a fantastic professional racing calendar, Japan has not performed well in international keirin competitions, especially at the Olympics. 

In fact, since keirin was introduced to the Olympics – in Sydney 2000 for men and London 2012 for women – Japan has only won one medal, a bronze in 2008 thanks to Kiyofumi Nagai. 

There are many differences between the races that are held in Japan’s professional circuit versus those in the Olympics. 

Olympians can use modern equipment, including custom carbon bikes and tight-fitting skin suits, and there are fewer cyclists in each race. Contact, such as headbutting and shoulder barging, is not allowed. 

But the reasons for Japan’s lack of success in international competitions is not due to the differences.

Instead, it’s because the country’s best athletes do not enter international competitions.

They can earn so much more racing Japan’s professional calendar, so the Olympics are less appealing.

For example, the winner of the Grand Prix earns nearly $1 million in prize money.

On the other hand, those that race in the Olympics will have to live off government grants in the years leading up to the event. 

What’s In Store For The Future?

Betting on Japanese keirin is going from strength-to-strength, and it looks like Japan’s 70-year tradition of wagering on keirin races will not end anytime soon.

However, what the future of the sport will look like remains a mystery. 

Many hope that the re-introduction of the women’s sport and the high-performance technology they use will modernize keirin and attract new, younger audiences to the sport. 

Still, it wouldn’t surprise us if you will still be able to see nine, brightly-colored cyclists flying around a velodrome on old metal bikes, 70 years from now.

Lead image: Paul Keller/Flickr

Of course, most people know about the high rollers and casino whales, extremely rich individuals who love nothing more than gambling millions of dollars in a single session. 

However, the richest people at casinos are usually not the gamblers, but the casino owners themselves. 

Out of all these owners there are a few who are at the very top of the US casino business. 

These individuals are some of the wealthiest people in the States and many of them own multiple resorts that are worth billions of dollars.  

Some were born into the business, others only got involved with casinos much later in life. 

However, all are extremely ambitious and have built a reputation as some of the best businessmen and businesswomen in the country.

1. Sheldon Adelson – $33.5 Billion 

Adelson made and lost millions of dollars multiple times in his adult life. 

He only really established his fortune after launching Comdex, a Las Vegas computer trade exhibition, in 1979. 

Adelson began building his casino empire, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, in 1989 when he purchased the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for $128 million.

After honeymooning in Venice, Adelson decided to demolish the Sands and build a new casino-hotel in its place. The Venetian opened in 1999 and cost $1.5 billion to construct.

Adelson took his casino empire to Asia in the early 2000s, building Sands Macau, the island’s first Las Vegas-style casino, in 2004.

During the same year Adelson decided to take Las Vegas Sands Corporation public. After he did his net worth reportedly grew by $1 million every hour, for two years!

Other developments soon followed, including The Venetian Macau, which opened in August 2007 and cost $2.4 billion.

In 2010 Adelson outdid himself, building the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. At a cost of $5.5 billion it was the most expensive building in the world.

These resorts continued to make fantastic amounts of profit for Adelson, earning him a top ranking on Forbes’ Annual “Biggest Winner” List in 2013, after his casinos added an estimated $15 billion to his net worth during the year.

In September 2020,a few short months before his death, Sheldon Adelson was estimated by Forbes to be worth an incredible $33.5 billion.

Adelson died in January 2021, at the age of 87. He is survived by his wife Miriam Adelson who still owns more than half of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation gambling empire.

She has a current net worth of $27.7 billion.

2. Tilman Fertitta – $7.9 Billion

Tilman Fertitta initially made his money during Houston’s real estate boom in the 1980s. He then moved on from real estate and became an investor in seafood restaurants owned by the Landry family.

Fertitta became the sole owner of these restaurants in 1988 and has steadily grown the business portfolio by purchasing a number of well-known restaurant chains such as Bubba Gump, Rainforest Cafe and Joe’s Crab Shack.

In 2005, as his restaurant empire continued to grow, Fertitta moved into the casino business by buying Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinos for $295 million.

This bought him both a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, and the famous Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, one of the oldest casinos in Sin City.

Since purchasing the property Fertitta has spent over $300 million renovating it. This included constructing a new hotel tower and expanding the casino floor itself.

Fertitta has opened three more Golden Nugget casinos, including one that replaced Trump Marina in Atlantic City. 

Fertitta bought this property at a massively discounted $38 million, nearly a tenth of the $316 million Trump Enterprises was asking for before the 2008 financial collapse.

3. Phil Ruffin – $3.1 Billion

Phil Ruffin built his wealth through owning a chain of convenience stores. He then moved into the hotel business and finally in 1995, when he was 60 years old, the casino industry.

He began his casino empire by buying the Crystal Palace Resort in the Bahamas.

Three years later Ruffin bought his first US-based casino, taking over The Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The Frontier had been struggling for years because of a long workers’ strike that was being performed by members of the Frontier’s staff. 

Ruffin resolved the strike in a few short hours and remodeled the casino for $20 million dollars.

He would ultimately go on to sell the 36-acre property for more than $1.2 billion, in what was the largest per-acre price in The Strip’s history.

Ruffin currently owns two of Las Vegas’ most iconic casinos, Treasure Island and Circus Circus. Both of these properties have undergone extensive renovations.

Ruffin, now aged 87, is still fully committed to his casinos. So much so that he told Forbes that he has no intention of retiring and aims to “die at his desk.” 

4. Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III – $2.6 Billion

The two Fertitta brothers, who are third cousins of Tilman Fertitta, each have a net worth of $2.6 billion and have had shockingly similar career paths.

They both got their start in the casino business from an early age, thanks to their father Frank Fertitta Jr. who launched Station Casinos in 1976. 

Station Casinos began as a casino for locals to enjoy and has become one of the largest, local casino operators in Las Vegas.

Having worked for Station Casinos as young men, Lorenzo and Frank led the company to its first IPO after their father retired in 1993.

They raised $294 million and became principal shareholders and co-founders of Station Casinos Inc. in the process.

Both Frank and Lorenzo were early investors in the UFC, purchasing the fight promotion company for $2 million dollars in 2001.

In 2016 the brothers sold their shares for an estimated $4 billion.

Station Casinos Inc. now owns numerous hotel-casinos including Red Rock Casino and Spa in Las Vegas and Sunset Station in Henderson, Nevada. 

The company also manages a large number of casinos for other owners.

5. Elaine Wynn – $1.7 Billion

Nicknamed the “Queen of Las Vegas,” Elaine Wynn is a woman who, along with ex-husband Steve, transformed the Las Vegas casino industry.

The two of them launched Mirage Resorts in 1973, which would go on to build some of Las Vegas’s most iconic casinos including The Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio. 

These developments were among the first to offer the full range of glitz and glamor that Las Vegas casino resorts have become known for.

In 2000, following their great success, the couple sold Mirage Resorts to Kirk Kerkorian for $6.4 billion.

The Wynns wasted no time in launching their new venture, Wynn Resorts.

Their first property, the flagship hotel and casino Wynn Las Vegas, was opened in April 2005 and cost $2.7 billion to construct.

Wynn Resorts now operates a total of six hotel-casinos, two in Las Vegas, three in Macau and one in Boston.

Elaine and Steve divorced in 2010, evenly splitting their 38% stake in Wynn Resorts.

In 2018, Steve Wynn resigned as CEO of Wynn Resorts and sold the majority of his shares following accusations of sexual misconduct from Wynn Resort staff members. 

This has made Elaine the second largest shareholder of Wynn Resorts, and one of the most powerful casino owners in the world. 

The amount being bet each year is growing, with $52.7 billion being bet on sports in 2021. 

As the most popular sport in the U.S., football has long been a favorite among bettors. 

The NFL accounted for nearly half of all sports bets placed in the U.S. last year with 45.2 million Americans betting on the NFL season. 

That’s 36% more than the 2020-21 season. 

Whether you bet $5 or $5,000, you can rest assured that the NFL’s exciting games will make the thrill of watching – and hopefully winning – even better. 

Because of this, the NFL betting frenzy shows no sign of slowing down; some estimates suggest that $7.61 billion will be bet on Super Bowl LVII alone. 

With numbers this big it is unsurprising that the NFL attracts a lot of high rollers who love to bet incredible sums of money on the sport.

Unfortunately for them, these bets don’t always pay off.

1. $5 Million On The Bengals

The biggest bets are always placed on the biggest games.

This is a fact that Texas businessman, Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale proved when he placed a $5 million bet on the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI through Caesars Sportsbook. 

What made this wager even more impressive was that Mack had already bet $4.5 million on the Bengals, bringing his total to an unbelievable $9.5 million.

Mack’s potential winnings stood at $16.2 million, thanks to him betting when the Bengals stood as +170 underdogs.

But unfortunately for Mack, the Rams beat the Bengals thanks to a Cooper Kupp touchdown with 1:25 left, meaning he lost every cent of his $9.5 million. 

2. $3.46 Million On The Buccaneers

Mattress Mack also made a huge bet on the previous year’s Super Bowl which saw Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Mack flew to Colorado and placed the bet through DraftKings using his mobile at the airport.

The $3.46 million bet saw him win $2.75 million when the Buccaneers won in a blowout.

In a savvy marketing move, Mack had offered a full refund to anyone who spent $3,000 dollars at his stores if the Buccaneers won. 

This means that a portion of his hard won cash will have gone to some happy customers. 

3. $2.3 Million On The Buccaneers

In the same game another bettor placed a huge $2.3 million bet on Brady and the Buccaneers, this time through BetMGM. 

At the time the bet was placed Vice President of trading for BetMGM, Jason Scott, was very relieved.

“This was a bet we were very happy to receive. BetMGM had previously written several six-figure bets, all on Kansas City, and the public is certainly behind Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. This big Buccaneers bet has helped our book.” 

The anonymous bettor from Nevada will have also been very happy, walking away $2 million richer thanks to a dominant performance by the Buccaneers in quarterback Tom Brady’s 10th Super Bowl appearance. 

4. $700,000 On The Patriots

Not all big bets are made in the playoffs as proven by one anonymous bettor who decided to wager $700,000 on the New England Patriots beating the Buffalo Bills in December 2020. 

They bet $500,000 on the Patriots to finish within seven points of the Bills and $200,000 on the Patriots to win outright at +270 odds.

Unfortunately, this regular season game would not go the way of the Patriots with quarterbacks Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham combining for only nine completed passes that totaled 78 yards.

The Bills, who scored 21 second quarter points, won 38-9 and what could have been winnings of over a million dollars turned into a $700,000 loss.

One that we hope didn’t spoil the bettor’s new year celebrations. 

5. $200,000 On The Chiefs

When the Kansas City Chiefs were leading 21 – 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021-22 AFC Championship game it looked like they were almost certainly going to reach their third Super Bowl in a row.

So confident was one bettor that they decided to place an in-game $200,000 bet on the Chiefs winning.

The odds were so short at the time that the bettor only stood to win $10,000. 

To the bettor’s horror the Bengals fought back, winning in overtime thanks to a successful field goal from rookie kicker Evan McPherson. 

This sent the Bengals to their first Super Bowl since 1989 and showed us that, in the NFL, there is no such thing as a sure bet.

Lead image: wikimedia