New gambling larks are aimed at women and kids as young as 10
Amy Carmichael, Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, May 11, 2006
VANCOUVER (CP) - The gambling industry is focusing on new markets with a poker tour for kids and bookies taking bets on the sex of Britney Spears's next child.
Kids can learn the fundamentals of Texas Hold'em at a two-day event planned for June in Vancouver, and organizers claim math and communications skills are beneficial byproducts. "We're busy trying to keep up with the amount of inquiries," says Larry Klatt, a spokesman for Nevada North's Kids Poker Tour, who is based in Vancouver.
Meanwhile, the number of women betting on celebrity and pop culture events is spiking, say marketers in Vancouver's tony Yaletown neighbourhood.
"We've got a whole team dedicated to going through the newspapers and doing their research on pop culture wagers," says Mike Foreman, marketing director of betUS.com.
Women betting on things like the reaction of Catholics to the Da Vinci Code movie is still a novelty in Canada, says Nigel Turner, a researcher with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
It could take time to see if people will develop addictions to it, he says.
But few seem to be willing to wait and see how kids will handle gambling.
B.C.'s Solicitor General John Les says the Kids Poker Tour is unconscionable.
"I'd like the whole tour to pass us by. I think this is inappropriate. I think this is targeting a vulnerable population," says Les.
"They want to come in here and get kids involved in poker. I think their objective is clear, they just want to raise customers for tomorrow."
The tour, which costs $120 for a day and a half of instruction and a half-day tournament, is being revised to make sure it meets all the requirements under the law.
Spokesman Klatt says prizes like educational subsidies and free admission to future tours might be cancelled.
"We're not going to step out of bounds. We'll revise this, we're not looking to do anything outside the law," says Klatt.
"This is more like an educational workshop focusing on skills development."
He says the tour teaches important lessons in math, communication, how to perform in adversity, analytical thinking and good sportsmanship.
Klatt says a speaker will discuss the pitfalls of gambling and how to avoid them.
Turner says he doubts the tour can achieve this in a weekend.
"I would be very cautious sending your kids to this.
"It is possible to teach people self-awareness, to recognize when they are losing control, how to stay emotionally in control and to be aware of their own emotions, but it's not easy."
Turner says he's tried to teach kids coping skills and about the nature of random chance.
"It's not an easy thing to do," he says.
He says it will be interesting to see how the pop culture bets play out.
"When a new type of gambling comes out, we often see a spike early on. It doesn't always last," he says.
Some types of gambling seem to be more problematic for people than others.
Turner says lots of people play the lottery, but few become seriously addicted to the point they're calling help lines.
He says most people seek help for problems with slot machines and poker addictions.
Foreman, with betUS.com, says there is a lower wager limit for pop culture bets than sports.
"We don't see it as a way we're going to make a ton of money. It's more of an opportunity to acquire new customers and market to some different demographics."
BetUS.com has seen its female customer base jump from two per cent to seven per cent with the recent introduction of pop culture betting.
It has gained media attention over some big wins and wild questions.
One player won $35,000 US in a wager on the first song the Rolling Stones would sing at the Super Bowl.
BetUS.com is proposing new wagers on the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and the next Sopranos cast member to be arrested.
Foreman says these kinds of bets are drawing younger demographics. But players need to be 18 to make a bet.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/n...=30437228-9a1f-4f95-83ab-59b0ad3c0b66&k=25351
Amy Carmichael, Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, May 11, 2006
VANCOUVER (CP) - The gambling industry is focusing on new markets with a poker tour for kids and bookies taking bets on the sex of Britney Spears's next child.
Kids can learn the fundamentals of Texas Hold'em at a two-day event planned for June in Vancouver, and organizers claim math and communications skills are beneficial byproducts. "We're busy trying to keep up with the amount of inquiries," says Larry Klatt, a spokesman for Nevada North's Kids Poker Tour, who is based in Vancouver.
Meanwhile, the number of women betting on celebrity and pop culture events is spiking, say marketers in Vancouver's tony Yaletown neighbourhood.
"We've got a whole team dedicated to going through the newspapers and doing their research on pop culture wagers," says Mike Foreman, marketing director of betUS.com.
Women betting on things like the reaction of Catholics to the Da Vinci Code movie is still a novelty in Canada, says Nigel Turner, a researcher with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
It could take time to see if people will develop addictions to it, he says.
But few seem to be willing to wait and see how kids will handle gambling.
B.C.'s Solicitor General John Les says the Kids Poker Tour is unconscionable.
"I'd like the whole tour to pass us by. I think this is inappropriate. I think this is targeting a vulnerable population," says Les.
"They want to come in here and get kids involved in poker. I think their objective is clear, they just want to raise customers for tomorrow."
The tour, which costs $120 for a day and a half of instruction and a half-day tournament, is being revised to make sure it meets all the requirements under the law.
Spokesman Klatt says prizes like educational subsidies and free admission to future tours might be cancelled.
"We're not going to step out of bounds. We'll revise this, we're not looking to do anything outside the law," says Klatt.
"This is more like an educational workshop focusing on skills development."
He says the tour teaches important lessons in math, communication, how to perform in adversity, analytical thinking and good sportsmanship.
Klatt says a speaker will discuss the pitfalls of gambling and how to avoid them.
Turner says he doubts the tour can achieve this in a weekend.
"I would be very cautious sending your kids to this.
"It is possible to teach people self-awareness, to recognize when they are losing control, how to stay emotionally in control and to be aware of their own emotions, but it's not easy."
Turner says he's tried to teach kids coping skills and about the nature of random chance.
"It's not an easy thing to do," he says.
He says it will be interesting to see how the pop culture bets play out.
"When a new type of gambling comes out, we often see a spike early on. It doesn't always last," he says.
Some types of gambling seem to be more problematic for people than others.
Turner says lots of people play the lottery, but few become seriously addicted to the point they're calling help lines.
He says most people seek help for problems with slot machines and poker addictions.
Foreman, with betUS.com, says there is a lower wager limit for pop culture bets than sports.
"We don't see it as a way we're going to make a ton of money. It's more of an opportunity to acquire new customers and market to some different demographics."
BetUS.com has seen its female customer base jump from two per cent to seven per cent with the recent introduction of pop culture betting.
It has gained media attention over some big wins and wild questions.
One player won $35,000 US in a wager on the first song the Rolling Stones would sing at the Super Bowl.
BetUS.com is proposing new wagers on the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and the next Sopranos cast member to be arrested.
Foreman says these kinds of bets are drawing younger demographics. But players need to be 18 to make a bet.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/n...=30437228-9a1f-4f95-83ab-59b0ad3c0b66&k=25351
