What is with you guys being so scandalized about 'unlicensed gambling' ? WHo cares if people wanna bet? People bet on every sporting event in America. NFL coaches all have to provide injury reports before every game so the bookies have an accurate point spread. The bigger problem with the FGC is the aggressive and stupid people who stand out in a bad way. VF community is different fwiw. The crazy people actually stand out and become notorious for their antics even though none of them approach, say, Mr. Rayray whose sad tale is recounted above.

Tax-free money is the worst thing about mankind.

Let me remind you, gambling will always be a part of sports, i get that. This was gambling at the finals of a tournament in a sanctioned event! Not only does open gambling take away from what a finals is all about, but it's an underground venture that should stay underground with the trash that decides to make money off of the FGC. It would be like open handfulls of cash being thrown around in wagers at the 50 yard line of the fucking superbowl. If you need to make money off of the FGC, make a website or get sponsors like JWong. Otherwise get your trashy ass back to the chicken ring.

I sometimes wonder how many people lost money or how screwed up the odds in the Tony vs Me FT10 fight. If anyone bet after the first few sets man they must've been sallty.

You can legally gamble at VxG. Gambling isn't a bad thing, but I could see concerns about what happens after someone loses. Playing VF means I'm not part of the FGC, though.

Would just like to say that this isn't recent. Sidebetting at fighting game tournaments has been going on for 5-10 years and happened at both previous CEO events. It has been around about as long as money matches have been around. I've seen players lose 100$ playing Rock Paper Scissors in the hotel lobby.

Nobody is going to stop it because no one really cares. And to be honest...I don't care! If people want to gamble a couple dollars on an upcoming match, so be it.

As far as the FGC goes, VF and everyone here is part of it. We're part of it in an isolationist American during the 1930's kinda way though. The other games go to war over who is "flashier" or "the best" and this community sits back, slowly builds, and trains its member for the next coming of VF. Problem is in places that gaming isn't deeply rooted in (I.E. Florida) we HAVE to make an effort to get the word out that this game exists and is one of, if not the best, 3D Fighting games out right now.

Back to the main point though, gambling in FL is illegal unless you have the licensing, proper paper work, etc etc. While it could be argued that these events could make more profit from gambling, it just feels wrong. These aren't Cock Fights or Horse Races, these are two humans testing their mettle against one another. Seeing if their training, effort, patience, and perseverance will pay off and get them the victory they crave. Sure, it might be a romanticist view of doing battle, but its how I feel about sports face offs in general. I wouldn't want that sullied knowing some ass hat in the crowd is making a scene because he lost 500$ on Wong.

Look, if I need to feel a thrill when I want to gamble, I play poker for free at a few local bars for 50$ pots. However, when I go to an FGC event like CEO, I expect things that can shut down the event and ruin the reputation of the gaming scene in FL to be top priority. If someone was to blow the whistle on the gambling going on Jebailey could be fined as well as the CEO event being banned from being held again. Its a serious offense in the state of FL and because its gone on so long, people like you, scoff and brush it off without a thought. Not only that but, gambling attracts a different breed of humans that just don't belong.

Myke stated it best when he said "There are idiots everywhere. They always have been, and always will be." If people want to throw away money in the lobby or in hotel room money matches, I'm all for it. IN and AT the actual event however, is where I put my foot down and say that shits gots to go.

If they gonna gamble just keep it out the actual ballroom. Do it in their rooms, do it in the shadows, but don't be doing it in broad daylight for all to see. Sporting events have gambling but you won't see people exchanging money at the stadium.

I think we have to learn from other countries such as Japan. They have big tournaments and nobody yells, gambles or whatever. People there attend to the tournaments just for the game itself. However, in the East, generally the average age in tournaments is also higher than in the West

There is but one FGC. It's everyone who plays any fighting game. And, damn, if it doesn't get more exciting every day.

Side bets ruining tournaments? Wtf? Its obvious who aint from the streets.. Side betting been going on since forever.. I played SF2 in dirty game rooms with Big time drug dealers siding ln matches.. Guns drawn, fistfights and Razorblades a plenty. Fighting and Betting is not the most shocking thing.......... The fact Noel Brown had a Girlfriend is what really got me fucked up..

I don't understand this :/

Sure, we may be in the minority but it seems you're saying that we don't exist because we play the wrong game. I've run into quite a few people from the Capcom crowd when attending VF events and they've made me feel more than welcome.

I've seen KoF pull quite a few players at events too.

Anytime you get a large crowd in a competitive environment, you're bound to see some action out of the game. The same thing used to happen in arcades years back. Even the bets. Since there's no arcades for the kids, they do it at the tourneys. It happens. It's not cool when it does, but it's nothing new from my perspective. I think because it's a tourney, this aspect is much more obvious, though. In arcades, it wasn't spread on the internet or even appeared in the local paper that a fight broke out unless someone got arrested and then it'd just be a tiny paragraph in POLICE BEAT.

Arcade's I was at in the 90's were always full of hustlers and gangsters, I saw all sorts of madness, from people getting beatdown in the arcade to one time where they tried to set a guys hair on fire, I even knew a russian guy who didn't go to the arcade when the vietnamese were there because the triads wanted to kill his brother, and this was all in London.

None of this is new nor is it accecptable behaviour but these problems are coming from society not the FGC, Kotaku shouldn't even have reported that story with reference to CEO, the incident had nothing to do with the tournament, it undermines Jebailey's hard work.

That's really ironic since Japanese players such as Daigo have stated in previous interviews that they really like the Western tournaments over Japanese tournaments more due to the higher amounts of enthusiasm and hype. And to various extents between Japanese players, they also prefer the fact that you could actually play for money since it's banned in Japan by law since yakuza could get involved. Hell, even last year at EVO I watched some US players money match Japan's Kaoru in KOFXIII. I don't think it's because Japan is "more mature" or some bullshit, it's just culturally they're not as liberated to express how they feel or do what they want to do. If they wanna talk shit or troll, they do it anonymously on 2ch in the fighting game board. Japan is just repressed. Also saying Japan doesn't yell out during tournaments is bullshit in itself.

Betting on games isn't a part of FGC culture; it's part of american culture.