Americans spend more than $70 billion each year on lottery tickets. That comes out to $300 per adult in the states where lotteries are legal. With Powerball or Mega Millions payouts reaching […]
The Odds — and Risks — of Playing the Lottery
The Gambler Who Knew When to Hold ‘Em, But Not When to Fold ‘Em
When it comes to gambling, few know as much about winning as Archie Karas. Unfortunately, he knows at least as much about losing. Karas holds the distinction of one of the most […]
A Hunch that Paid Off
In 1989 an anonymous man from Wales placed a £30 bet at Ladbrokes, a London gambling establishment. The terms of the bet? The Welshman wagered that as of January 1, 2000: The band U2 […]
Return of the King? What are the Odds?
Ian MacMillan was counting on the return of the King — the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, that is. In 2002 MacMillan, an unemployed resident of Great Britain, placed a wager of five […]
A Pretty Good Indication of a Gambling Problem
Some of us who break out in a rash at the thought of losing a quarter in a faulty vending machine may have difficulty empathizing with Australian businessman Harry Kakavas. He didn’t […]
The Ugliest Man Ever
John Heidegger rose to fame in Switzerland and later in England as a promoter of masquerade balls. It should be no surprise that Heidegger was drawn to a profession that depended on […]
Around the World with a Baby Carriage
The Earl of Lonsdale accepted a bet from his friend John Pierpoint Morgan that no man could circumnavigate the globe, on foot, without being recognized. The wager didn’t end there. By 1908, […]
An Odd Bit of Odds
In 2011 European bookies were putting the odds of Queen Elizabeth II abdicating and replacing Bruce Forsyth as the host of the popular BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing at 50,000 to […]
He Won in a Dead Heat
Jockey Frank Hayes won a horse race at Belmont Park in New York in 1923. What is remarkable is that he was dead at the time. He suffered a heart attack mid-race, […]
Taking a Gamble With Town Politics
In 2011 Granen, a small Spanish town on the brink of economic collapse, bet in the world’s largest lottery and won €700 million ($761,110,000). source
I Rose And Met This Bet and Yet …..
Bennett Cerf, co-founder of Random House, one of the biggest publishing companies in the world, bet a client of his that he couldn’t write a book with fifty or fewer distinct words. […]
Life or Death… Now That’s a Real Gamble
In 1980 a Las Vegas hospital suspended employees for taking bets on when patients would die. source
Commonplace Fun Facts 