Are You Really Good at Shooting Free Throws? You Can Now Bet On Yourself at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
By Rob Perez
Are you one of those people who bets on sports games and screams “EVEN I COULD DO THAT!!!” at the TV, whenever something doesn’t go your way?
Well, guess what? You now have your chance! Kinda…
…Let me explain…
The Borgata, (arguably) Atlantic City’s most popular casino, is hosting a basketball free-throw tournament on March 21 — and says this competition is the first time wagering will depend entirely on “skill” versus “luck”.
Per the hotel’s press release: for a $20 buy-in, contestants compete in 90-second rounds for the chance to play in the final round-of-16 bracket. The top four finishers split $10,000, with the winner getting $5,000. Pretty straight-forward, if you can make free throws under pressure … you can earn yourself a healthy chunk of cash.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: This Borgata’s announcement states that “other Atlantic City casinos are also free to propose similar real-money games for approval,” though each “must be evaluated individually by the state.”
I’ve taken the liberty to expedite this process. Here are 6 quick ideas for games and/or “games of skill” that Atlantic City needs to legalize IMMEDIATELY and why…
6) Kick the Can
No feeling in the world matched the euphoria of kicking that damn can. Winning a game meant you were not only cunning enough to hide from your opposition, but, stealthy enough to stalk the can and execute its demise. A true test of wit, athleticism, and strategy.
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5) Capture the Flag
The Jail breaks … “Crossing the Border” … Ankle-breaking jukes galore, all aspects of this wonderful game that make it one of the most popular ever. The moment you grab the enemy’s flag rivals the drama associated with any major sport, and the fact that there isn’t a professional league for this is one of the greatest disappointments of our time.
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4) Laser Tag
Search & Destroy, but, with lasers and cheating. A recipe for gambling awesomeness.
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3) Long Drive Contest
Total Drive Yards Over/Unders, Match-ups vs. other competitors, whether the drive lands in the fairway or not … there is SO much potential here.
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2) POGS
I miss the days where disputes were decided by who had the biggest, baddest metal slammer on the block.
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1) Mario Kart
The Passion. The Pageantry. MARIO KART.
Have you ever met anyone who didn’t claim: “I’m the best Mario Kart player on Earth!”? Well, here’s a chance to prove it! The same way you sit & go in the poker room: everyone buys in for a predetermined entry fee, track/cup/drivers are randomly picked, may the best man win!
The only thing better than firing off a lightning, before everyone in front of you hits the jump at Wario Stadium, is knowing that you’re going to win money from it too.
Who the hell walks by this, in a casino, without stopping and trying their hand in at least one race? The screams and emotion pouring out of the “Mario Kart Room” would blow the absolute doors off any “hot” craps table on the floor.
Simply put: This is a money-printing machine.
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Anyways, before this blog completely flies over the handlebars — i’ll end it by saying: let’s hope the Borgata sets a precedence here with this free throw shooting tournament, and casinos across America begin to legalize “skill event” wagering for games of all shapes & sizes. I want to bet a prop if a person is able to complete “The Cinnamon Challenge” and I wanted it yesterday.