The Daily Valet. - 11/22/22, Tuesday

✔️ A Risky Wager

November 22, 2022

Tuesday, November 22nd Edition

By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor

The only bet I want to make around sports is if I can finish a whole order of helmet nachos by myself.

Today’s Big Story

Risky Wagers

The sports-betting industry is suddenly huge and popular with young people

Are you watching the World Cup? What about betting on the games? Because with the World Cup coinciding with college and NFL football for the first time, the next few weeks should generate huge betting volume across the country.Have you noticed how much sports betting there is all of a sudden? Think of it this way: During the last World Cup in 2018, just three U.S. states (Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware) had legal sports betting markets. Four years later, that number has ballooned to 31 states, plus Washington, D.C.Since 2018, when the Supreme Court opened the door to widespread sports betting, the gambling industry has mastered ways to attract new customers—converting fantasy sports aficionados and players of online games into a new generation of digital gamblers. When I was in college, the predatory practice was credit cards with high interest rates. These days, in order to reap millions of dollars in fees, universities are partnering with betting companies to introduce their students to online gambling. Not surprisingly, it leads to a lot of financial trouble for young people.Because it's big money. According to the American Gaming Association, $7.6 billion will be bet on the Super Bowl this year and $3.1 billion on March Madness. In that realm, the $1.8 billion currently being bet on the World Cup this year seems small. But still, nearly 30% of American adults who plan to watch the tournament intend to wager at least once on the World Cup.The New York Times dug into how the sports-betting industry got so big, so fast—and what the consequences are likely to be for public health, taxpayers and the sports world. They discovered that states are outmatched: Enforcement of rules has been haphazard and regulators are counting on the industry to police itself. But any industry that's posed to make billions is in no hurry to get people to stop utilizing their product.

Meanwhile:

Online sports betting operators on Monday were encouraging customers to take steps to protect their accounts after multiple companies saw fraudulent activity.

NASA’s Test Flight Successful

The unmanned Orion moonship operated in near-flawless fashion

NASA's Orion capsule reached the moon Monday, whipping around the far side and buzzing the lunar surface on its way to a record-breaking orbit with test dummies sitting in for astronauts. Part of the Artemis I mission, one of the main purposes of this unmanned flight was to verify that the spacecraft works as designed—allowing NASA to make any necessary adjustments for the subsequent Artemis missions, where astronauts will return to the moon.Cameras mounted on the tip of the spacecraft captured stunning views of Earth, looking like a blue-and-white marble in the deep black of space, slowly setting on the lunar horizon as the spacecraft sailed out over the far side of the moon and out of contact with flight controllers. Orion will be there for six days, providing an extended period of time for mission controllers to test out various systems. NASA pointed out that it would be the farthest that any spacecraft designed to carry humans had ever been from Earth.For the prospective lunar landing in 2025, Orion would link with a SpaceX-developed Starship lander while orbiting the moon, according to NASA's current plans. Two astronauts would enter Starship, which would then transport them down to the moon. No one has stepped onto the lunar surface since 1972.

FYI:

The rocket that boosted the Orion capsule into space last week was so powerful it produced a ground-shaking shock wave that literally blew the doors off launch pad elevators.

Maybe we’ll bring back the glory days, those really glamorous ones—come over to our apartment and sit around, have drinks, and cool conversation.”

- Paul Feig in Esquire

A Possible Rail Strike?

union rejects contract as strike threatens U.S. economy before holidays

On Monday, one of the largest railroad unions narrowly voted to reject a contract deal brokered by the White House, bringing the country once again closer to a rail strike that could paralyze much of the economy ahead of the holidays.Unlike in a lot of labor deals, pay isn't the main sticking point. It's work-life benefits—particularly sick leave. The “no” vote adds to pressure on Congress to step in and avert a work stoppage that could impede coal shipments, shut down most passenger rail, imperil drinking water and cost the economy upwards of $2 billion ... per day.If a strike goes on for an extended period, it could cause supply shortages and higher prices for goods including fuel and food. If the four unions that rejected the deals are unable to reach new agreements before strike deadlines in early December, Congress could order the railroad workers to remain on the job or return to work. Because a strike could actually tip the country into recession, reports Axios. Analysts say that a month-long strike would pull around $160 billion out of the economy, which would then lead to a 1% decline in GDP.

what now?

Three unions have previously voted no to a deal, but negotiations are continuing and a vote could be called again before Dec. 5, when the earliest cooling off period ends.

The House From ‘A Christmas Story’ Is For Sale

It’s not just a piece of holiday film history, it’s a business opportunity

Ever since I was little, I've loved the movie, A Christmas Story. As a kid, I actually thought it was an old movie from the ’40s (not realizing it wouldn't have been in color), and like you, have seen it in part or its entirety every holiday season for the past three decades. And now, we have a chance to own the house from the film because it's for sale. Just in time for Christmas.You might've heard that the current owner purchased the home on eBay in 2004 for a mere $150,000. After some renovations (and acquiring an impressive collection of original props and memorabilia), he turned the house in Cleveland into a tourist attraction and bed and breakfast. Apparently, around a hundred thousand people visit the home each year.And it's not just the Parker house that's for sale, but rather an entire campus of multiple properties including a museum, gift shop and the “Neighbor's House”—spanning 1.3 acres. But it won't be sold to the highest bidder. Rather to someone who is the “right fit” to run the business and wants to own a piece of “nostalgic Americana,” owner Brian Jones told 3News Cleveland. No price has been listed for the sale.

FYI:

While the new sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas, brings together much of the original cast, the real house doesn’t make an appearance. It was rebuilt in Bulgaria, where the film was shot.

In Other News

The U.S. Team’s Draw With Wales Felt Like a Loss

But it is a sign of progress.

New Zealand Will Vote on Whether the Country Should Lower the Voting Age to 16

Inside Trevor Noah’s Bombshell Decision to Leave ‘The Daily Show’—and Whats Next

Gay Bar Shooting Suspect Faces Murder, and Hate Crime Charges

Have you heard about ...

Domino’s electric delivery fleet

The perfect Thanksgiving food

“Which Face Is Real?”

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