The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

So I want to make the rest of this season enjoyable.

My idea is to bet against the Dolphins each week.  That way, either they win or I get some money.

Is this legal?  How would I go about doing this legally?

It's a grey area. There are no legal establishments in Florida where you can legally place a bet on a football match. Period. Apparently, it's not illegal to place the bet, just to take it. Although the laws are different for placing a bet online, the effects are much the same. The site is illegal if based in Florida. If it's based outside Florida, it might be in violation of federal laws. Actually placing the bet appears to be legal.

None of this should be construed as offering legal advice, naturally ;)

Don't be a pussy and just bet with an online sportsbook like the rest of us.

Dave keepin' it real.

Go for it, my prediction. 

Dolphins lose every game, but cover the spread. 

Yeah, that's your real problem.  It's difficult to find a way to place a bet on up-or-down outcomes; you're usually betting against the spread, which does you no good if you're trying to profit from MIA losses.

What does that mean?

I generally don't do things that are technically illegal, even if everybody does them.

Then sports betting isn't for you.

So why did you start this thread?  ::)

Looking at some of the analysis I've read the past two days, this is all I have to say about you taking up sports betting (thank you National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation), "You give me half the money you were going to bet, we'll go out back I'll kick you in the nuts and we'll call it a day."

Don't gamble to win money.  Because, you won't.  Over the long run, the odds aren't in your favor.

It is entertainment, pure and simple.  It can make you enjoy games you otherwise wouldn't, because you have a stake in it.  Don't bet more than you care to lose.

In terms of it being illegal, it's not that cut and dry.  The laws are iffy, but authorities turn a blind eye to it and there's not much that they can do about it anyway.  The biggest risk (which isn't even a risk) is one of these sites closing up shop and you losing your money with no recourse, since it's out of the country.

Because I did not know if it was legal or not.

Googling things can sometimes mislead you, so it's better to ask actual people, and who better to ask than people who follow sports and bet on the games.

For example, in my Rick Grimes thread, somebody googled him.  What if he had found another celebrity named Rick Grimes and not known which one I was referring to?

curious off topic question...how old are you?

It should say on my profile.  I have a quirk about not liking to post my age on message boards

You had no problem posting you were in your early 20s in the past.

Yeah, but it's a whole different ball game once you hit those mid-20's...

I don't get why newspapers post lines and picks in the newspaper if gambling on sports is illegal 

Anyway, my idea was simply to turn every Sunday into a win-win situation for me.  Either the Dolphins win or I win some money.

I guess that won't work. 

1) Nobody cares that it's illegal; people do it anyway.  Newspapers are in the businesses of writing content that people want to read.
2) It's not illegal everywhere in the country.
3) Lines are used for many non-gambling games.
4) Lines are a good way to judge expectations for different teams you're not familiar with.

Setting up an account with an offshore betting company isn't necessarily illegal. Advocates claim that it is perfectly legal, while others mumble but fail to provide specifics when pushed. All the laws appear to target those who accept bets, not those who place them, so unless you want to start a book yourself, you should be fine.