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Team has been involved in a substantial number of the digital media, sports, entertainment, leisure and gaming industries’ most significant merger and acquisition transactions, holding key positions at, and transacting with Scientific Games Corp, Inspired Gaming Group, FOX Bets, Ocean Casino Resort, Resorts International Holdings, PokerStars, DraftKings, Mohegan Sun, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, Harrah’s Entertainment, Tropicana Entertainment, Inc., TSG/Sky Betting & Gaming, Facebook, Inc, Wynn Resorts, Dubai World/MGM Resorts
Here's all the Bios. These guys are stellar! TEKK closed at $10.30 today. Still cheap!
If you don't like to read... you don't like to make money!!!!
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Matthew Davey — Chief Executive Officer and Director
Mr. Davey has over 25 years of experience within the digital media, sports, entertainment, leisure and gaming ecosystems, as well as experience in the public sector. He is an experienced public company executive officer and board member. He has served in executive management positions across the gaming technology arena. Over the course of Mr. Davey’s career, he oversaw more than ten mergers and acquisitions and over $1.2 billion in debt and equity capital raised to support the companies he has led.
Most recently, Mr. Davey was Chief Executive Officer of SG Digital, the Digital Division of Scientific Games Corp. (“Scientific Games”) (Nasdaq: SGMS). SG Digital was established following the purchase by Scientific Games of NYX Gaming Group Limited (“NYX”) (formerly TSXV: NYX), where Mr. Davey served as Chief Executive Officer and Director. The NYX acquisition provided Scientific Games with a vehicle to significantly accelerate the scale and breadth of its existing digital gaming business, including the strategic expansion into sports betting. In his capacity as Chief Executive Officer of NYX, Mr. Davey developed and implemented a corporate strategy that generated strong revenue growth. Mr. Davey shaped company strategy to focus on digital gaming supplier platforms and content that provided various gaming operators with the underlying gaming and sports betting systems for their online gaming business. In 2014, Mr. Davey oversaw the initial public offering of NYX, and his experience in the digital media, sports, entertainment, leisure and gaming industries helped NYX recognize momentum as a public company. After the public offering, from 2014 to 2018, Mr. Davey oversaw seven acquisitions which helped establish NYX as one of the fastest growing global B2B real-money digital gaming and sports betting platforms. These acquisitions included:
• OpenBet: In 2016, NYX completed the $385 million acquisition of OpenBet. This was one of the more complex and transformative acquisitions that Mr. Davey oversaw at NYX. Through securing co-investments from William Hill (LSE: WMH), Sky Betting & Gaming and The Stars Group (formerly Nasdaq: TSG, TSX: TSGI), Mr. Davey was able to get the acquisition from Vitruvian Partners completed successfully, winning the deal against much larger and well capitalized competitors. By combining two established and proven B2B betting and gaming suppliers, NYX was well positioned to provide customers with exciting player-driven solutions across all major product verticals and distribution channels. This allowed NYX to become the leading B2B omni-channel sportsbook platform in the market and the supplier to over 300 gaming operators globally with an extensive library of desktop and mobile game titles, including more than 700 on NYX platforms and more than 2,000 on the OpenBet platform.
• Cryptologic/Chartwell: In 2015, NYX completed the $119 million acquisition of Cryptologic and Chartwell. The acquisition provided NYX with more than 400 titles of additional leading gaming content, a broader customer base, and direct exposure to PokerStars and Intercasino, part of the Gamesys Group (LSE: GYS) — two of the world’s largest online casino offerings.
• OnGame: In 2014, NYX completed the distressed acquisition of OnGame, a premier poker content, platform and service provider. This acquisition provided NYX with one of the best poker products in the industry, access to several regulated jurisdictions, and a valuable talent pool that was instrumental in the growth of NYX. The addition of OnGame further established a path for NYX to continue its growth in both European and U.S. markets.
These acquisitions, together with meaningful organic growth, increased NYX’s revenue from $24 million in 2014 to $184 million annualized in 2017. During that time, Mr. Davey helped build NYX to have over 200 customers in the global gaming industry and a team of 1,000 employees. Mr. Davey’s success at NYX ultimately led to its sale to Scientific Games for $631 million in 2018.
Mr. Davey joined Next Gen Gaming, the predecessor to NYX, in 2000 as the Vice President of Technology, was appointed as Executive Director in 2003 and named Chief Executive Officer in 2005. Prior to that, he was the Senior Consultant for Access Systems, a company that specializes in the provision of back-end software for licensed online casinos. Prior to joining Access, Mr. Davey worked for the Northern Territory Government specializing in matters pertaining to the internet and e-commerce along with roles in the Department of Racing and Gaming. Mr. Davey received a Bachelor of Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Northern Territory University, Australia (also known as Charles Darwin University).
Robin Chhabra — President
Mr. Chhabra has been at the forefront of corporate acquisition activity within the digital gaming landscape for over a decade. His prior experience includes leading corporate strategy, M&A, and business development at two of the global leaders in the digital gaming industry, The Stars Group (“TSG”) and William Hill, and a leading supplier, Inspired Gaming Group (Nasdaq: INSE). Mr. Chhabra served on the Group Executive Committees of each of these companies. From 2017 to May 2020, Mr. Chhabra served as Chief Corporate Development Officer at TSG and, from 2019 to August 2020, he also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Fox Bet, a leading U.S. online gaming business which is the product of a landmark partnership between TSG and FOX Sports, a transaction which he led. During that period, Mr. Chhabra led several transactions which transformed TSG into the largest publicly listed online gambling operator in the world by both revenue and market capitalization and one of the most diversified from a product and geographic perspective with revenues of over $2.5 billion. Mr. Chhabra’s M&A experience is extensive and covers multiple global geographies across the digital gaming value chain and includes the following:
• TSG/Flutter Entertainment Merger: In 2019, Mr. Chhabra led the TSG M&A team that was responsible for TSG’s $12.2 billion merger with Flutter Entertainment (LSE: FLTR). The merger between TSG and Flutter Entertainment is the largest transaction in the digital gaming industry to date. The combination created the largest publicly listed online gaming company with approximately 13 million active customers and leading product offerings, which include sports betting, online casino, fantasy sports and poker. The combined entity includes some of the world’s most iconic digital gaming brands such as Fanduel, Fox Bet, Sky Bet, PaddyPower, Betfair, PokerStars and SportsBet. TSG/Flutter Entertainment is one of the most geographically diverse digital gaming and media companies with leading positions in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Germany and Georgia.
• TSG/Sky Betting and Gaming (“SBG”): In 2018, Mr. Chhabra led the acquisition of SBG from CVC Capital Partners and Sky plc, Europe’s largest media company, in a transaction valued at $4.7 billion. At the time of the acquisition SBG was the largest mobile gambling operator in the United Kingdom and one of the fastest growing of the major operators having doubled its online market share in three years. The acquisition of SBG provided TSG with (a) greater revenue diversification, significantly enhanced expertise and exposure to sports betting just ahead of the judicial overturn of The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) by the U.S. Supreme Court, (b) a leading position within the United Kingdom, the world’s largest regulated online gaming market, (c) improved products and technology as a result of the addition of SBG’s innovative casino and sports book offerings and a portfolio of popular mobile apps, and (d) expertise in deeply integrating sports betting with leading sports media companies, positioning TSG to create more engaging content, deliver faster growth and decrease customer acquisition costs.
• William Hill (LSE: WMH): At William Hill, from 2010 to 2017, Mr. Chhabra served as Group Director of Strategy and Corporate Development where he led several transactions which contributed to William Hill’s transformation from a land-based gambling operator in the United Kingdom to a leading online-led international business. Mr. Chhabra led William Hill’s entry into the U.S. sports betting and online lottery markets with the acquisition of four businesses, including the simultaneous acquisitions of three U.S. sportsbooks, Cal Neva, American Wagering and Brandywine Bookmaking, in 2011 for an aggregate purchase price of $55 million. These businesses ultimately led William Hill to achieve a leading position in the U.S. sports betting market with a market share of 24% in 2019. Additionally, Mr. Chhabra played a key role in structuring William Hill’s successful joint venture with PlayTech Plc (LSE: PTEC) in 2008. The combined entity created one of the largest online gambling businesses in Europe at the time of its formation and led to William Hill’s buyout of Playtech’s interest for $637 million in 2013. Prior to the transaction, William Hill had struggled in its attempt to establish a strong online gaming platform and a meaningful presence outside the United Kingdom.
Mr. Chhabra has also successfully completed four transactions worth over $1.2 billion in Australia, the world’s second largest regulated online gambling market, and various partnerships in Asia. Additionally, he completed several technology and media related transactions, including William Hill’s investment in NYX, where he worked with Mr. Davey on NYX’s transformational acquisition of OpenBet.
Prior to working in the gaming sector, Mr. Chhabra was an equities analyst and a management consultant. Mr. Chhabra received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Eric Matejevich — Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Matejevich is a seasoned gaming executive with extensive experience in both the online gaming and traditional casino industries. From February to August 2019, he served as Trustee and Interim-Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Casino Resort (“Ocean”) (formerly Revel Casino, which had a construction cost of $2.4 billion) in Atlantic City, where he successfully led the management team through an ownership change and operational turnaround effort. Over the course of seven months, Mr. Matejevich managed to reduce the property’s weekly cash burn of $1.5 million to an annualized cash flow run rate in excess of $20 million.
Prior to Ocean, from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Matejevich served as the Chief Financial Officer of NYX. At NYX, he focused his efforts on integrating the company’s many acquisitions and multiple debt refinancings to simplify its capital structure and provided liquidity for growth initiatives. Additionally, Mr. Matejevich was instrumental to the executive team that sold NYX to Scientific Games for $631 million.
Prior to NYX, from 2004 to 2014, Mr. Matejevich was the Chief Financial Officer of Resorts International Holdings and later, from 2011, also the Chief Operating Officer of the Atlantic Club Casino, a property under the Resorts International Holdings umbrella — a Colony Capital (NYSE: CLNY) entity. As Chief Financial Officer, he provided managerial oversight for all finance functions for a six-property casino company with annual gaming revenue exceeding $1.3 billion, 10,000 gaming positions, 7,000 hotel rooms and over 11,000 staff members during his tenure. Mr. Matejevich led the transition effort to integrate a four-casino, $1.3 billion acquisition from Harrah’s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment (Nasdaq: CZR). As Chief Operating Officer of Atlantic Club, he lobbied for and was successful in obtaining the first internet gaming legislation passed in the United States. The Atlantic Club was the sole New Jersey casino proponent of the legislation.
Prior to serving in various gaming positions, Mr. Matejevich was a Vice President of High Yield Research for Merrill Lynch, where he managed the corporate bond research effort for the gaming and leisure sectors and marketed high yield and other debt transactions totaling $4.8 billion. Mr. Matejevich received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Our Board of Directors
Morris Bailey — Chairman
Over the past 10 years, Mr. Bailey has been a leader in turning around Atlantic City, as well as being among the first gaming executives to embrace online gaming and sports betting in the United States. In his efforts, Mr. Bailey partnered with two of the largest digital gaming companies in the world, PokerStars, part of the Stars Group, and DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG). In 2010, Mr. Bailey bought Resorts Atlantic City (“Resorts”) and initiated a comprehensive renovation which allowed for the property to be rebranded and repositioned. In 2012, Mr. Bailey signed an agreement with Mohegan Sun to manage the day-to-day operations of the casino. In addition to Mohegan Sun’s operational expertise and ability to reduce costs via economies of scale, Resorts gained access to their robust customer database. Soon thereafter, Mr. Bailey and his team focused on bringing online gaming to the property. In 2015, Resorts established a platform to engage in online gaming by partnering with PokerStars, now part of the $24 billion Flutter Entertainment, PLC (LSE: FLTR), to operate an online poker room in Atlantic City. In 2018, Resorts announced deals with DraftKings and SBTech to open a sportsbook on-property and online. For 2020 year-to-date, Resorts has performed in the top quartile in internet gross gaming revenue in New Jersey. Mr. Bailey’s efforts in New Jersey helped set the framework for expansion of online sports and gaming throughout the United States.
In addition to his gaming interests, Mr. Bailey has over 50 years of experience in all facets of real estate development, asset M&A, capital markets and operations and is the founder, Chief Executive Officer and Principal of JEMB Realty, a leading real estate development, investment and management organization. Mr. Bailey has notable investment experience within the energy, finance and telecommunications sectors through investments in the Astoria Energy Plant, Basis Investment Group and Xentris Wireless.
Tony Rodio — Director Nominee
Mr. Rodio has nearly four decades of experience in the gaming industry. Most recently, Mr. Rodio served as the Chief Executive Officer and director of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (“Caesars”) (Nasdaq: CZR), one of the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment providers and the most geographically diverse U.S. casino-entertainment company, from April 2019 until its acquisition by Eldorado Resorts, Inc. in July 2020. Mr. Rodio led Caesars through its $17.3 billion merger with Eldorado Resorts, one of the largest transactions in the gaming industry to date. Additionally, Mr. Rodio was instrumental to Caesars’ expansion into the digital gaming industry and oversaw the implementation of new digital segments such as its Scientific Games powered retail sportsbook solution that now operates in various states throughout the U.S. From October 2018 to May 2019, Mr. Rodio served as Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Gaming. Prior to Affinity Gaming, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Tropicana Entertainment, Inc. (“Tropicana”) for over seven years, where he was responsible for the operation of eight casino properties in seven different jurisdictions. During his time at Tropicana, Mr. Rodio oversaw a period of unprecedented growth at the company, improving overall financial results with net revenue that increased more than 50% driven by both operational improvements and expansion across regional markets. Mr. Rodio led major capital projects, including the complete renovation of Tropicana Atlantic City and Tropicana’s move to land-based operations in Evansville, Indiana. Each of these initiatives, among others, generated substantial value for Tropicana. Ultimately, Mr. Rodio’s efforts at Tropicana led to its sale to Eldorado Resorts in 2018 for $1.85 billion. Prior to Tropicana, Mr. Rodio held a succession of executive positions in Atlantic City for casino brands, including Trump Marina Hotel Casino, Harrah’s Entertainment (predecessor to Caesars), the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort and Penn National Gaming. He has also served as a director of several professional and charitable organizations, including Atlantic City Alliance, United Way of Atlantic County, the Casino Associations of New Jersey and Indiana, AtlantiCare Charitable Foundation and the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming Hospitality & Tourism. Mr. Rodio brings extensive knowledge of and experience in the gaming industry, operational expertise, and a demonstrated ability to effectively design and implement company strategy. Mr. Rodio received a Bachelor of Science from Rider University and a Master of Business Administration from Monmouth University.
Marlon Goldstein — Director Nominee
Mr. Goldstein is a licensed attorney with nearly 20 years of experience in the gaming space. He joined The Stars Group (Nasdaq: TSG)(TSX: TSGI) in January 2014 as its Executive Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary until his retirement from the company in July 2020 following the merger of TSG with Flutter Entertainment, PLC (LSE: FLTR). Mr. Goldstein also previously served as the Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development and General Counsel of TSG. Mr. Goldstein was also the senior TSG executive based in the United States and was one of the primary architects of TSG’s strategic vision for its U.S.-facing business. During his tenure, TSG grew from an approximately $500 million market-cap company to an approximately $7 billion market-cap company through a combination of organic growth and strategic mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Goldstein participated in numerous M&A transactions and capital markets offerings at TSG, including several transformational transactions in the digital gaming industry. Notable transactions in which Mr. Goldstein was involved include:
• TSG/Flutter Merger: In 2019, TSG merged with Flutter for a $12.2 billion transaction value, the largest transaction in the digital gaming industry to date.
• TSG/Fox Bet Partnership: In 2019, TSG entered into a partnership with FOX Sports to create FOX Bet in the U.S., a leading U.S. online gaming business. Wall Street Research estimates an approximate $1.1 billion valuation for Fox Bet post-partnership with The Stars Group.
• TSG/Sky Betting & Gaming: In 2018, TSG acquired Sky Betting & Gaming, the largest mobile gambling operator in the United Kingdom at the time, for $4.7 billion.
• TSG/CrownBet and William Hill: In 2018, TSG simultaneously acquired CrownBet and William Hill, two Australian operators, for a total of $621 million in a multi-part transaction.
• TSG/PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker: In 2014, TSG acquired The Rational Group, which operated PokerStars and Full Tilt and was the world’s largest poker business, for $4.9 billion.
Through his ability to legally structure large and complex transactions, Mr. Goldstein was integral to TSG’s vision of becoming a full-service online gaming company. Additionally, he assisted in structuring TSG’s capital markets activity, which generated liquidity for acquisitions and strengthened its balance sheet.
Prior to joining TSG, Mr. Goldstein was a principal shareholder in the corporate and securities practice at the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig P.A., where he practiced for almost 13 years. Mr. Goldstein’s practice focused on corporate and securities matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, and financing transactions. Additionally, Mr. Goldstein was the founder and co-chair of the firm’s Gaming Practice, a multi-disciplinary team of attorneys representing owners, operators and developers of gaming facilities, manufacturers and suppliers of gaming devices, investment banks and lenders in financing transactions, and Indian tribes in the development and financing of gaming facilities.
Mr. Goldstein brings experience and insight that we believe will be valuable to a potential initial business combination target business. Mr. Goldstein received a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Emory University and a Juris Doctorate with highest honors from the University of Florida, College of Law.
Sean Ryan — Director Nominee
Mr. Ryan is a digital media and technology operator with extensive global experience in online payments, e-commerce, marketplaces, mobile ad networks, digital games, enterprise collaboration platforms, blockchain, real money gaming and online music. Since 2014, Mr. Ryan has been serving as Vice President of Business Platform Partnerships at Facebook, Inc. (“Facebook”) (Nasdaq: FB), where he leads a more than 500 person global organization that manages the Payments, Commerce, Novi/Blockhain, Workplace and Audience Network businesses. Prior to his current role, Mr. Ryan was hired in 2011 as the Director of Games Partnerships to lead and grow the global Games business at Facebook. While the Director of Games Partnerships, Mr. Ryan focused on re-shaping Facebook’s games and monetization strategies to derive more value for Facebook, its users and its partners, including the addition of a Real Money Gaming offering in regulated markets. Mr. Ryan’s team helped accelerate a major trend in engagement through cross-platform games and therefore the opportunity to increase users through establishing games on multiple platforms. Prior to joining Facebook, Mr. Ryan created the new social and mobile games division at News Corp, an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by Rupert Murdoch. While at News Corp, Mr. Ryan led the acquisition of Making Fun, a San Francisco social-game start-up, that created News Corp’s games publishing division.
Before joining News Corp., Mr. Ryan founded multiple digital businesses such as Twofish, Meez, Open Wager and SingShot Media. Mr. Ryan co-founded Twofish in 2009, a virtual goods and services platform that provided developers with data analytics and insights for individual application’s digital economies. Twofish was later sold to online payments provider Live Gamer, where Mr. Ryan served on the board of directors. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Ryan founded and led Meez.com, a social entertainment service combining avatars, web games and virtual worlds. The white label social casino gaming company Open Wager was spun out of Meez and was later sold to VGW Holdings, Mr. Ryan also co-founded SingShot Media, an online karaoke community, which was sold to Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: EA) and merged into its Sims division.
We believe Mr. Ryan’s experience will be valuable to a potential initial business combination target and would provide an expanded perspective on the digital gaming landscape. Mr. Ryan received a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Tom Roche — Director Nominee
Mr. Roche has more than 40 years of experience in the gaming industry as a regulator, advisor and independent auditor. Mr. Roche joined Ernst & Young (“EY”) as a partner in 2003 and opened its Las Vegas office. He was subsequently appointed as the Office Managing Partner and Global Gaming Industry Market Leader. In 2016, Mr. Roche relocated to the EY Hong Kong office to supervise the expansion of the EY Global Gaming Industry practice in the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Roche has been integral to numerous transactions that have shaped the current gaming landscape, including:
• Wynn Resorts (Nasdaq: WYNN) initial public offering: Mr. Roche was the lead partner on Wynn Resort’s initial public offering, which raised $450 million in 2002.
• Harrah’s Entertainment/Apollo Management Group & Texas Pacific Group: Mr. Roche headed the regulatory advisory services on the buyout of Harrah’s Entertainment, the world’s largest casino company at the time, for $17.1 billion.
• Dubai World/MGM Resorts: Mr. Roche headed the regulatory and due diligence advisory services to Dubai World in its approximately $5.1 billion investment in MGM. Dubai World bought 28.4 million MGM shares, or 9.5 percent of the casino operator, for $2.4 billion. It then invested $2.7 billion to acquire a 50% stake in MGM’s CityCenter Project, a $7.4 billion 76-acre Las Vegas development of hotels, condos and retail outlets.
• MGM Growth Properties (NYSE: MGP) initial public offering: Mr. Roche provided tax and structural transaction services to MGM Resorts in the creation of MGM Growth Properties, a publicly traded REIT engaged in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of large-scale destination entertainment and leisure resorts. MGM Growth Properties raised $1.05 billion in its 2016 initial public offering.
Mr. Roche also directed EY advisory services to boards and management teams for profit improvement and technology related initiatives. In addition, Mr. Roche provided advisory support to the American Gaming Association on several research projects, including those specifically related to sports betting, the revocation of The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) and anti-money laundering best practices in the gaming industry. Equally, he has assisted government agencies in numerous international locations with enhancing their regulatory approach to governing the industry especially in the online gambling sector.
Prior to joining Ernst & Young, Mr. Roche served as Deloitte’s National Gaming Industry Leader and as the co-head of Andersen’s Gaming Industry Practice in Las Vegas. In 1989, Mr. Roche was appointed by then Governor of the State of Nevada, Robert Miller, to serve as one of three members of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board for a four-year term, where he was directly responsible for the Audit and New Games Lab Divisions. As a board member, he spent a substantial amount of time assisting global jurisdiction regulators enact gaming legislation in the design of their regulatory structure. During his career, Roche has been involved in numerous public and private offerings of equity and debt securities. His background includes providing casino regulatory consulting services to casino licensees and to federal and state agencies including the National Indian Gaming Commission and the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, and industry associations such as the Nevada Resort Association and the American Gaming Association.
We believe Mr. Roche’s highly regarded reputation as a gaming auditor and advisor in the gaming industry will be valuable for us and a potential business combination target. Mr. Roche is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is licensed by the Nevada State Board of Accountancy and Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.

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Part 48.

Had to make a new part after 2 months. I guess the characters max out fast on Reddit.
7536.(Music Lyrics change.)"She prays to God most every night and though she swears he doesn't listen."/"She prays to God most every night and though she swears it doesn't listen."("There's still a hope in her he might."/"There's still a hope in her it might.")(What do you hear?)("I have no answers for you."/"I have no reasons for you.")(Was it the same lyrics through the whole song?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq1hxdGjesg
7537.(Bible change.)Do you remember Today and Forever and similar words never being written as To Day or For Ever?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SGW_IFA9Tt4
7538.(Music Lyrics change.)"Dust on the bottom."/"Dust on the bottle."("It keeps getting better as the years go by."/"It keeps getting better as the days go by.")(Did he never say "Well it's like a fine wine."?)(Do any of his logos look off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wlHJ-hnnJyA
7539.(History change.)Do you remember Holodomor not being a thing?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R8_0qGk1CWo
7540.(Phantom fictional character.)Do you remember Uncle Deadly from The Muppets not existing?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1IKpo5ykJYQ
7541.(Movie Quote change.)"Who are you?"-Criminal "I'm Batman."-Batman/"What are you?-Criminal "I'm Batman."-Batman(Was it always Who and never What?)(Was it "Who? What are you?" or "What? Who are you?")
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=adZc9GXTKgI
7542.(Rock Band name change.)Huey Lewis & The News/Huey Lewis And The News(Was it one or the other or both?)(Huey Lewis In The News?)(Any of their logos off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l8e-kDR_xYU
7543.(Spelling change.)Levy/Levee
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QoXPc-RI4kQ
7544.(Music Lyrics change.)"All that noise and all that sound. All those spaces I got found."/"All that noise and all that sound. All those places I have found."(Was it something else?)("Birds come flying at the speed of sound to show you where it all began."/"Birds come flying at the speed of sound to show you how it all began.")(Was it something else?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NKHmpMqXBNs
7545.(Famous Actor name change.)Noah Wiley/Noah Wyle(Other spellings?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7vreJOa3Wn8
7546.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Viruses have DNA, Tesla's age at death, C-3PO chest antennas, wolves and bears hunt together, how to throw a punch has changed, tigers losing shoulder stripes, canine rabies is different than other rabies, sharks pee through their skin, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xufCCwwL5co
Add-On: Do you remember John Kay & Steppenwolf not being a thing?(Were John Kay & Who's To Say not a thing?)(Were John Kay & Sparrow not a thing?)(Were Hall & Oates never known as Hall + Oates or anything else as well as the other names already mentioned?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzwKPkUO2c
7547.(Song name change.)If Only Tonight I Could Sleep/If Only Tonight We Could Sleep(Lyrics as well.)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzwKPkUO2c
7548.(Music Lyrics change.)"He said I'm gonna be like you dad."/"He'd say I'm gonna be like you dad."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d_zVAH8PxKk
7549.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Elvis Presley singing Good Luck Charm alone instead of with a female backup singer?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0gx4kPDW0w
7550.(Real Life Quote change.)"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face."/"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."(Was it something else?)(Did Mike Tyson say it first?)(Did he say it at all?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cecjQs8PHE8
7551.(Music Lyrics change.)"When the music's over, turn off the lights. Turn off the lights. Turn off the lights."/"When the music's over, turn out the lights. Turn out the lights. Turn out the lights."(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jHbEME81rMQ
Add-On: Do you remember these celebrities, newscasters, background people and t.v. show co-hosts I forgot to mention previously also not acting weird or freezing up?(Lots of newscasters, background people and co-hosts from what all the other videos show.)(There's an NBA player who doesn't remember hugging someone or being at a game I don't know the name of.)(Jim Carrey, Nicki Minaj, Keke Wyatt, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Winona Ryder, Kodak Black, James Holmes, Knowshon Moreno.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rlnMqBtmw5U
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ4mkhQzmm4
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HkPYQS8eCJw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PW8IipJsR6c
Add-On: Do you remember these people not being the way they're depicted now?(Mother Teresa is less true to her Faith and who she was now, Che Guevara is now evil and selfish and no longer just fought for a revolution, Mahatma Gandhi is also more selfish and concerned with his own beliefs and now let his wife die from an illness by not allowing her to take a medicine that he took and slept with underage women, Saddam Hussein is overall less brutal and has been swayed more in to surrendering and being kinder in this reality, Dalai Lama has changed more and doesn't speak good English and is even more inconsistent in his interviews and is much slower and doesn't sound as bright.)(David Letterman is less risky with his humor and more mellow with his comedy and talk show and he has a big beard and sounds different.)
https://www.reddit.com/Retconned/comments/dpieoz/me_celebrity_personality_change/
7552.(Pop Band name change.)Escape Club/The Escape Club(Was it one or the other or both?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Naj50Su8Mkk
7553.(Movie name change.)Ford Vs. Ferrari/Ford V. Ferrari
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oy-j0FQmP0
7554.(History change.)Do you remember there not being mobile telephones as far back as the 1940's?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xDy2tHCPdk8
7555.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Allied jets of WW2, Nazis had wooden jets, bicornate uterus is "normal", Statue Of Liberty wears fellah slave clothes of Egypt, more Greenland changes, more British flag changes, more C3PO changes, Great WALLS Of China, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7fq8qymPY_8
7556.(Theme Song Lyrics change.)"When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year."/"Well it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year."(Was it 3, 4, or 5 claps at the beginning of the song?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FHfXXj_of8E
7557.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Antonov 225 not having such small and powerful engines?(Did they not have reverse thrust and were they not far forward?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Cc7t3Ngic
7558.(Theme Song Lyrics change.)"We're gonna make our dreams come true."/"We're gonna make our dream come true."/"We're gonna make that dream come true."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)("Houston we've got a problem." or "Houston we got a problem."?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PCMGM3sW914
7559.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember 10000 Steps being real and accurate science instead of just a marketing gimmick?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/science/10000-steps
Add-On: Do you remember the lines going up the street on Abbey Road being a zig-zag pattern?(Were the crosswalk lines always evenly spaced?)(Is the order of The Beatles inconsistent?)(Did Paul never wear shoes at all?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=coRsRn9seAQ
7560.(Product name change.)Scott's Porridge Oats/Scott's Porage Oats(Was it always spelled Porridge and never Porage?)(Is the history behind it off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/brands/scotts-porage-porridge
7561.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Ice fleas, Whitey Bulger was an MK Ultra victim, 1968 flu pandemic, 103 year old car phone, cornrows used as escape maps, Native Americans had cornrows, ectopic tissue, emerald boa has how many holes for heat sensing, Ponce de Leon was not looking for fountain of youth, Manchineel poison apple tree that rains poison is native to Florida, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_xJ8AyIg2bY
Add-On: Do you remember breakfast at McDonald's always ending at 11:00 instead of recently in the UK?(Was it like that everywhere?)(Was All-Day Breakfast never a thing in the US or anywhere?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WlIPo-aaM
Add-On: Do you remember Honika instead of Hanukkah?(Was it something else?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_YvgLxHzj4M
7562.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Five Eyes not being a thing?(Are the nations in it different?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3xyxFcF2dNw
7563.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Fixed Term Act in the UK always being 4 years(Even after 2011?)(Was it something else?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yNj6qU8TU
7564.(Abbreviation change.)Present Work Directory/Print Work Directory
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PhUXkuUGidk
7565.(Instrument name change.)Chello/Cello(Was it never known as a Violoncello or anything else?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-LsUtcR06Hc
7566.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Umpa Lumpa/Oompa Loompa(Was it pronounced different?)(Is their hair color slightly different or off?)(Were there not eyebrows not white and what color were they?)(Is Willy Wonka's hat off in any way from the original movie?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t0aSwU8t1NI
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k6QPoMWz4mk
7567.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the ghost in Three Men And A Baby being a grown woman instead of a little boy?(Was it someone else?)(Was it a different scene?)(Was it real?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0mm0MWKztmo
Add-On: Do you remember Texico instead of Texaco?(Was it a mix of Texas and Mexico instead of just Texas?)(Anything else off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texaco
Add-On: Do you remember Pop-Tarts Cookies & Cream instead of Pop-Tarts Cookies & Créme
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pop-Tarts-Frosted-Cookies-and-Creme-16-Toaster-Pastries/10891757
7568.(Music Lyrics change.)"I'm your favorite son."/"I'm your native son."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6XyRdJr4LSc
7569.(Theme Song Lyrics change.)"To buy candy bars."/"Fueled by candy bars."/"If you'll buy candy bars."(Do you hear 1 of the 2 latter ones?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nws6lKnLpCw
Add-On: Do you remember the E in Dumb And Dumber not being backwards?(Was it an & instead of And in all three movies?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0UEnwGy6sXY
Add-On: Do you remember Tom Petty being the first singer of Free Fallin' instead of Guns N' Roses?(Are they covering his song before he did?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2O1mE2nVMs
Add-On: Do you remember "I'm a paper kisser." not being an option to hear in Paper Chaser?(Was "I don't care." not an option to hear in Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mT9JPKl4cYU
Add-On: Do you remember Seals & Kroft instead of Seals & Croft?(Was it something else?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1rcIdsus-mA
7570.(Music Lyrics change.)"The hardest part this broken heart has ever yet been through."/"The hardest part this troubled heart has never yet been through."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hAEcleJkj8o
7571.(Celebrity death that didn't happen.)Do you remember Bernie Madoff committing suicide in 2009 instead of still being alive?(Anything else surrounding him or his family history and family seem off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/people/bernie-madoff-died-in-2008
7572.(History change.)Do you remember Marilyn Monroe singing Santa Baby or at least covering it?(Anything else off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/music/did-marilyn-monroe-sing-santa-baby
7573.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Jesus never holding a cane or "magic wand"?(Were most paintings of him never based off Cesare Borgia?)(Ceaser or Ceasar Borgia?)(Did Cesare Borgia not exist?)(Was he not in a supposed relationship with Michelangelo?)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELO7Xr-WkAAoT80.jpg
7574.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Intel jingle sounding more smooth and clear than it does now?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ihRPi4wcBY
7575.(Spelling change.)OcculaOcular(Occulus/Oculus)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1PICzUSHY
7576.(Spelling change.)Seratonin/Serotonin
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin
7577.(Spelling change.)Bergamont/Bergamot
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange
7578.(Real Life Quote change.)"This is the fucking story."/"This is the shocking story."(Is it one or the other or both?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G4LK0adh5Cc
7579.(Celebrity death that didn't happen.)Do you remember John Carpenter dying in 2018?(Anything else off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/people/john-carpenter
7580.(Music Lyrics change.)"Your dad's a cricket."/"You and I for Christmas."(Do you hear one or the other both?)(Does it sound like something else?)(Any of the other lyrics off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9CwOewuettE
7581.(Celebrity death that didn't happen.)Do you remember Henry Kissinger dying in 2016 or another year?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/people/did-henry-kissinger-die-in-2016
7582.(History change.)Do you remember there being 5 people in the car when Princess Diana crashed instead of 4?(Anything else surrounding her death, people who died around her, her, or other people off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/people/lady-di-how-many-people-in-the-car
7583.(Theme Song Lyrics change.)"If there's something strange in your neighborhood."/"If there's something strange in the neighborhood."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc
7584.(Music Lyrics change.)"You were lead to find my life."/"You electrify my life."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos look off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgum6OT_VH8
7585.(Music Lyrics change.)"At least you could polish the fenders."/"At least he can polish the fenders."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7nfEYV7nWc0
7586.(Music Lyrics change.)"'Cause I'm fartless."/"'Cause I'm heartless."(Heartless through the whole song sounds like Fartless.)(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1DpH-icPpl0
7587(Music Lyrics change.)"I ain't going back. (She ain't going back.)"/"I ain't done bad. (She ain't done bad.)"(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zplc4Ienkws
7588.(Music Lyrics change.)"Until we're gifted Pikachu."/"Until we get there it's just you."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any of their logos look off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ygr2JsQcY8
7589.(Music Lyrics off.)"The bakers gonna bake bake bake bake bake bake."/"The haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate hate."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM
7590.(Commercial Quote change.)"I do exist."/"They do exist."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iE8CJwXSPRs
7591.(Company name change.)New Holland Brewery Company/New Holland Brewing Company
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h482Pj_R7zg
7592.(Music Lyrics change.)"It's a free ride when you're already there."/"It's a free ride when you've already paid."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any of her logos look off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aJPMi6ccDQQ
7593.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(New Babirusa pig changes, chrome colored butterfly, amphiuma species, pega donkey, Telharmonium electronic instrument of 1897, 2009 Swine Flu infected 50 million Americans, Swine Flu gives you immunity to all other flus, Alagille Syndrome, Buck Rogers In The 21st Century/Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4xHBTK48G5Y
7594.(Can't think of a title.)Do you hear "Corona", "Killing Me", or both?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KrwjhPZIC-Q
7595.(Video Game Quote change.)"Welcome to Atlanta living Jodie."/"Welcome back to the land of the living Jodie."/"Welcome back to the land of living Jodie."(Do you hear one, or another, two of them, or all three?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u3auxC4oLrs
7596.(History change.)Do you remember Bela Lugosi(Bella Lugosi?)being in a regular outfit instead of his Dracula costume?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/science/was-bela-lugosi-buried-in-his-dracula-cape
7597.(Date change.)Do you remember The Beatles officially splitting up in the late 1960's instead of around the early to mid 1970's?(Anything else off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/music/when-did-the-beatles-split-up
7598.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember all of Inspector Gadget's gloves being white instead of the normal ones being brown and the other ones being yellow?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fsTK13I-uog
7599.(Music Lyrics change.)"Gone, gone with the wind."/"Gone, gone by the wind."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J4NQHaud-ZU
7600.(Music Lyrics change.)"Watching you sleep in the evening light."/"Watching you sleep in the evil light."/"Watching you sleep in the evil eye."(Do you hear one or another or two or all three?)(Other lyrics?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OKlj19836_E
7601.(Music Lyrics change.)"The alleged assailant is my lover."/"The alleged is 5ft 1."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any of his logos off?)(Other lyrics?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L3Pua6D9DsE
7602.(Music Lyrics change.)"Do I need it? Mocha."/"Do I need it? No duh."/"Do I need it. Woke up."(Do you hear one or another or two or three?)(Other lyrics?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=09bAUwzODfI
7603.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Viral interference, Neotrogla, snake musk attacks, barking water deer with retractable fangs, super fast earthworms, dogs have heat sensor pits in nose, dogs and cats can see UV light, refered itches, plague doctor changes, black sea hare, Dollar Tree tree has changed, Russia owned Alaska and more changes related to that, Gorbachev's port wine stain, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nURxh6tKaw0
7604.(Music Lyrics change.)"The heart does go on."/"The hot dogs go on."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics?)(Any of her logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Siz-xBfIqpg
7605.(History change.)Do you remember St. Patrick being officially canonized as a saint?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/religion/is-st-patrick-a-saint
7606.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Uranus smells like farts, viruses make you sick if your immune system overreacts, lactic acid does not cause muscle pain, airglow and extra bright nights, human piebaldism, Cruella de Vil hair color changed, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R5PgdC7TlZ0
7607.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the song mentioned below not existing?(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1U9tZf7X9_4
7608.(Phantom movie quote.)Do you remember "What does it do?" "That's the beauty of it. It doesn't do anything." being a quote from somewhere such as a movie, tv show, or video game?(Anything else off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/movies/movie-quote-from-no-movie
7609.(Phantom movie quote.)Do you remember Arnold Schwarzenegger saying "Come On! I'm right here! What are you waiting for? Kill me! Do it now!" instead of "Come on! Come on! Do it! Do it! Come on! Come on! Kill me! I'm here! Kill me! I'm here! Kill me! Come on! Kill me! I'm here! Come on! Do it now! Kill me!"?(Does he sound off?)(Is he positioned differently and his expression off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kWUgr5k7Wu8
7610.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Strawberry corn, Jose Delgado bullfighting mind control, Claude Monet could see UV light, golden blood type, jackknife clam, graupel, Australian Alps, kangaroos in snow, Kaspersky internet security name change, Greta Thurberg/Greta Thumberg/Greta Thunberg, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n9gtQlXxsH8
7611.(Music Lyrics change.)"All we need is a piece of lemon."/"All we need is a piece of heaven."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iKKf_7C0MwQ
7612.(Music Lyrics change.)"My crawling eye."/"My darling I."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oSeBZo361Oo
7613.(Music Lyrics change.)"Like Tarzan's boy."/"Like Tarzan boy."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kuLOUufHdaU
7614.(Music Lyrics change.)"You finally get what you deserve."/"You're bound to get what you deserve."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YUEAjS3urfA
7615.(Music Lyrics change.)"The rain has gone."/"The rain is gone."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r1MjRp0ys5I
7616.(Music Lyrics change.)"Put me online."/"Work me all night."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Everybody Dance Now/Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now))(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mXda46z9usA
7617.(History change.)Do you remember Christopher Columbus' nationality being confirmed as Italian instead of possibly Portuguese, something else, or unknown?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/people/was-christopher-columbus-italian-or-portuguese
7618.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Big Ben having clear, wide Roman numerals instead of cramped Roman numerals?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/art/the-face-of-big-ben
7619.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Horizontal lightning, TV colors influence dream colors, squirting milk in your eye is antibiotic, numerous tv stars forgetting making shows and movies or starring in them or being on talk shows and singers and rappers thinking someone ripped off their music when it was just them or forgetting they made certain songs or albums, Venus/Mars/Jupiter can be seen in daylight with the naked eye, Hawaii had 3 years of martial law after Pearl Harbor, C19 comet has coincidental name, blue star Kachina, the Spartans were not good fighters, more on cockroach milk, lots of new creepy old religious paintings, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WlpPQkX4_qw
7620.(Real Life Quote change.)"They are able."/"They are evil."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0bsafPEGBPk
7621.(Fictional Character name change.)Sporky/Forky
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D2iKFX9x-NQ
7622.(Spelling change.)Irresistable/Irresistible
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irresistible_(2020_film)
7623.(Agency name change.)National Institute Of Health/National Institutes Of Health
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institutes_of_Health
7624.(T.V. Show name change.)Spencer: For Hire/Spenser: For Hire(Books too.)(Was Spenser never an acceptable spelling of Spencer?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spenser:_For_Hire
7625.(Fictional Character name change.)Geordi LaForge/Geordi La Forge
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordi_La_Forge
7626.(Famous Journalist name change.)Mitsumi Takahashi/Mutsumi Takahashi
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutsumi_Takahashi
7627.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember there only ever being one version of the Dogs Playing Poker painting and were they are in a bar smoking cigars and were there green visors?(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LoK6uhhAlFc
Add-On: Do you remember Essentia water being Essential?(Are the white spots on the back of tigers' eyes off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=33N6VnnfD80
7628.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember guinea pigs having 4 digits on the front and back instead of 3 in the back?(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b4d7QHe34XU
7629.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember bees not being able to swim?(A weird new tendon in the neck?)(Is The Creation Of Adam scarf new?)(Was the guy in The Scream looking at you directly?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5GoHuj30ork
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n9mF_6nO9nw
7630.(Music Lyrics change.)"If had words to paint a day for you."/"If I had words to make a day for you."(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/music/if-i-had-words-to-paint-or-make-a-day-for-you
Add-On: Do you remember Darth Vader not having what looks like a utility belt?(Was there no green on him at all?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EspSejTWyLM
7631.(Music Lyrics change.)"Only the names have changed."/"Only the names've changed."/"Only the names will change."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XDZlEj0fkt4
Add-On: Do you remember there not supposedly being a hidden song in The Last Supper?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/art/the-backward-soundtrack-of-the-last-supper
7632.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(More human sinus changes, more Land O' Lakes changes, vaccines making illnesses worse is now real science, specific allegations against Julian Assange, The Great Wave famous art, Malabar civet, Nilgai, black buck, cow head tufts, more on vampire moths, temperature sensitive coloration in cats, more weird rainbows, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lyIGzwA_QxE
7633.(Music Lyrics change.)"Better lock your door."/"Better lock the door."("Get your crucifix."/"Grab your crucifix.")("Better stay awake."/"Gonna stay up late.")(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QCIdfwHgVdU
Add-On: Do you remember "If you like making love at midnight." instead of "If you'd like making love at midnight."?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IC7Y6Q9wrnY
7634.(Music Lyrics change.)"Pardon me while I burst and rise above the flames."/"Pardon me while I burn and rise above the flame."(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=awwB6etJ02Y
7635.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember slave Princess Leia not wearing boots?(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ZZBJ1s7Es
7636.(Company name change.)LinkdIn/LinkedIn
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/brands/linkedin-or-linkdin
Add-On: Do you remember Nikola Tesla dying in a car accident instead of from a heart attack?(Did he die at a younger age than he does now?)
https://www.biography.com/inventonikola-tesla
7637.(Product name change.)Little Smokies/Lil' Smokies/Lit'l Smokies
https://www.hillshirefarm.com/products/cocktail-links/litl-smokies-smoked-sausage/
7638.(Music Lyrics change.)"Of a man that Brandy loves."/"Of a man that Brandy loved."(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=39Z80oHUZOw
7639.(Music Lyrics change.)"This double vision."/"The double vision."("You got nobody to love."/"I got nobody to love.")(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K53UEgCPDBc
7640.(Music Lyrics change.)"What my friends say."/"What I might say."(Was it the same through the whole song?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S89AmJFP-j0
7641.(Music Lyrics change.)"Riding on the city of New Orleans."/"Riding on the city of New Orlean."(Any other lyrics sound like that?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YiuJFlhqaNI
7642.(Music Lyrics change.)"If you see a faded sign by the side of the road."/"If you see a faded sign at the side of the road."(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzo4NHFKu9Q
7643.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Eddie instead of Betty in You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon?(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IH8r91eiE0g
7644.(Song name change.)Red Hot Love/Radar Love(Any lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMp_XDmvs4M
7645.(Music Lyrics change.)"Red hot thong."/"Radar phone."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RaG8faaFUMM
7646.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Alice having a blue headband instead of a black one?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Wonderland_(1951_film)
7647.(T.V. Show name change.)Aqua Team Hunger Force/Aqua Teen Hunger Force(Aqua Team Hunger Force ForeveAqua Teen Hunger Force Forever)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_Teen_Hunger_Force
7648.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Cow tails, more new cow breeds, anemone stinkhorn fungus, comet swan that followed Atlas/c19, Atlantic black sea hare, California sea hare, Spanish territories in Africa, Dr. Evil and Mini-Me have more obvious scars and huge pinky rings, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wIwIFYdb2nU
7649.(Music Lyrics change.)"There's always someone else I see."/"It's always someone else I see."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x4TJFiY_-Q0
7650.(Music Lyrics change.)"Your brain starts ticking."/"Your brain stops ticking."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=njXrMdXf374
7651.(Music Lyrics change.)"Like a blister in the sun."/"Like I blister in the sun."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PBV6addABXQ
7652.(Music Lyrics change.)"Go Rockin' Robin cause we're really gonna rock tonight."/"Blow Rockin' Robin cause we're really gonna rock tonight."(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rzmU9jVQC4Q
7653.(Music Lyrics change.)"Hold back these feelings."/"Hold back this feeling."(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2J3fCWnQPk
7654.(Music Lyrics change.)"There's no escaping the jaws of the aliens in time."/"There's no escaping the jaws of the alien this time."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xIx_HbmRnQY
7655.(Music Lyrics change.)"Pull this thread."/"Hold this thread."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9L9G36aevSE
7656.(Music Lyrics change.)"So I reach for my shorty."/"So I reach for my 40."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PVi8bJFIac8
7657.(Music Lyrics change.)"Her room was completely black."/"The room was completely black."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kh8fPUUJT9k
7658.(Music Lyrics change.)"Dancing in the dark."/"Dancing in the dart."/"Dancing in the dot."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yXmwpWuDmFM
7659.(Music Lyrics change.)"What do we know?"/"But we know."/"That we know."(Do you hear one or the other or 2 or all?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4fValudFZMs
7660.(Music Lyrics change.)"I wanna watch it come down. I wanna watch you come down."/"I wanna watch him come down."/"I wanna watch him go down."/"I wanna watch him come down.")(Do you hear one or the other or 2 or all?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W2NuttZjn14
7661.(Music Lyrics change.)"You can die."/"You can jive."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ij_pUtJJrw
7662.(Music Lyrics change.)"Oh wanna die."/"Oh what a guy."/"Oh what a night."(Do you hear one or the other or 2 or all?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rqx14kkpK0
7663.(Music Lyrics change.)"Groove is in the heart. Groove is in the hall."/"Rumors in the hall. Rumors in the heart."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAReklsJnw
7664.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Star Wars Death Star blast turned green, Siamangs, black tufted marmoset, bornean orangutan, golden moon bears resemble lions, long wattled umbrella bird, cannibal horses in the snow covered Australian Alps, book 1984 is now titled Nineteen Eighty-Four, Margarita Dermatitis means lime juice and other juices plus sun on your skin yields third degree burns and skin discoloration that lasts for years, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aX85_892AVU
7665.(Music Lyrics change.)"I don't believe."/"I'd only leave you."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LDCPUxMMMUk
7666.(Theme Song Lyrics change.)"Shredder taught them to be ninja teens."/"Splinter taught them to be ninja teens."(Do you hear or the other or both?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iWb2AmuzGuI
7667.(Music Lyrics change.)"You got a friend in me."/"You've got a friend in me."(Title too.)(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXURC_nNhc
7668.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Robin's always being green and not yellow?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_(character)
7669.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember all The Twilight Zone intros saying "You are now entering the twilight zone."?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rYXXMnhu1CQ
7670.(Music Lyrics change.)"God'll cut you down."/"Gotta cut you down."(Do you hear one or the other or both?)(Any other lyrics off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTCS6aWRSc
7671.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember people cheering on live TV on 9/11 when the towers collapsed?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/tv/thousands-cheering-on-tv-right-after-9-11
7672.(Music Lyrics change.)"Blowing like a breeze."/"Growing like a breeze."(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PpfzScTZxeU
7673.(Fictional Character name change.)Private Pile/Private Pyle(Jim Nabors too.)(Was he never called Gomer in Full Metal Jacket?)
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Private_Gomer_Pyle
7674.(Music Lyrics change.)"All these feelings."/"All the things."(Do you hear or the other or another or both?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sugz1s9kOTU
Add-On: Do you remember the Tin Man not having bumps on his hands?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn141ZcgW9Y
7675.(Famous Basketball Player name change.)Larry Byrd/Larry Bird
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Bird
7676.(Famous Rapper name change.)Dave Byrd/Dave Burd
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Dicky
7677.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember "Hear ye! Hear ye!" being what town criers and others would say to get attention for important news instead of "Oyez! Oyez!"?
https://www.reddit.com/Retconned/comments/gbja4v/oyez/
7678.(Music Lyrics change.)"Can't you hear can't you hear that thunder?"/"Can you hear can you hear the thunder?"("On a hippie trail head full of zombies."/"On a hippie head full of zombie.")("Where rivers flow."/"Where beer does flow.")(Do you certain lyrics or the other one or both?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AKXJkcgG-rA
7679.(Music Lyrics change.)"I've heard the accusations before."/"I've heard the accusation before."("Don't leave false illusions behind."/"Don't leave false illusion behind.")("I can read your mind."/"I can read their mind.")(Did it sound the same every time?)(Other lyrics off?)(Any of their logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PU2f3LJZUcM
7680.(Movie Quote change.)"What are you doing picking my apples?"/"What do you think you're doing?"(Did the tree say something else?)(Did the Scarecrow say "How do you like them apples?", or "What about those apples?"?)(Was the movie where the saying originated?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp3HVHkklRA
7681.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Bill Gates and the history of the first computer operating system, crows hunt rabbits, antibody dependent enhancement, Toyota TRD logo, Bridgette Bardot/Brigitte Bardot, horned screamer bird, eating lab grown human meat made of famous people, hagfish digest food through their skin better than their intestines, extreme heat causes ice formation and ice caps on Mercury, and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4-IFNk74OqA
7682.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the agents from all The Matrix movies wearing suits that were black inside and out and not yellow on the inside?(Did Keanu Reeves not wear a suit that was yellow inside either?)(Did Morpheus not have a green tie?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a-60l-5russ
7683.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Ariana Grande driving a pink Porsche in Thank U, Next instead of a black one?(Did Reese Witherspoon drive a pink Porsche in Legally Blonde and not a black one?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fRyRj2bJKvo
7684.(Music Lyrics change.)"Tight fitting jeans."/"Tight fitting jean."(Any other lyrics off?)(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1kwVeKcRg
7685.(Music Lyrics change.)"Let's get this party started."/"Let's get the thing started."(Anything else with these lyrics off?)("Make everything nice."/"Make everything right.")(Any of his logos off?)(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xIix0Ya71Oc

Weekend Reader: Two Haralabos Voulgaris Gambling Stories From The Past. (Very long).

[Note to this sub: Here are two gambling stories involving Haralabos Voulgaris. Two things you should know. 1) I originally wrote this for a completely different, anonymous audience and not for all the wonderful "Shoe Fitness Architects", "Pizza Delivery Engineers", Overnight Security Enforcers, and DMV Workers that I've gotten the pleasure of meeting on here during my time on /billsimmons. Instead, it will seem like I'm talking to a room full of strangers, and for the first time. So if you read something that you've already seen me say on this sub, you know the reason. I also sound “different” in this.
2) It's long. You've been warned, I don't want to hear shit about it being so damn long. Think of this as a throwback to the Page 2 days, when you knew a guy was going to take a huge, extended shit because he just printed out Simmons' latest article and ran into the bathroom. You know, the “glory days”.
If you read this on Friday, you can save this for your afternoon work shit. Read it on your phone though, because it's got a short YouTube clip in it that helps tell the story.
If you read it over the weekend, I suggest smoking a bowl beforehand, especially to our Canadian friends up North. Doesn't have to be Top Shelf, just something to buzz you going in.
That's it. Enjoy.
The recent news of the Dallas Mavericks hiring Haralabos Voulgaris as Director of Quantitative Research and Development recently blew my mind. I knew it was Bob's goal to be an NBA GM, and this job isn't quite on the GM level, but I still can't believe he's made it onto a real NBA organization. I still think of him mostly from his early 2000's poker and sports betting days, and I never imagined he'd be able to hold down a real job someday. I didn't think anyone from the gambling world ever could.
I was heavily into sports gambling and poker at the same time as Bob was ascending as a sports gambling force, from the late 80's until well into the 2000's. I didn't know Haralabos well, yet I heard about or saw him all the time. This pretty much describes all relationships in gambling to be honest. But I did make sure to hear all the stories about Haralabos back then, because they always made the gossip rounds and were usually funny.
I'm here to share two of Haralabos' famous gambling stories, to give you a little insight into the man. If you are an Old School gambler, you've already heard them. But they are now 15 years old, and I couldn't find a good telling already on the Internet, so new people might get a kick out of these. Sources are at the bottom of this post.
People need to understand that, back then (early 2000s), Bob was best known for two things: betting the NBA, and being a smart ass trash talker at the poker tables. Bob was a world class needler that people highly resented because he had “Fuck You” kinds of money and he sure lorded that fact over everybody. He found everyone in the gambling world incredibly stupid compared to himself, and wasn't afraid to let people know it. I guess that's not much different than his Twitter in 2018, except he's learned to be more polite about it.
It was amusing being in a poker room with Bob in it, unless you were the focus of his remarks. He did not have any boundaries and was merciless, and really went after people “Micheal Jordan style” with the ferocity of his put-downs. Asked to describe him, I'd say 98% of players back then would call him an “arrogant dickhead” (including me at that time), while 2% would say “really sharp guy who doesn't tolerate fools” (including me now). We would all agree that he could be hilarious.
With that set-up, here are two Haralabos Voulgaris gambling stories that let's you know what he was like back in the early 2000's.
Story #1
My favorite Haralabob story, which long time 2+2ers have already heard about and whose legend has grown over the years, is the infamous Freddy Deeb story. If you know it, you are already nodding your head. But hopefully it's new to you. It's a classic.
Freddy Deeb was a rich business man from Lebanon, but a lot of people thought he was Egyptian (close enough for poker players). “Fast Freddy” was a decent if unspectacular poker player who pre-dated the poker boom. So Freddy was a legit and well known regular even before TV got involved with the game, and parlayed that “real, genuine poker player” label into appearances on TV when the poker boom happened. He had strong credibility.
Freddy is probably most famously remembered for being accused of “Going South” by Johnny Chan on an episode of High Stakes Poker. Freddy handled that accusation in typical Freddy fashion – making a big deal about this small joke insulting his integrity, aggressively confronting everyone about it and challenging them to heads-up poker matches to prove his manhood. The dude could be a hothead. (“Going South”, which was more commonly called “rat-holing”, is when a player sneaks high denomination chips off the table undetected after winning a big pot, so he has no possibility of losing them back in a later big hand. It's a unethical way to play “hit and run” if you win big quickly, without the “running” part being as obvious as picking up and leaving immediately.)
The two things you needed to know about Freddy: 1) He was short. I mean really short, like 5'1” or less. Not to play Freud too much, but you can probably guess that the reason he spent all his time in poker rooms was because of this physical limitation. Poker attracted the social rejects like no other activity in the 1990's, and welcomed the physically and mentally defective in droves. It was a haven almost exclusively for nerds and losers, before TV made it cool for everyone to play No Limit Texas Hold'em, The Cadillac of Gambling Games (so hip!).
2) Stemming from #1, Freddy could have a short temper. If you are jumping straight into a “Napoleon Complex” accusation for Freddy, well, in this case you're the heavy favorite. Freddy was a quiet, nice guy for 90% of the time he played. But Freddy was quick to act like a gangster you didn't want to fuck with if you ever gave him the chance, with that persistent shoulder chip that will never go away. Everyone let him play gangster without comment as long as he still had a bankroll to gamble with.
Here is a YouTube video that illustrates both points perfectly. Watch the whole thing to the end for maximum comedy – it's fucking hilarious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqwQiIy1b48
Here's Freddy acting like a super tough guy, and – in the moment - you can believe it too. Until the camera pulls back and shows the other players at the table, and then you get a height perspective of the whole scene. It's unreal funny at that point. Gus Hansen sitting next to him looks like Yao Ming by comparison.
So when this first HBob story happens, poker is just about to really take off. My guess is that it was around 2003-4, so the hype around poker was growing fast but still not close to the peak yet. The first Season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) had already aired, and it was a cultural phenomenon. Poker players were speculating already that WPT tournament champions were going to be as famous as top professional athletes, and with the same kind of ultra-lucrative sponsorship opportunities and endorsement deals. A very common topic at the table was how much getting to the final table at a televised WPT event was worth in fame, above and beyond any of the listed prize money. Perhaps a few million? It was a crazy time, and being on TV was all anyone cared about back then. Seems a bit silly now.
Freddy had been on TV a few times with some respectable runs in some bigger tournaments. The WPT and ESPN featured him in a few “flavor of the game” clips during their early poker broadcasts, and that seemed like a pretty big deal, especially to Freddy. TV Poker was grooming narratives and trying to create presentable, relatable stars in the poker world and weren't above adding in some artificial flavor to an otherwise unremarkable cast of characters.
Being a legit long time poker player was enough for Freddy to get some screen time – the TV producers could take it from there. I think the narrative was along the lines of how anyone – all ages, ethnicity, shapes and sizes could find a home in the poker world, and Freddy exemplified all that. It all went directly to Freddy's head, and he was not alone during this time.
Anyway, the story goes like this. Haralabos is playing in a very juicy high stakes poker game in a California casino, most likely the Commerce. The game was already full with 9 players, which is the max in most California rooms.
Haralabos himself was very new to poker at this time. He dabbled previously, but only started playing for big stakes in the past year or two because of the huge influx of new poker players, who watched the WPT on television and flooded into casinos, chasing riches. Thus there was easy money to be made. Before then, of course, he was focused on his NBA gambling. He was very near the height of his powers as an NBA sports bettor, and known pretty damn well in the sports betting world, if not the general public yet. Far more people in poker knew about Bob than he knew about them, though. He was just starting to get serious about playing poker. Bob knew about some of the bigger poker names he gambled with betting sports together in the past, but knew almost none of the newly (and artificially) created TV “poker stars” that ESPN / WPT had chosen to promote.
So Freddy walks into the Commerce one day and sees the high stakes poker table, and eyes the line up. Freddy knows this “Main Game” is incredibly juicy, and wants in – immediately. He calls the floorman over and insists they create an extra space at the table for him and for the game to be played 10-handed. 10-handed was actually the common number of players in Las Vegas poker tables at the time, and Freddy was usually based there. Freddy is sort of 'big timing' the floorman, reminding him how much he's played there over the years, how much rake he's given that casino, and how all these new poker players want to play with someone like himself, a big-shot, old school, now famous poker player.
There is nothing that poker players like more than poker room drama (except maybe comped food), so this commotion has drawn the attention of every table within earshot. Everyone near by was focusing on the Main Game with Haralabos in it. Drawn from many accounts, here is a recreation of what happened:
Freddy (accented, slightly broken English)(to Floorman): Johnny, there's no board. Just put me in big blind right now and we can play with ten.
Floorman Johnny: Table's not big enough for ten, Freddy. This isn't Vegas. Our players will object. Everyone wants their space.
Freddy: Just ask then. If there are objections then Freddy will wait. But no one will object! C'mon Johnny, how much action I give to you? Freddy is “action player”. Everyone wants to play with Freddy. They see me, they know “That's Freddy” and they want to play.
[Yes, Freddy was talking about himself in the Third Person. What can I say?]
Floorman Johnny (reluctantly, to Main Game): Guys, Freddy wants to sit and play 10-handed. There is no board an he doesn't want to wait around for nothing. Any objections?
Haralabos (immediately): I object. Who the fuck is this guy? [To Freddy] Buddy, you're not special. What makes you think you control this game? If more people come, then you can start a “Must-Move” game and play in that. Otherwise, wait your fucking turn like everyone else. Ok, buddy? [To Floorman, incredulous] What the fuck?
Freddy (heated at Haralabos): Listen, buddy. Everyone here know Freddy. Floorman. Dealer. Players. All know Freddy, love Freddy. Who the fuck are you? In Vegas, Freddy wants a game, the manager come running to help Freddy! They bring in best table to start new game for Freddy! They get best dealer on break to come deal! They bring in new chips, new cards for Freddy! They bring special chair for Freddy to sit in!
Haralabos: Oh yeah, Freddy? Is it a high chair?
A thunderclap of uproarious laughter rang out from all who were listening in, perhaps fifty people or more, all rubberneckers from other tables drawn in by the drama. There was no denying the spontaneity, no denying the reason, and certainly no denying the focus of who the laughter was directed at. Fast Freddy, all five feet zero inches of him, with the hair-trigger anger and never lacking words, was truly stunned and humiliated into silence. His eyes became squinted and his face was stuck in a wince of pain, his whole head turning as red as a stubborn, two-week old pimple that just wouldn't pop. He rocked back and forth as if recovering from a physical punch, not knowing what to do as a second, smaller wave of laughter began because it was just that funny, and now the story was being instantly re-told.
The few that were present and could actually feel sympathy quickly stifled their laughter, feeling the guilt of knowing the guy just got hit in his most sensitive area in front of a very large audience, and was truly wounded. They were hoping Freddy would finally say something, anything, to show that he wasn't completely crushed inside, that he wasn't as hurt as he seemed. Instead, Freddy walked away silently, his decades of “bluster armor” built protecting his sensitivity about his height laid on the ground, smashed.
Souls are crushed all the time in poker rooms. You think you've seen it all, and you just grow immune. But this one stood out, as almost a warning. You just don't want to get into a verbal war with Haralabob.
There is an addendum to this story.
A year or so later, and strictly by chance, Freddy and Haralabos found themselves at the same table during a big tournament. Neither man had forgotten their previous encounter (how could they?). By this time, poker was being covered in real-time by a fleet of new poker reporters and journalists, and, by all accounts, Haralabos was riding Freddy hard that day, with verbal put-downs and jokes at Freddy's expense non-stop. Freddy tried to play it cool, knowing he was no verbal match for HBob.
Until this happened. There was a Random Guy sitting directly on Freddy's left hand side who was new, didn't know anyone at the table (or their past history with each other) and who politely told Freddy this (recreation):
Random Guy (to Freddy): Hey man. You need to protect your cards better. I can see your hole cards flash sometimes when you look. I saw you had paint last hand. You need to learn to peek without flashing.
Freddy: Buddy, do you know who I am? I'm playing this game since before you were born! I win more money this year than you will have in your whole life! They ask me to write new poker book, that is kind of player I am! Buddy, I'm writing now, next time I see you I bring you a signed copy of my poker book!
Haralabos: Next time you should bring a phone book instead so you can sit on it and see your cards better.
Well, Freddy was playing it cool with HBob until then, but that last comment instantly set him off. Again, by the written accounts of the poker reporters live blogging the event, Freddy shot straight up out of his chair (though you probably couldn't tell...) and challenged HBob to a fist fight, screaming expletives at him and demanding a duel. Haralabob just sat in his chair laughing, saying he didn't want to go outside and fight Freddy because he didn't want to get arrested for child abuse.
Famous poker player Daniel Negreanu witnessed this incident live, and blogged about it at the time. I remember that he thought that Freddy would be a decent favorite in a fight between Freddy and Haralabos. But I have my doubts about that. Negreanu disliked Haralobob personally, like many poker players who ever faced him at that time, because HBob could be so vicious. So he was biased in his fight assessment, IMHO.
HBob was not a figher at all - more of a jester than a knight – but I thought he could always just stiff-arm Freddy by the forehead and then Freddy would be left with that cartoon 'swinging of the arms trying to reach him' thing while HBob could just jab him with his other arm. I would have made Haralabos the -200 favorite.
Story #2
This happened in the early 2000's, during Season 3 of the World Poker Tour, just a year or so after Story #1.
Haralabos had played in one of the WPT's big televised tournaments and made the Final Table. Not only that, but he ultimately came in Second Place, meaning he was going to get a LOT of TV time, which, again, most players thought was worth more than the actual prize money. Poker by now was white hot in America and was bringing so many people instant overnight fame. Players were resorting to obnoxious table antics and hyper displays of “personality” just to get a few seconds of screen time. Everyone was trying to create a “brand”.
Not to belabor the point, but before television made poker cool and respectable, it was filled with 95% scumbags and degenerates with almost no white-collar, working professionals. But TV poker didn't want to portray that sordid image. In the very early days, the WPT actually had a “dress code” for appearing on the televised Final Table, where a sports jacket and collared shirts were required and would be provided for you if you didn't own them yourself (in other words, for everyone).
Even the long time “Old School” gamblers were cleaned up and presented as daring adventurers instead of leather-assed angle-shooters they (we) really were. Known broke degenerates like T.J. Cloutier was turned into worshiped, heroic figures instantly, romanticized by television producers as sharp equity traders who practiced at the table instead of on Wall Street. The reality was that guys like Cloutier were hanging around poker rooms mostly to shamelessly beg recent winners for a buy-in, or even just a meal.
Under this ethos of “cleaning up poker players' images”, players were allowed to manufacture any kind of image they wanted if they were going to be on the WPT TV show. Producers for the WPT would ask each finalist for a biography, but did absolutely no fact or background checking at all intentionally, mostly out of fear of what they might find if they actually did do so. So with all that in mind, here is the official bio for Haralabos that appeared on the WPT website before his televised event, almost certainly written by HBob himself:
"Haralabos Voulgaris is a 29-year-old professional sports bettor from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This poker tyro brings a lot more to his first WPT final table than meets the eye. He is a playwright, holds a degree in philosophy, and his goals reach far beyond the green felt. His plans for the next 5 years include learning to play the piano, to have one of his plays performed on Broadway, and to win a WPT title."
I'm not sure how much of this was an inside joke, how much was just the pressure to appear white-collar in order to attract advertisers (remember, poker players were all thinking about future endorsement deals at this time), and how much of this was HBob's ego run amuck.
BUT COME ON! “Playwright”? Has Haralabos ever gone to a play yet, even in 2018? But that wasn't enough; he wanted to have one of his many, many written plays performed on Broadway very soon, because that's how dedicated he was to this art form! Just remember, this is the guy who widely known throughout the poker world for using his mastery of language to mercilessly torture midgets and other unfortunates at the poker table. Not exactly Tennessee Williams. Add in the piano lessons and the PhD in philosophy (philosophy!), and the fact that the WPT didn't bat an eye in putting this up as his bio, and the unintentional comedy is off the charts.
Haralabos claimed to friends at the time that it was mostly a joke, but as we will now see, he seemed to really care about this false image.
As you probably well know, there is a gap between when the WPT Final Table was played, and when the show based off of it is actually aired. By the time Haralabos' episode was about to air, he was staying as a guest in the house of a former poker pro named Paul Phillips, who only the most dedicated and old players will remember. (Paul Phillips won 2 WPT titles in the very early seasons, took the prize money, and pretty much disappeared from poker, going on to live a “normal” life. One of the few gambling success stories, IMHO).
Well, Paul was a practical joker himself, and he had found a way to hack his DVR and change the description of recorded programs, including Bob's WPT episode. Knowing that Haralabos was coming back soon to watch it, Paul changed the description on the DVR to fuck with him. The original show description was something like this:
“Six new players vie for the title of Champion of the LA Poker Classic Tournament. Players include movie star John Smith, astronaut Mark Hunt, playwright Haralabos Volgaris, undercover international spy Chris Jenkins, the crown prince of Wakanda Jerome Jones, and the inventor of the Internet Joe “Man Tits” Mande.“
Obviously the other names and titles were made up by me, but you get the picture. Anyway, Paul made one small adjustment, knowing Haralabos would see it:
“Six new players vie for the title of Champion of the LA Poker Classic Tournament. Players include movie star John Smith, astronaut Mark Hunt, uptight playwright Haralabos Volgaris, undercover international spy Chris Jenkins, the crown prince of Wakanda Jerome Jones, and the inventor of the Internet Joe “Man Tits” Mande.“
Paul then waited for Haralabos to return so they could watch the episode together, leaving up the modified description of “uptight playwright” on the TV and making sure HBob was in the room alone for a few minutes before starting the show, so he had no choice but to stare at the phony description.
Bob noticed it immediately. According to Paul, HBob started to get really worried, thinking that the show was going to portray him in a terrible light and edit him to look dumb and foolish, just because of that one word “uptight” in the description. Before even starting the show, HBob was already making excuses, telling Paul that he forgot they kept his microphone on at all times, and he said some critical things about the WPT's production crew, and now they were getting their revenge by calling him uptight. He kept bringing up ways he might have acted uptight during the Final Table and was pre-rationalizing them for Paul, who was enjoying it all.
This went on for the first 15 minutes or so of the show, with Haralabos worrying and moaning non-stop about being called “uptight” and wondering how they were going to edit him to look that way, until Paul finally let him off the hook. According to Paul, Haralabos didn't believe it was a practical joke and kept worrying and griping longer, until he saw for himself that it was just a standard WPT show with no unfair editing involved.
I'm not going to put too much on Haralabos for being so worried about his portrayal. Players really did believe that a good edit was the difference between a lucrative endorsement deal with Budweiser or Nike and getting nothing. The sky seemed to be the limit. BUT... the notion that Bob was just playing an inside joke and didn't really care about being known as a “playwright, piano player, and philosopher” didn't quite match up with his defensive and concerned attitude that day.
Sources:
Source for Story #1: This is a very famous poker story that was talked about amoung players live and on 2+2 (the dominant, high-traffic poker forum back then and perhaps now) a lot when it happened. You can find snippets and references on twoplustwo.com. I'm sure other long time and knowledgeable players will verify hearing a version of this story before.
An account of it was given by Haralabos himself on the podcast “Big Poker Sundays” which he used to co-host with Scott Huff, but has long since disappeared. It was a part of Poker Road Radio, which was run by Barry Greenstein's asshole son before closing. As this story is now close to 15 years old and poker media is on life support, many previous accounts from blogs and recording are now gone, and thus a lot of it had to be reconstructed from memory. Part of the reason I'm re-telling it is because it was gradually being lost in time, and that is a motive to re-tell it now, for a new generation.
Source for Story #2: I got the exact WPT description of Bob's bio from the 2+2 Archive (http://archives1.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5504109&page=0&fpart=all&vc=1). The story of the altered DVR description and Paul Phillips came from the memory of Paul's old blog on LiveJournal (“extempore”), which has long been deleted, and from my own correspondence with Paul Phillips at the time (we were pretty good “online friends” before the invention of Social Media. Anyone remember r.g.p. on Usenet?). Again, unfortunately memory had to play a large role.
I by no means want to pretend Haralabos and I were close. I knew about him and tracked him more than most poker players due to my sports betting background, but Bob was just one of a hundred different and strange characters in the gambling world that you'd recognize daily, none of whom you'd want to spend a lot of time with. We had some mutual friends, that's about it.
Both stories were written under the Geneva Convention rules, which explicitly states that all gambling stories worldwide may contain up to 15% of exaggerations in order to make the story more entertaining or dramatic and still be called “truthful”. Like all good gambling stories should be told. But the core elements are as faithful a retelling as I could make it, including the WPT description, and the key dialogue by Bob that was quoted the most at that time. It's the dates and locations I'm least sure about.

My Gambling Addiction Story: How I've lost $40,000 in my life as a 22-year-old

This is my first reddit post, so please excuse the length, as well as the quality. I’m currently struggling with a gambling addiction that I’ve had for around four years and find that nothing I do has succeeded in helping me overcome this addiction. I figured that other people have experienced a gambling addiction and have successfully overcome one, so I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts, advice, or comments on my situation, as well as gambling addictions in general.
As a kid, I’ve always had an addictive personality. I remember when I was younger, I would play video games for hours on end non-stop. One of my biggest regrets to date is not reading more as a kid. The cognitive ability of reading is one of the most underrated skills in life and my peers and friends who read for fun growing up are not only fast readers, but generally do well in school and life. At the time, I didn’t think much of my video game addiction as it was not harming myself or others. Little did I know, this small addiction would serve as a gateway to a larger addiction that would bring a lot of stress and problems in my life.
Fast forward to the summer after graduating senior year of high school. Growing up, I’ve always been really into soccer, playing competitively on a traveling club team since I was eleven years old. By my senior year of high school, I was committed to a prestigious university to play collegiate soccer. During my high school soccer season my senior year in the spring, I broke my foot in the league championship game against our rivals (which we won). This was the first time in my life that I’ve ever suffered a serious injury and let me tell you, I was not ready for the setbacks that I would face from it, both physically and mentally. For those of you who have never broken a bone, it is one of the most debilitating physical things that can occur to someone, especially if it impairs daily, routine activity. I had to use crutches or a knee scooter to get around everywhere and could not exercise, which caused a great deal of anxiety and jitteriness for me given that I’ve grown up living an active lifestyle. Around the same time, I had some friends who were talking about a casino that was only 15 minutes away from where we lived and it was also an 18+ casino. Given that I couldn’t really do much with a broken foot, I decided to make a trip to this casino to find out what people were talking about. Little did I know that this innocent, first trip to the small casino near my house four years ago would take me down a dark path of gambling.
I remember on my first trip to the casino, I was so excited that I grabbed a handful of cash (I think around $100) and drove as quickly as possible to the casino. When I tried to enter the building, a security guard stopped me and asked for my ID. Amidst my excitement, I realized I forgot my wallet with my driver’s license at home, which led me to speed home to grab it. On my way home, I was stopped by a police officer for going 15 miles per hour over the residential speed limit. The officer was nice enough not to penalize me for not having my ID, but I still received a $140 ticket. After that happened, I was in a pretty bad mood, but still determined to find out what it was like to wager money on a bunch of cards. I remember the first trip to the casino, I actually lost my $100 in about 15 minutes playing blackjack, which should’ve discouraged me from setting foot in a casino ever again. However, me being someone who thinks that they’re smarting than the average gambler, I went home that night and practiced memorizing basic strategy (a strategy that minimizes the house edge in blackjack), as well as studied card counting, specifically the Hi-Lo method (wagering more money when the remaining cards are favorable for the player).
Armed with this new knowledge, I was determined to beat the game and make money from my local casino, after all, it did cost me $240 the first time I went. The few trips after my first, I was making money pretty consistently. I remember there was one time I turned $60 into around $600 and other times where I would walk away making a couple hundred dollars. I didn’t think that gambling was a problem during this time as I was going with my friends, making money, and getting a crazy amount of adrenaline from the casino runs. Being at the blackjack table allowed me to forget about my anxiety and depression that gradually compiled due to my broken foot and the inability to exercise. It provided an escape from the limitations that my broken foot had instilled on me.
At the same time, I was working at Domino’s as a delivery driver, and remember taking the cash from the tips I earned each day that I worked (ranging from $60 to $200) and drive over to the casino to test my luck for that day. For those of you who don’t know, gambling is dangerous because winning money is really not that difficult; however, walking away with the money is a completely different story. A majority of times I went to the casino, I was up from my original buy-in at some point; however, that meant nothing considering I didn't walk away winning most of the time. I started spending more and more time at the casino, and eventually started losing money, including all the money I had previously won from the casino. The problem started getting particularly bad when I started lying to my friends about going to the casino. I even remembered multiple times where I would go with friends (who had more self-control than I did), and would stay longer than them (losing my ride) and resort to calling other friends to pick me up or taking a cab home.
To make matters worse, one of the things I’m most ashamed of to this day was gambling on the birthday of my girlfriend at the time which caused me to be late to her birthday dinner with her family. To make matters worse, I remember taking my girlfriend to dinner near the casino, stopping by the casino to redeem one of the bonus coupons they give you to entice you to visit more frequently, and having her wait in the car for an hour while I played blackjack. Despite having nights where I won over two grand in a matter of a few hours, I still ended up losing at least $3,000 that summer. Luckily, I was going off to college in St. Louis, far away from my hometown casino in Kirkland, Washington, which should have prevented me from gambling during my four years at college.
My Freshman year of college was rough, my foot hadn’t fully recovered so I was not able to play soccer to my full potential. On top of this, I had a difficult time making friends, and was in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable environment. I was surrounded by extremely wealthy, privileged kids from the Northeast, who grew up going to private school. Most of these kids have never worked a job in their lives. This made it a much more difficult time getting accustomed to my new school having grown up on the West Coast, going to public high school, and working throughout high school. Additionally, the way the social scene at my school works is through Greek life, as the population of social, normal people is pretty small. To make matters worse, as a guy, one of the only ways to have a good social life is joining a fraternity; however, since the fraternity houses are pretty small relative to state schools, many kids who rush don’t receive bids. I was unfortunate to be a part of that group when I rushed Freshman year. On top of this blow to my self-esteem, I underwent foot surgery since my foot was not making any progress healing. This caused me to have to rely on crutches and a knee scooter again for the next couple months. I was legitimately depressed and at the lowest low point of my life. I was not doing well in school, didn’t have a girlfriend, and felt like I didn’t have any close friends in general.
This was around the time that I discovered the realm of online gambling, a path that would unfortunately be worse than live casinos. Online casinos make it extremely easy to deposit real money into them, and coincidentally, pretty damn difficult to withdraw money. I remember visiting a casino called Bovada and making my first $100 deposit with my debit card. This deposit quickly lead to more $100 deposits, until I had lost around $1,000 playing online blackjack and poker in a matter of hours. At this point, I didn’t have a job so I was essentially gambling away money my parents had given me to spend on food and necessities. I was too ashamed to tell my parents about this problem, as they were extremely disappointed after I told them at the end of the summer after senior year of high school. Luckily, at this point in my life, I didn’t have too much disposable income to gamble away so the damages were minimal.
The next few years in college got better, I quit soccer and got into lifting, got into a fraternity, and made a lot of new friends, who I’m still close with to this day. Aside from getting into sports gambling for around a month and losing $1,000, I would lose between $1,000 - $2,000 whenever I would go home for winter break at the original casino I went to. Although this was a decent amount of money, I was still able to allocate some of the money that I earned from my college job towards personal spending and was just happy that I had the self-control to ration out a percentage of it that I was comfortable losing when I did gamble. The good thing was that I did not gamble too consistently my sophomore and junior year of college and more importantly, I was not obsessively thinking about it every day.
Now senior year of college was where everything took a turn for the worse and led me to all-time lows in my life. I remember playing poker for $25 buy-ins with my friends at my apartment every night for the first half of the school year. This wasn’t a problem financially since losing $25, was not a big deal to my financial health. Additionally, it was more of a social activity where most people weren’t too concerned about the money and were playing for a good time. This did negatively impact me; however, as I was constantly thinking about poker and gambling in general, all the time.
Around the same time, I got my signing bonus from the company where I will be working at in a couple months and started heading to the nearby casinos with my roommate to play blackjack. I remember the first night we went, I won $2,000 and he won $500 and that immediately hooked me back into the whirlpool of blackjack. I started going at every opportunity I got, which also led to the revival of my online gambling addiction. I remember specifically, one time when I was playing online blackjack, I turned $200 into $4,000, submitted the withdrawal request, but since online casinos take a long time to process the requests (intentionally as they want you to gamble the money away), I ended up losing the $4,000, along with another $1,000 or $2,000 on top of that as I was chasing my losses. I was actually making money at live casinos, but losing double the amount that I made online. This gambling ended up coming to a brief stop when I had lost my signing bonus and all the money in my bank account and I took a break for around a month or so.
The addiction started back up when I received my next paycheck from my college job. The instance, the check was deposited into my bank account and cash was available, I would race over to an ATM and withdraw money to gamble with. I quickly lost $1,000 of it back home when I took my friend who visited to a nearby casino. It was around this time he told me about an app where you can invest in stocks called Robinhood, so I put around $5,000 of that paycheck into stocks on the app. When I put the money in my stock account, I remember making a pact to myself that I would never touch a table game again. I mean “New Year, New Me” right? As you can guess, my pact didn’t last very long as I started playing live poker in the casino. I was so drawn to the appeal of winning money by making the right decision. I was actually profiting from playing live stakes poker, as I studied the game and had sound strategy. The dangerous part about playing live poker for me (I personally don’t consider poker as a complete gamble as there is skill involved), was that whenever I went to the casino to play poker, there were temptations awaiting me (table games). After a month or so of playing strictly poker, I started getting back into blackjack again, along with baccarat, and went to the casino 4-5 times a week. After draining all the money from the stock account, I started borrowing money from my friends as I knew I would get a big paycheck from my job at the time at the end of the school year. Additionally, I started dating my current girlfriend in January of that same year (whom I am currently dating) and love very much. I can regretfully say that gambling has not positively impacted my relationship with her in any way.
When my girlfriend and I went to California during spring break, I remember staying up all night on an online casino playing poker, blackjack, and baccarat after she fell asleep. I exhausted all my money in my bank account including maxing out my credit card, during that trip, and had to borrow money from my girlfriend, one of the most shameful things I’ve done to this date. Additionally, I remember one night where I promised her that I would meet her at a party my fraternity was hosting after I went to the casino to play poker with some friends. I drove two of my friends over, and one of my friends left for the party with my car, while me and my other friend stayed. We ended up playing poker the whole night, and despite being up a couple thousand dollars from blackjack, I missed the party and really disappointed my girlfriend. Some of the biggest fights that I have gotten into with my girlfriend were fueled by gambling. The monetary gains that result from the casino are always temporary because at any point in time, you can lose all the money in your bank account if you spend enough time playing games that are specifically designed to make you lose.
Additionally, my addiction has caused me to disappoint my parents and family. No matter how successful I become, I know they will always be worried about me since they know that this dangerous addiction can ruin my life at any moment, without giving any warning signs. I’ve read so many different stories about how this addiction leads to one of the highest suicide rates when people gamble their life away and feel like there is no way of recovering. I would really like to put an end to this problem, at an early age, before I allow it to affect my relationships with my friends and family.
I started skipping out on social events, and hanging out with my friends in general due to my addiction to gambling. All I thought about 24/7 was all the money that I would make playing poker and blackjack. At one point, I was betting 3 black chips like they were worth a few cents as opposed to one hundred dollars each on table games. I had to lie to my friends about going to the casino because I was embarrassed about that side of my life.
The summer after my graduation, I just continued to dig myself into a deeper hole. I would win money in real life, while losing money playing online poker and blackjack. After the big paycheck from my college job came in, I stored away a decent amount of money in my Robinhood stock account to invest, but in a matter of a few short months, I had gambled away most of that money. I’ve borrowed money from multiple friends, even my girlfriend, and have also exhausted my credit card on several occasions. The loss of money started affecting my play in live poker. I ended up losing $5,000 playing live poker, along with $15,000 online, and at least $20,000 in casinos. Even though I graduated from a prestigious university, and I have a solid job lined up in the fall, I battle constantly with this addiction and the urge to gamble with the hopes of earning all of my money back and being done with gambling once and for all. What started as a spark of curiosity turned into an escape from emotional pain and eventually into a lifelong attempt to break-even.
I've tried many things to overcome this addiction, but nothing has worked successfully. I'm posting on here today because I want to end this addiction once and for all. I figure if I post on reddit, I will at least have written down this commitment in a publicly available space.
TL;DR: What started as a curiosity about what gambling was turned into a four year struggle with this addiction that has led to financial distress, relationship problems, and unproductive behavior. Wrote this reddit post to seek advice on overcoming a gambling addiction, and would love to hear any thoughts, comments, or concerns.

michigan lottery results post; Is Taking Your Chance With the Lottery a Worthy Investment?

After banning 'Star Wars' slot machines, Disney spends millions to change Florida gambling law to "protect" its theme parks and properties - including Galaxy's Edge

Today, I heard about recent efforts by Disney against the gambling industry. I thought you guys would be interested in hearing about it, as it also heavily involves Star Wars...and particularly, Disney's plans in 2019 for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and the Star Wars hotel, at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
It also involves Disney's existing, popular offering "Star Wars Day at Sea", and other Star Wars-related plans for its cruises in 2019, which is parly based out of the Port of Miami in Miami, Florida, and Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida).
The tl;dnr of it is as such: (broken down into smaller sections)

Before Disney purchased Lucasfilm, Lucasfilm had allowed the construction and use of character-themed slot machines, and other gambling aspects, as related to the Star Wars brand. This was presumably done for Lucasfilm to make money off of licensing fees and royalties.
Disney, after buying Lucasfilm in 2012, "phased out" (re: banned) Star Wars and Marvel slot machines at casinos, and online gambling games, after being "exposed" as [now] owning them by New York Times reporters Lizette Alvarez and Michael Snyder. They have done so to protect their "family-friendly" brand, of which they now consider Star Wars to be a part of.
Casino owners and online vendors were against the move, saying it would hurt their businesses by taking away some of their slot machines / online gambling games.
Casino owners in Florida, seeking to expand their business(es), formed pro-gambling-growth groups, designed to try and stimulate local economies and businesses by building new casinos across the state. This would presumably include in tourism-heavy areas, such as Orlando (of which Walt Disney World is a major feature) and Miami (which is a major port for Disney Cruise Lines).
Disney has now collaborated with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the latter of which is a major gambling monolith and owns the Hard Rock franchise, to try and pass law to change current Florida rules. The change would make it harder for people to build and open new casinos in, and around, their properties (including Disney's currently-in-production Star Wars Orlando theme park, Galaxy's Edge) by making it so that 60% of state voters would have to vote "Yes" on gambling and casino expansion in the future.
Disney has spent an estimated $17.5 million, in conjunction with the Seminole Tribe, since 2015 to combat gambling expansion in Florida. (Source) Disney donated $5 million to anti-gambling expansion efforts in April 2018, which the Seminole Tribe matched. (Source)
Disney also donated $400,000 to support the campaign of Florida governor candidate Adam Putnam, who supports Disney's anti-gambling expansion stance.
Disney has invested an estimated $1 billion in the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. As the theme park is doing something never before done - building a land around an entirely new environment within the franchise, rather than an existing one - they are taking a huge financial risk. Their anti-gambling expansion efforts are also related to protecting their financial interests in Galaxy's Edge, as well as their planned Star Wars hotel and resort.

The Walt Disney Company is one of the most successful media conglomerate companies in the world. Just about everyone has heard of the Disney theme parks stationed in Florida, California, and abroad. Just about everyone has seen classic Disney films like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Not everyone knows about Disney's relationship with the gambling industry, however, and it is a noteworthy one.
Over the years, Disney has acquired the rights to several major entertainment companies and their licensed characters. In 2009, Disney bought the Marvel Entertainment company, creator of the famed Marvel comic books and a slew of popular superhero characters. In 2012, it purchased all rights to LucasFilm, the parent company that created the Star Wars brand.
Disney announced its plans to phase out all Star Wars and Marvel-themed casino slot machines in the United States last fall. The multimillion dollar company has the power to do this, because it now owns all rights to these brands.
According to a Disney spokeswoman, the character-themed slot phase-out is not a new decision. As part of Marvel's “integration” with Disney, she said the decision was made several years ago to let the machines gradually fade out through attrition. Only a few Marvel license agreements remain at this point, and they are set to expire within the next several years. Star Wars-themed slots will also trickle away, but it will take a few more years for that process to complete.
[...] Disney wields a certain amount of power over casinos, both on land and online, because of these acquisitions. Instead of promoting Star Wars and Marvel characters via slot machines, the company prefers to use their likenesses in movies that serve to perpetuate the Disney brand.
As the owner of LucasFilm, Disney has another trilogy of Star Wars films currently in the works. [...] Fans can expect to see Disney continue to advance their brands through avenues other than the gaming industry.
Disney has made its opinion of the gambling industry known in Florida: It does not support the addition of more resort casinos to that area. Not only does Disney plan to phase out Marvel and Star Wars-themed slot machines, it also hopes to prevent the development of new casino resorts in the state.
As it stands today, Orlando's Walt Disney World is the top tourist attraction on the globe. Over 50 million people visit the entertainment resort every year and partake of theme parks like Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. From a business standpoint, it makes sense that Disney would not want another tourist draw infringing on its potential customer base in the Orlando area.
Disney denies that self-interest is its main motivation for opposing new casinos. Andrea Finger, a spokeswoman for the company, said the corporation opposes casino expansion for “many reasons.” One of the primary reasons is the fact that Florida is a “family friendly” vacation spot; adding more casinos to the landscape would tarnish that. Finger lauded Florida's efforts in “research, innovation, and entrepreneurship” and indicated that adding more casino resorts would create an “inconsistent” atmosphere in the state.
Finger made no statement suggesting that Disney is protecting its own interests by objecting to more casinos. This inference has been made, however, by critics based on the connection between Disney and its Marvel and Star Wars slot machines that recently came to light.
Critics also cite the fact that increased Florida casinos might steal valuable convention contracts from the Mickey Mouse company. At this point, Disney hosts approximately 700,000 square feet of convention space in its Florida resorts.
Disney's ownership of Marvel and LucasFilm slot machines was brought to the public's attention by New York Times reporters Lizette Alvarez and Michael Snyder. Critics immediately began shouting hypocrisy at the fact that Disney, a vocal gambling opponent, owns and profits from character-themed casino slot machines.
The Times reporters asked Disney whether its ownership of the slots “undercut” its casino gambling stance. A spokeswoman responded that the company's affiliation with the casinos was only temporary, and that it would take a few years for current slot machine contracts to expire.
[...] When Marvel and Star Wars-themed slots do eventually disappear from casinos, their absence will be a blow to the gaming industry. Casino patrons are drawn to the colorful games touting Spider Man, Darth Vader, and other exciting Hollywood characters. Until the machines are completely phased out, the characters will continue to entertain casino patrons both online and on land.
The online gaming industry will definitely be affected by Disney's prohibition. The Spider Man Slot game, for example, is an enticing game for online gamblers that was introduced in 2012. Other Marvel-themed online slots include Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Thor, and Wolverine Slots. The eventual loss of these games will leave a gaping hole in customers' palette of gaming choices.
[Possibly in response to Disney's decision], a group called the Associated Industries of Florida launched a new pro-casino campaign. This group is lobbying for more casinos in the area as a means of promoting jobs and stimulating the local economy. Analysts expect the battle between Disney and pro-casino lobbyists to become more heated as politicians compete for voter support in the upcoming election. (Source)
[However, Orlando isn't the only city that Disney is engaging in anti-casino efforts with.] The biggest challenger standing between [the city of] Miami and casinos is a mouse.
Walt Disney World, the giant resort near Orlando whose four theme parks draw more than 45 million visitors a year, has made preventing "destination" casinos a top priority. And few, if any, businesses carry as much weight in Florida as Disney, which employs more than 60,000 workers, generates nearly $600 million a year in tax revenue — and doled out more than $2 million to political candidates and causes during the past election cycle.
Some analysts say Disney — and, by extension, Orlando's entire tourism industry — has good reason to be wary of casinos. Though adult-oriented resorts in South Florida are unlikely to appeal to Disney's core audience of families with young children, they could siphon away travelers in narrower segments that are also important to the resort, from South Americans to conventions to weddings.
"Disney has lots of little pockets or niches that they're really good at getting market share in. And it adds up," said Duncan Dickson, a professor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. "Disney doesn't want another Las Vegas anywhere close to them. Who needs the competition?"
[Case in point, Disney also has Disney Cruise Lines, based in both Miami and Port Canaveral (Orlando).] Disney Cruise Line has revealed it will extend its popular "Star Wars Day at Sea" program through 2019, with the addition of nine cruises -- each of which will include a Star Wars-themed sea day, complete with special programming and restaurant menus. Family-friendly activities include Star Wars character meet-and-greets, movie nights (featuring new releases), Star Wars trivia, and a Jedi training show, where kids can learn lightsaber skills and battle Darth Vader.
Throughout the day, restaurants and bars also will serve themed foods and cocktails. The sea day will end with a fireworks show and deck party, hosted by Star Wars heroes and villains. All cruises span seven nights and depart from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida. (Source)
[...] Disney has always opposed efforts to expand gambling, [citing it as being againts its "family-friendly" image].
The Walt Disney Co., one of the most brand-protective companies on the planet, does not want to jeopardize its kid-friendly reputation by any association whatsoever with casinos and the taboo images they often conjure. The company's cruise line is the only major operator to sail ships without onboard casinos, which are typically one of the biggest generators of on-board spending.
"We've studied this issue carefully and remain opposed for many reasons," said Disney spokesman Mike Griffin, "including the fact that it is inconsistent with Florida's brand as a family-friendly destination, and with the efforts we've long supported to diversify Florida's economy through research, innovation, and entrepreneurship."
The legislation to be considered in Tallahassee would authorize three "destination" casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Each would boast a luxury hotel, shops, restaurants, convention space and casinos with every major game, from blackjack to roulette and craps. Any company awarded a casino license would have to spend at least $2 billion building the facility.
Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts, both based in Las Vegas, and Genting, a Malaysian-based resort developer, are among the companies expected to seek licenses. Genting has already spent more than $300 million to buy bay-front property in downtown Miami and has announced plans for a $3.8 billion resort.
All have promised they will create thousands of jobs in South Florida, making the deal attractive to lawmakers hoping to lower the state's 10.6 percent unemployment rate.
Analysts say anyone that invests that much capital to build a resort also will have to spend lavishly to market the property. At a minimum, that will force Disney to ramp up its own spending on advertising, eroding its profit margins.
"Anytime you've got to fight and compete with more marketing dollars, which you know these folks have in abundance, it makes Disney's job that much harder to battle against," said Vicki Johnson, a tourism-marketing expert in Orlando.
More specifically, casinos could prove attractive draws in key markets for Disney. Executives at Genting, for instance, have said they would market heavily in Latin America.
Latin America — particularly Brazil, its biggest country — has become one of Disney World's most valuable markets in recent years. This summer, even as overall attendance at the resort was about flat with a year ago, Disney officials said traffic from Brazil was up by a double-digit percentage.
Though Disney doesn't disclose exact attendance numbers, national data show that visitation from Brazil is up 27% to more than 833,000 so far this year. And though Miami is the most popular destination for South American travelers, Orlando is growing more rapidly.
Disney says its business from Brazil is predominantly family-leisure travel, the group least likely to be swayed by casinos. But some industry followers say lavish resorts, when combined with the boutique shopping already in Miami, might be enough to peel away some of that business, especially Brazilians with older children or none at all.
"All of a sudden, it really cuts into their [Disney's] South American markets," Johnson said.
Group meetings and conventions business is also a growing profit center for Disney, which has nearly 470,000 square feet of meeting space spread among its hotels. It also routinely picks up lucrative private parties and other business tied to shows using Orange County's massive, publicly owned convention center.
Finally, allowing casinos in South Florida could lead to pressure to build more in other parts of the state. Already, some hoteliers in Orlando — led by Harris Rosen, owner of three major convention hotels — have made rumblings about bringing casinos to Central Florida. And officials at Port Canaveral — Disney Cruise Line's home port — are interested in casinos, too.
"Once they get their foot in the door, what's next? Orange County is going to say, 'Well, if it's legal in Dade County, why isn't it legal here?' " said Dickson, the UCF professor.
Disney has worked to enlist broader business groups to fight the casino legislation, most notably the Florida Chamber of Commerce, even though more than half of the businesses represented on the chamber's board of directors say they are neutral on the issue.
And the opposition from Disney has put casino boosters on the defensive during the past few days.
"Florida's identity cannot be changed because one casino or two destination resorts open in Miami-Dade County," said state Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, who is sponsoring the casino legislation in the Florida House of Representatives.
"Florida will always be the Sunshine State," he added. "The dominant trademark of Florida will always be Disney World. I don't think they have anything to worry about when it comes to that." (Source)
There have been multiple attempts to garner support in the state legislature for non-Native American casinos and other forms of gambling expansion in the state. Currently, the Seminoles control the ability of Florida to expand full-fledged casinos per their current compact. And the power of the Seminoles in the state is substantial.
In order to change current law, there must be a constitutional amendment backed by the voters of Florida. There is one such opportunity on the ballot for the November 6, 2018 election.
The Casino Gambling Initiative, if approved, would give voters the exclusive right to authorize casinos going forward, casinos being comprised of card games, slot machines, and other casino-style games. All ballot measures in the future would then require a citizen-initiated process by which a number of signatures of registered voters must be obtained for ballot consideration.
Currently, however, the Seminoles reserve the exclusive right to offer blackjack, craps, and roulette in Florida, which would present a problem that would have to be addressed. The agreement with the Seminoles was signed by Governor Rick Scott in 2015, and is effective for 20 years.
While this may end up in a legal fight, poker rooms are not an exclusive right of the tribe, and would not be an issue.
If Amendment 3 passes in November by 60% or more of the popular vote, a new day may begin for casinos in Florida. This will also drastically increase the opportunity for poker rooms throughout the state. (Source)
The US Supreme Court repealed the longstanding federal sports betting ban known as PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act). The landmark decision allows states to dictate their own sports wagering laws.
That means sports betting could be coming to Florida casinos, should the legislature pass market regulations. But Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam said this week that if he’s elected, he would oppose such legislation.
[Putnam also echoes Disney's reasoning.]
“I’ve always been one who has said we don’t need to expand the footprint of gambling in Florida,” Putnam declared at a campaign stop. “It’s not who we are as a state. We’re a family-friendly vacation destination. We’re a small business-oriented state.”
“If I lived in the middle of the desert in Nevada, [like Las Vegas], maybe I would grasp onto whatever straw or life raft somebody threw me,” he continued. “But we live in Florida, and we’ve got unlimited opportunities, and we don’t need to sell our state short.” (Source)
Earlier this year, Disney also gave $400,000 to Florida Grown, a committee supporting Putnam's gubernatorial bid.
[...] Disney officials would not agree to an interview, but in a statement, Jacquee Wahler, vice president of Walt Disney World Resorts, wrote, “We support candidates who understand issues important to our company, and demonstrate strong support for business and tourism in Florida.” (Source)
[Meanwhile, Disney is busy constructing what it hopes will be its next big moneymaker: Galaxy's Edge, a Star Wars-themed land in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Disney also plans to construct a Star Wars-themed hotel and resort adjacent to Galaxy's Edge.]
The ongoing success of high-profile films, like the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, can play a big role in the theme parks ability to tap into new characters and storylines for rides and shows.
Experts have said the success in theme park rides today are built on characters and properties that resonate with visitors outside the park. Thus new lands themed after popular franchises have proven to be a boon — like Disney's Star Wars and Frozen attractions, and Universal Orlando Resort's success with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
[So far this year], the theme parks division for the quarter saw a 13% increase in revenue to $4.87 billion, up from $4.29 billion for the same time last year. The division also saw a 13% increase in revenue for the first six months of the year to $10.03 billion, up from $8.85 billion for the year-ago period.
According to the earnings report:
"Results included a benefit from a shift in the timing of the Easter holiday relative to our fiscal periods. The current quarter included one week of the Easter holiday, whereas the entire Easter holiday fell in the third quarter of the prior year. Higher operating income at our domestic parks and resorts was primarily due to increased guest spending, attendance growth at Walt Disney World Resort and higher sponsorship revenue, partially offset by increased costs.
Guest spending growth was due to increases in average ticket prices, average daily hotel room rates and food, beverage and merchandise spending. The increase in costs was primarily due to labor and other cost inflation, an increase in depreciation associated with new attractions and higher technology spending." (Source)
[Driving this growth are Disney's planned new additions, including Galaxy's Edge, which is currently under construction ("labor costs").]
Disney’s new Star Wars land won’t open until next year, but it is not too early to declare that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be the most ambitious theme park land ever built.
The numbers alone might justify the claim. At 14 acres each, Disney’s twin Star Wars lands will be the largest the company has built at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts. Disney has not confirmed a budget for Galaxy’s Edge, but the project is believed widely within the industry to be costing at least one billion dollars. (Source)

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