So what are your thoughts on tonights Super Bowl between the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals as far as how mob bookmakers will make out?

Will bookies knock em dead with profits? Or will they get hammered? The Rams are favored by 4.5 points at this point in time.

Never again like the "Golden Days" of Mob controlled sports betting :-(
Hard to believe that football games were fixed. The "Boys" got to the one player that got his hands on every offensive play.
It didn't hurt and it was easiest because this player was the least paid. Go figure?

FOH is correct it’s not Like years ago with that stuff. However personally I like to root for the underdog especially since it’s been over 30 years since the Bengals even won a playoff game so it would be a pretty cool story

Yep. I usually go for the underdog myself. Although when you betting big bucks you gotta go with your head and not your heart.

. Absolutely. Personally I’m not much of a gambler. I’ve never had much luck gambling so I just stick to predictions. Of course when money is not on the line I’m usually correct in my predictions of haha

Me too. Lol (you're better off staying away from betting). Like the wise guys say, "the bookmakers all drive Cadillacs, and the bettors all have holes in their shoes!" Lol

Yup I’ve gotten that advice from family members all my life. Losing money isn’t fun so why do it right. It’s much more fun just watching the game with no added pressure

But for a lot of guys they just can't resist. They got bitten by the bug as kids and become lifelong DGs.

Many guys are so bad they'll be on anything, including which cockroach is gonna run to the corner of the wall faster. Lol. It isn't even about winning or losing their bet anymore. It just becomes all about the "action." They're like junkies after awhile.

That’s very true. Many people simply can’t resist. A lot iof mob guys were/are like that too, in particular Lefty Ruggiero and obviously Gotti. Like you said it take a lot of character to resist that temptation

Golf, Poker, I'll play. At least I have some control of who wins or looses. As for the NFL, I enjoy the games so much to muddy them up by betting them.

. Yeah I used to take my grandfather(RIP) to the casino sometimes because he enjoyed it and had incredible luck with the slots. I would play a little bit but of course I didn’t have the same luck. Sports I’ve never bet on and never will

Exciting game so far. Lots of give and take. Def not a boring game thats for shit sure!

Just about all betting is now done with online sites. The mob can't own them, so they won't do well. Bookies who have over older non-internet say bettors will make some money.

Thats not entirely true Jace.

Agreed, nowadays many states have chosen to legalize sports betting for the revenue and taxes it generates. But also true, many of the bettors who sign on with these sites are amateurs at best, NOT professional dedicated lifelong gamblers of any consequence.

Initially, illegal bookmakers were understandably nervous to have legalized gambling come onto the scene for fear that they'd lose their business. But as its happened in some ways its actually been healthy.... I'll explain.

"Joe the Bookie" cannot advertise himself or the business he offers to the public. Any "customers" he picks up over the years is strictly by word of mouth. Am I right? But with the overwhelming, daily "in your face" TV, magazine, online, etc., advertising now being done to bring in gambling customers to these sites it's actually "creating" new betting customers to the gambling industry who never before would have even thought of betting with a mob bookie.

Eventually, some of these more aggressive bettors will tire of getting "banged" over the head with having to pay 30% or better "taxes" on any winnings they may garner. Additionally, customers of these sites cannot bet "on credit" as they can when they start a relationship with a mob bookmaker. Going "week to week" floating their line of credit so to speak.

Imagine having to pay a tax "chop" of over $3000 to the state if you get lucky and win yourself a $10,000 bet?....No?, well serious gamblers can't either, and they won't!

Lastly, when some of these guys lose for the week and maybe don't have the money to pay off their gambling debts, they have no recourse with the state. With no money, they can't bet right? Because they gotta "post up" cash before they can place a bet right? But with an illicit book, they can continue to bet "on credit," and often even get a loan the following week from their handbook to pay off their bookie so they can continue betting.

Granted that the loan may come with a high vigorish rate, But thats ok for them. Because they know the terms, and agree to them. And they can still jump into the betting "action."
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Recap: 1) FREE Advertisement means NEW bettors for the illegal book. 2) Line of credit available with the illegal bookie. 3) NO taxes whatsoever to be paid on any winnings. 3) access to shy loans if required. 4) a personal "relationship" and often even a "friendship" with their longtime bookie.
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Remember too that any bettor who's had a relationship with his bookie and betting "office" is NOT going to abandon him now so he can go bet with some jerk off "legal" sports-book. He might curiously open an account and try it for shits and giggles. But at the end of the day he has a long running, mutually friendly relationship with his bookie. 99% of all serious bettors are staying put!

Because of all I've written above, not surprisingly most New York City illegal books are still thriving. (this I know firsthand through many friends of mine).

What the future holds? Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But for now things are very stable in the illegal bookmaking business.

Since as you said, you know firsthand, (As you claim to know about everything else) I won't disagree.

Lol, Okaaaaay then...I guess?

Aside from my personal knowledge, does it NOT make perfect sense to you logically?

If you delve into, and actually investigate what I'm saying, instead of getting all insulted right away, you might realize that what I'm explaining to you is, in fact, FACT!

But don't take my word for it. Check out and investigate the information I've provided you and see if what I say is right. If it isn't, then I stand corrected. Right or wrong here?

PS: Like the man once said, "Don't hate the player, hate the game."

Best you simply ignore "IT" - Period! A close friend that's an old time BM tells me that a lot of his "customers" don't or can't qualify for On-Line betting. These BMs and their customers have been together for years. With the on line winnings taxable, just adds to why there's still a need or want for Old School BMs. Besides, you can't break balls with an on line bet. As usual your observations are correct.

. Agreed FOH. IT isn’t worth it

Thanks guys. I hear ya

So does this mean all illegal sports betting is done on a local level? What exactly is the advantage of illegal bookies setting up online if they,

1. Dont take payments that are not in person, only cash in hand.

2. Dont do credit cards, cant really take collateral either....

3. So...... and this is the part I really dont get, they CANT take out of state bets, right?

4. If it's all cash in hand, and no credit cards, and all the customers are local, why do they go to Costa Rica and set up offshore books?

Local BMs set up offshore accounts so they can "lay-off" big bets they really don't want to hold. No big time Organization BMs left to handle their "lay-offs".

I know that we have 2 good ones where I live that take any action you can want and basically any money. There is no traditional "organized crime" linked to it all, and each account there is a $20 fee to the website operators in costa rica for each participant. I only know of one incident where a guy bet around $50k on a college game and then welched on his bet and left town and he already had coughed up a few coins before that so, that was just the cost of doing business and he has not been seen around town since. The only way I am guessing OC is linked to it is if they are back in the websites that are based out of Costa Rica which could be a real possibility but technically no contact with them in terms of names etc

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Here are the answers to your questions one by one, ok CG:

1. Bookmakers still operate like in the "old days" in the sense that they still have "runners" who operate locally that bring in new customers under their particular "sheet," and meet those customer weekly to "settle up" with them by either paying them what they "won" or collecting what they "lost" for the previous week of betting.

2. No illegal books handle credit cards! 99.999% of all illegal bookmakers are not set up to accept credit cards. They deal in "cash" only transactions get like in old days. (This is another reason why their runners must meet the bettors, so as to collect or pay out in cold cash). In fact, initially some books started accepting credit cards but the FBI contacted those card companies and had them shut down the terminals of those books as a deterrent.

3. The vast majority of bookmakers operate locally. For instance bookies based in NYC, mostly deal with betting customers in NY. Although, in theory and in actuality mob bookmakers can operate and accept bets anywhere they have their "runners" and "junior partners." For instance, if they have runners in NJ, CT, or FL, then those runners can, and do, interact with betting customers in those states.
Conceivably, an illegal book could book bets anywhere they have their operatives to meet those bettors for "settle up"

4. The reason why ALL the bookmakers first sought out Cosa Rica (and a few other Island nations for that matter), was to escape the clutches of American law enforcement. Both local and federal authorities (FBI) really started breaking balls back in the early 1990s. Massive arrests, heavy jail terms, asset seizures, etc. So the wiseguys figured they'd move their operations beyond the clutches of police. (Remember that this was the same era that saw a major expansion in computer technology, 800 numbers, etc). This technology is what allowed organized crime to make this move as never before.

Another reason why they now operate online though "computers" is that this technology is like having 1000 accountants, statisticians, and handicappers to set "betting lines" at the bookies beck and call 24/7. The computer age had allowed them to eliminate hours and hours of grueling paperwork. Its become a 'win-win' situation for them.
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Additionally like FOH mentioned, after setting up in Costa Rica, eventually a collaboration between illicit books previously located in various states like NYC, Chicago, CT, LA, and elsewhere led to developing a relationship with one another and an intermingling of gambling operations. The move offshore later actually became very advantageous for the professional gamblers that they'd never imagined; "edging bets" among themselves, hiring one another's "sites" to handle runners, merging together to reduce overall costs, etc.
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I play the stock market ( everyday). Its a controlled form of gambling. If the stock I am in starts going the wrong way I bail and can always re enter. You dont have that luxury with football or a casino.
I have been trading for years and if you dont know what you are doing, you will lose more money than in any casino. I like it it.

Yes, the stock market has made millionaires out of guys. It's also destroyed guys. Like anything else in life, it helps to know what you're doing. As you just stated, stocks are just another form of "controlled" gambling.

Agree w/ everything that was said about the pros and cons. I left my bookie who runs an online site after NY sports betting was legalized..

Pros of the sites:
Can shop around for odds
Ridiculous amount of prop bets offered if that's your thing
Promo codes... a bit misleading sometimes but the free promo credits they were giving out to start were great

Cons:
Can't bet on credit (much preferred this and settle up when it gets high either way)
Taxes Taxes TAXES
Takes forever to get withdrawals (Caesar's especially)

You're a 1000% right Steve. I concur.

Steve right on, I live down in Florida now and the Seminole tribe opened up their Hard Rock Casino app during the football season for a few months and it was awesome but then right on the day of the Big 10 championship it was shut down. Sucks they do not have the legal sports betting via the phone or the casinos down here yet as they do in Philly and Jersey and elsewhere

Kansas City Mafia boss Nick Civella and betting on the Super Bowl https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/b...ck-civella-and-betting-on-the-super-bowl