TAPPP TV ESPN Honeypot or Belly Flop

Why Bookies Don’t Make House Calls

TAPPP TV technology for instant gambling from the sofa could be a flop and many others see it as a ESPN Savior. Most of the readers took the stand of wait and see with a comment like this.

“Bellyflop? Are you considering considering the huge convenience factor of Tappp and TV technology to gambling?”

Answer - Yes, but as far as I know Bookies did not place bets very often in homes and certainly never door to door salespeople.

The Oxford Report

(abbrv.)

Addiction experts are jumping out of their seats, ESPN executives are holding their breath and founder of Barstool sports, Dave Portnoy, is a happy camper.

Why?

Introducing you to TAPPP, not the admirable Texas adolescent pregnancy prevention program- small problem Texas passes laws that promote what it tries to prevent- so this TAPPP is a New York based payment processor that green lit a deal this week with Major League Rugby (MLR) to integrate for first time an instant gambling from TV remotes as fans watch the game on the Rugby TV network for 2024 season.

Wall Street and network executives will be glued to the tube caring less about the rugby matches but watching for one number that is not on the scoreboard.

The percentage of viewers betting on the game vs total watching it so they can extrapolate the money to all major league sports viewers.

If they can crack 20% of viewers betting, cash cows and engaged audiences come home. Both have left town including the crown jewel ESPN.

Look many think TAPPP has a big shot and is the biggest thing for TV since the first national color telecast, Rose Parade in 1954.

And smart folks investing in it- Pro Sports owners like Steve Pagliuca of Boston Celtics, family of Adidas founder Adi Dassler and early Draft Kings investor like Accomplice.

Start-ups always sound good at the beginning. I see a bellyflop. TV viewers have consistently shown they like to watch TV not interact with it.

The current online companies will not go away but will give incentives to bet prior to game day. When is last time a bookie made house calls?

Are you going to cut in revenue share for TV manufactures? And about 500 other problems that always show up on start up doorsteps.

Two immediate well-deserved winners: addiction experts will not see a runaway spike in home TV betting as they have on the smartphone and a founder who already has won big when Penn Casinos bought Barstool Sports from him 3 years ago for $551m and just sold it back for $1.

True, the sale included a strongly worded non-compete for Portnoy to stay out of Penn’s gambling industry and some vague language that Penn gets half the proceeds if he ever sells Barstool Sports again. Smart for founder to give them a PR clause to cover a thrashing.

Penn put the barstoolsbet.com in the domain graveyard as part of new signed partnership with ESPN for ESPN bets for TV.

Maybe it’s just me but I would bet on the guy who just took you through the cleaners for $551 million than the guys over at ESPN who ran the franchise into the ground.

Lessons learned.

- We often don’t see highly successful companies executively pampered into a brand. They’re more like the birth of ESPN- some guy in Connecticut who thinks it would be cool to put local Sports on TV and goes and just does it.

- Building a company on one number to crack is dicey as a first date. Things rarely materialize.

- By the way, what percentage of Barstool subscribers did Penn covert to gamblers from phones, tablets, internet and everything else under the sun? Never reached 5%. Dogs are not our best friends. Pro forma financials are. Penn had projected 50%.

Next, big things and technology take time like after that first color national broadcast back in 1954- national and local broadcasts were largely black and white for the next 12 years.

It is easier to sell the future, than make it.

Until they give it back to us for free.

CliffCo Cuba Trip Itinerary

Wednesday January 31st – Saturday February 3rd, 2024

Day 1. Wednesday January 31st. Hello Cuba!

*Lunch and Dinner Included

Arrival at Havana International Airport.

Meet your Authentic Cuba Travel tour guide and tour bus driver.

Private transfer to the luxurious Grand Aston Hotel located on the Malecon, Havana's evocative 8km long waterfront boulevard.

En route we go on a panoramic visit to the Revolution Square (Plaza de la Revolucion).

Conceived by French urbanist Jean Claude Forestier in the 1920s, the gigantic square today is the base of the Cuban government and a place where large-scale political rallies are held.

It is here where Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis celebrated an open air Mass during their visits to Cuba in January 1998, March 2012 and September 2015 respectively.

The Square was also visited by US President Barack Obama during his historic visit to Cuba in March 2016.

Private group check-in and welcome cocktail over arrival to the Hotel.

We are next "leaving" Havana and entering Fusterlandia in the fishing village of Jaimanitas. Here we visit the studio, residence and wild kingdom of José Fuster, one of the most important Cuban ceramists and painters today. Lunch at Fuster Studio!

Special presentation on the history of US/Cuba relations by former Cuban diplomat and policy adviser Jose Viera at your hotel. Viera served as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1990, participating in cabinet meetings, and representing Cuba at high level international conferences. He received a Bachelor of Law from Havana University, a Certificate of English studies at Louisiana State University, and a Certificate of Studies of Property Rights in Cuba from the Union of Cuban Lawyers. His diplomatic career included postings in Spain, Honduras, Chile, Bolivia, and Counsellor at the Cuban Mission to the UN (1966- 1970).

Next we board privately-owned vintage cars for a panoramic tour around Modern Havana. We’ll see the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Malecón seawall, Monument to the Battleship Maine, University of Havana, Cristóbal Colón Cemetery, and more.

Evening: Welcome dinner at the family-run restaurant ‘Riomar’.

Day 2. Thursday February 1st. Exploring Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

*Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Special visit to the Partagas Cigar Factory (special pass because currently banned for Americans), founded in 1845 by Spaniard Don Jaime Partagas. The Cuban-produced Partagás has been one of the most revered and highest-selling brands of cigars in the world.

Followed by a visit to the privately owned shop “Alma.” This boutique carries handmade gift items from all over Cuba. Here you can buy the perfect gift or souvenir while supporting a Cuban family! Their products include embroidered dresses, guayaberas (traditional Cuban shirt), baskets, books made from recycled paper, hand-painted cushions and bags, elegantly lacquered vintage- style humidors.

Next we go on a guided walking tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old Havana.

Visit to Square of Arms, ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers and surrounded by impressive buildings such as:

- Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the former official residence of the governors (Captains General) of Havana, Cuba.

- Palacio del Segundo Cabo. The seat of the second authority of the island.

- Castillo de la Real Fuerza. The second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies.

El Templete, a small neoclassical building marking the spot where the city of San Cristobal de la Habana was founded in 1519.

Visit to the Cathedral Square, named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Cathedral of Havana built by the Jesuit order.

Enjoy a fantastic lunch over viewing the ocean at 'Casa Mia'. This restaurant is the dream of three youngsters who decided to venture and create a family restaurant.

Afternoon: Visit the music community project “Clave del Sol” where professional musicians teach and train youngsters 7 to 16 years old on stringed instruments, primarily the guitar, and choral singing. The program was started in 2009 with only 9 students and now has over 200 kids.

We’ll exchange with program directors to learn about their outreach work in the community, and will present a donation of educational items.

Before we leave we will enjoy a heart-warming special performance!

Next we visit the Rox 950 privately-owned jewelry store and workshop. Here you’ll admire the work of Cuba’s most acclaimed jewelry designer and private entrepreneur, Rosana Vargas. She is the creator of the famous handcrafted silver jewelry brand, Rox 950.

Evening: Dinner at the private family-run restaurant paladar “San Cristobal.”

Housed on the ground floor of an early 20th century mansion, this restaurant serves their inspired nterpretations of traditional Creole Cuban fare. The Obama family dined here during their visit to Cuba in 2016.

Special Highlight! – Enjoy a performance of the world famous ‘Legendarios del Guajirito’. This cultural project is dedicated to preserving traditional Cuban music. Some of its

musicians are former members of the Buena Vista Social Club and the Afro-Cuban All Stars.

The band includes 7 Grammy Award winners and 4 Latin Grammy Award winners.

Day 3. Friday February 2nd. Farming, Beach & Hemingway Day!

*Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Visit to Finca Vigia, a hilltop villa 20 kilometers east of Havana, where famed author Ernest Hemingway lived from 1939 to 1960.

It is here where the writer completed some of his greatest works, including “The Old Man and the Sea,” “Across the River and into the Trees,” and “Islands in the Stream.”

Finca Vigía has made both the World Monuments Fund List of 100 Most Endangered sites, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Places.

Next we visit the organic farm “Finca Vista Hermosa” (Beautiful View Farm). This farm is deeply involved in promoting a healthy food culture in Havana. Here you will hear all about the process of getting your food directly from the farm to your table.

You will learn about the fruits and vegetables grown locally, such as mangos, bananas, mamey, cherimoya, and will taste some of them. You will also have the opportunity to tour the farm grounds via a horse ride or on a cart to see chickens, pigs, goats, ducks, and will get to feed them.

Finally we will walk to the top of a mild hill; from this lookout, you will catch a breathtaking glimpse of the northern coast of East Havana.

Special Highlight—Enjoy a fresh and delicious farm-to-table lunch!

Afternoon: Following on Hemingway’s footsteps we will go on a boat excursion!

We’ll ride along Havana’s shoreline, enjoy breathtaking views and complimentary drinks, and swim in the warm crystal clear Cuban waters at “Santa Maria” Beach. Followed by visit to the Clandestina Store & Studio. Founded in 2015 by two women

Idania del Río and Leire Fernández, this is Cuba's first independent design store. Return to your hotel.

Evening: Farewell dinner at one of Havana’s very best privately-owned restaurants, paladar “Vistamar” overlooking the ocean.

Day 4. Saturday February 3rd. Good-bye Cuba!

*Breakfast included.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Suggested optional activities:

? Visit the Museum of Fine Arts Cuban Collection where we see the evolution of Cuba’s visual arts over the last 300 years. The collection accounts for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, and African cultural roots.

? Visit Havana’s Capitol building, Capitolio Nacional, designed by Cuban architects Govantes and Cabarroca and built by the American construction company Purdy & Henderson. This is one of Cuba’s most outstanding architectural patrimonies. The dome is 300.96 ft. high (7 inches higher than the highest capitol building in the US). It houses the magnificent statue of La República, made by Italian sculptor Angello Zanelli. The 17.6m tall bronze statue is covered in gold leaf and is the third-largest indoor statue in the world.

? Visit the privately owned Piscolabis Bazar-Café where you can buy the perfect gift or souvenir while supporting a Cuban family.

? Visit the Havana Club Museum of Rum. From freshly cut stalks of sugar cane to a reconstitution of a distillery and ageing cellars, the museum offers a real-time experience of the rum-making process, as well as a taste of true Cuban culture.

? Visit the Callejón de Hamel, an alley where all the buildings display murals inspired by Afro-Cuban culture and religions. We’ll meet with project director and artist Salvador Gonzales Escalona at his studio. Salvador Gonzalez is a well-known Cuban muralist, painter, and sculptor. He has murals in Philadelphia, New York, and Norway.

? Visit the Clandestina Store & Studio. Founded in 2015 by two women Idania del Río and Leire Fernández, this is Cuba’s first independent design store.

Transfer to Havana International Airport for departure.

GROUND COSTS:

5-stars( Cuba’s ranking) Grand Aston Hotel: $3,230 USD

Prices are per person based on double room occupancy. All taxes included.

Single Room Supplement (optional): $389 USD

Services Included:

3 nights at the Grand Aston Hotel in Havana.

All Meals Included (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners).

Luxury air-conditioned coach transportation and professional driver.

All activities, speakers, meetings and meals as described in itinerary except those noted as "optional" or "not included in cost".

An expert Cuban English speaking guide and translator throughout the program, together with ongoing support from Authentic Cuba Travel' staff in Cuba and Canada.

Services not included:

Activities listed as "optional" or "not included in cost" in itinerary.

International airfare to and from Cuba.

Gratuities for Cuban tour guide, bus driver, chambermaids, restaurant staff, porters etc. Optional travel interruption and cancellation insurance.

Cuban Tourist Card (Visa). Note: Provided by all U.S. airlines at an extra fee

Note: All US airlines include Cuban health insurance in the cost of your flight ticket.

Note: All US airlines include the Cuban Airport tax in the cost of your flight ticket.