LETS LOOK AT ONE EXAMPLE!
GAMBLING
The betting industry revolves solely around numbers, from the odds, amounts in bets, payouts, profits and of course all the statistics. It all boils down to maths and MONEY!
To give you a feel for the amounts being turned over in this “industry”:
“In 2016, the total gambling gross yield worldwide was projected to reach 450 billion U.S. dollars, this was forecasted to rise to 495 billion U.S. dollars by 2019.”
While many of the to date well known industries are struggling to survive in this modern day and age the gambling industry is literally moving forwards at warp speed.
Although personally I do not gamble any more, it is definitely a market that I have to follow as it is adapting to the new technology practically better than any other industry out there.
How long has gambling been around?
Well as per some historical records it suggests that gambling has been around since Ancient Greece, with dates such as 12th century BC. One thing is for sure, if there was any form of money out there, there was a good chance that people were betting on things that were around in their day and age!
Rather than talk about how many different forms of gambling there are, what I wish to put out into the open here are some facts that many don’t know.
Like for example the fact that after 1994 when the first gambling websites started showing up in less than three years there were hundreds of registered legal active gambling websites out there!
Is it any surprise that due to the speeds at which technology is advancing, from software to hardware including but not limited to smartphones and internet speeds it has become easier than eve in the history of mankind to place bets?
The digital transformation of the online gambling industry is finally beginning to cash in.
As market after market fell under the spell of technological innovation, the gambling sector remained loyal to its old models – that was, until, key players in the industry sat up and recognized the incredible opportunity this industry presented.
The online gambling sector has been tripling in size over the past decade and trends suggest that the market will be worth $41.4 billion by the end of the year.
This new breed of gambling leaders are shedding the legacy of archaic, bricks and mortar gamers and utilizing tech innovation methods to innovate how users interact with games.
One such method is the advent of the smartphone.
By the end of 2018, the value of bets placed via mobile devices is expected to reach $100 billion, with over 164 million people using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to access their bets.
Why is it that online betting is becoming so popular?
Well, the simple answer along with the convenience of being able to do things with a touch of your mobile phone screen is the fact that there is no middle man. There is no “bookie” taking a cut for himself. This equates to about a 10 to 20% higher payout for the betters, as the online casinos and betting services usually take somewhere around 5% or there abouts. (depends from site to site).
Why am I of all people talking about this?
A person who doesn’t gamble, a person who tells everyone he knows “not to gamble” and who isn’t a supporter of gambling/betting.
Well, it’s quite simple, it exists. I am a realist.
& Why wouldn't I?
Just because it may be a controversial topic, may not be in line with my personal opinions about the industry, the fact is that I as a Steemian and as a Witness should be thinking about all the possibilities out there.
If others are afraid to touch the potentially "hot potato" topics, well, I'm not. After all, all I'm doing is telling it as it is.
So, what is the point to this post?
Well, last night I was thinking about Smart Media Tokens and all their potentials.
What is to say that someone shan’t actually issue a SMT as a utility token that shall be used to participate in online “games” and “betting”?
After all, as a utility token it is nothing more than just that. A means to participate in the fun and games. Yet if this token were to be hooked up to the sites “pay booth” where it gets used to enter the online game establishment and upon exiting again all payouts in this token are made. Hence only the “exchange” is hooked up to the blockchain this could very well result in one of the most lucrative businesses out there!
After all, there is no FIAT exchanging hands anywhere and only the authorized trading platforms out on the market shall be doing the FIAT conversions and payments.
Somewhat like an online “video arcade” where you pay to buy tokens and play with the tokens, get paid out either in tokens or tickets and convert those to whatever other non FIAT items are offered.
While the majority of us Steemians are dedicating so much time to topics such as “The Trending Page” on our most utilized blogging platform Steemit.com, here I am looking towards the future and imagining ways of increasing the demand for bandwidth usage. Not scheming up ways for myself to make a quick million and laugh all the way to the bank, but rather looking at what possibilities are out there to increase the overall demand for Steem and SBD, so that we all laugh all the way to the bank!
The idea of using Crypto for gambling isn’t anything new. I haven’t discovered anything new. However in the above described option, the site itself wouldn’t be on the blockchain, hence not using up millions of blocks. Their utility token (the SMT) would be and the exchange (pay booth) would be.
This is what would make it unique and in a way not a “gambling” establishment!
Yet the numbers that shall be turned over could very well be astronomical.
Food for thought:
I am sure there are millions of potential ways to increase the demand for bandwidth usage and Steem, but let’s face reality. No blogging site has made any community mega rich! While other industries out there have. So if we want to ensure that our efforts here on Steemit.com and/or other blogging platforms on our blockchain make us mega rich, then we need to ensure that our Steem goes to the moon!
Figure it out.
So let’s keep being imaginative and constructive. Let’s not fall into the trap of consuming up all our potentially productive energy on topics that have been regurgitated over and over again.
For starters, life is too short to waste on negativity.
Secondly, yes we all want Steem to go to the moon!
Yesterday after the Witness Chat hosted by 
Although I wasn't in the best of "moods" the past few days, the chat after the chat kind of calmed me, got me talking and thinking about some things that were not related to the frustrations we all seem to be so concentrated on. One of the topics was where we were heading with our blockchain and it gave me a 180 degree flip in "moods". From being "moody" to being all enthusiastic, as I could express my excitement about the vision that is so crystal clear. The potential future of our Steem blockchain and of course, our crypto Steem!
An example I gave to how our energy is somewhat being is the solution offered to the "Trending Page".
Currently the trending page is based on only one parameter and that is the $ value at the bottom of the post.
Well, 
Here is a link to the post in which Neds solution is explained for those who haven't seen it yet.
GOOD PERSON TOKEN: Something Big Is Coming From Steemit Inc!
How would you feel if Steemit.com had a second universally distributed token with account-based voting, individuality verification and super linear rewards curves?
Ned Scott
Yet, how much time and energy has been invested into discussing this outright simple, straight forwards and totally acceptable solution?
ZILCH!
Practically NOTHING!
But the constant complaining and whinging about "The Trending Page" blahhh blahhh blahhh just keeps going on and on.
Come on people, time to wake up and start thinking proactively.
The example I gave at the beginning of this post is not one that I suggest anyone should do, it is a controversial topic, to say the least and hopefully shall draw the attention of many who actually read posts all the way through.
After all, these are the people among us who are actually paying any attention to anything out there!
I find it totally amazing that some of us spend most of our time on negativity instead of constructiveness a proactive thoughts.
We have the potential to change the world here!
What more incentive can one want?
Ohhh OK, and an opportunity to make it rich too, for all those who want to talk economic potential! :)
I hope that the thoughts I have shared here today, may in some way get you thinking more proactively and to see the potential we have. To envision the future of Steem.
I appreciate your time and patience,
Steem on!
Yours truly,
Jack