On 10/25/2016 12:43 PM, Neill Massello wrote:
Sterling Archer wrote:

Not sure what your point(s) is / are. The people calculating these
odds are taking tens of millions of dollars in wagers on this and
numerous other issues. There is little doubt they are going to parse,
ad nauseam, all available, relevant data to maximize their return on
investment.

In the end, they are attempting to predict the future which is never a
sure thing. However, in my humble opinion, they have a far better
record of accuracy than any other soothsayers.

A better track record is your best argument. The fact that money is
involved doesn't really mean that much. The millions wagered represent
the sum of many small bets rather than a few large ones placed by savvy
investors. The individuals placing those bets didn't necessarily parse
ad nauseam. If most people were rational about betting, especially with
small amounts, there would be no lotteries.


I think Ross Perot called lotteries a tax on stupid people. I made this
comment once at a tobacco shop selling lottery tickets and it was not
appreciated.