Bodog.com Conference continues trend in bringing legitimacy to industry with big name celebs

Christopher Costigan, www.sports911.com

From the outside looking in, this week's Bodog.com Conference appears at first glance to be a self-serving event where the popular online sportsbook gathers all its top advertising partners and prospect while relishing in its own self-glorification.  Throw in a few Playboy models, intertwined with half hour bragging sessions, you can call it a conference. 

The Bodog.com Conference is much more than that.  This event carries on a trend quite favorable to the online gaming industry, adding legitimacy to an industry that for many years has not enjoyed the most favorable reputation. 

Having a big name special guest the likes of football great Joe Montana helps reinforce such a trend that has been most noticeable of late within the online poker arena through high profile (not to mention highly rated) television shows. 

Often times we as an industry are lumped in with online porn.  Gambling's detractors will cite money laundering activities, organized crime elements and kids betting with their parent's credit card (something that is virtually impossible with the set up of today's online gaming web sites).  The criminal elements are few and far between however, unlike internet porn where a much broader scope of dangerous criminal element exists, primarily with child porn and abuse of women who are often forced to stuff foreign objects up their vaginas while engaged in sexual activities with horses. 

In the United States we promote gambling through both Vegas and our state lotteries.  By providing the later, society is suggesting it's all right for little old ladies to squander their life savings on lottery tickets in the name of obtaining funds for education and better health care (not that either has improved over the last ten years). 

Internet porn will never become mainstream.  It is just too dirty or otherwise perceived as such.  Sex, we know, should only occur in the bedroom betwen the sheets with all lights out.  Online gambling will become mainstream with the right forces in place.  It is good clean entertainment that does not harm anyone except for those who would find other ways to harm themselves if gambling did not exist. 

Montana is just one of a long line of retired professional athletes who have aligned themselves with online sports betting operations.  BetonSports in the past has hosted parties that included well known athletes.  MVP Sportsbook has even entertained the idea of featuring former professional athletes as guest sports handicappers.  There have been professional athletes the likes of Jim McMahon, promoting offshore sportsbooks (though their selections were not always so great).

Joe Montana adds a whole other dimension and credibility that a Jim McMahon lacks.  On Friday morning he will be spending 45 minutes discussing highlights of his career and taking questions from the crowd.  One of the questions most likely to be asked - Why Bodog.com?  Why this event?

Perhaps the stigma of gambling, made worse by the sports leagues themselves, has had little effect on Mr. Montana.  Maybe he like so many million other Americans love betting on sports.  

Some of the bigger known gamblers in Vegas just happen to be professional athletes.  Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley all come to mind.  Are we really to believe that they do not bet on sports?  They only play Blackjack?

Say what you will about Charles Barkley, he is great for the online gambling industry.  The high profile host of TNT's Inside the NBA regularly discusses his sports betting habits on the air.  But we would almost expect that from a carefree over the top Charles Barkley.  Montana on the other hand brings honesty, intelligence and a sense of professionalism to the table.  His presence at this event makes it more than just a simple gathering of online gambling personas and degenerates. 

This is crucial for the industry, to give it a face.  What better face to give than that of a Joe Montana?

Watch for our continuing coverage throughout the weekend and we will also report on Joe Montana's presentation, which should be most fascinating.