Bookies Predict the Future of Tech 50
First time accepted submitter machineghost (622031) writes "It's one thing to make predictions about the future of tech; that happens all the time on Slashdot. But it's quite a different thing to put money on the line to back up those predictions, which is exactly what this British bookie has done. Think you know whether Google Glass will beat the iPhone, or whether we'll be ready to go to Mars and back by 2020? Now's your chance to capitalize on those predictions!" Or you could, y'know, invest money in at least some of them, and thereby increase their chances of succeeding.
But do you want it? (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because you are convinced a particular technology is going to succeed doesn't mean that you want it to do so. Betting can, thus, be better than investing.
Re:we already have that and do it every day (Score:4, Insightful)
This is less rigged and better regulated.
Re:But do you want it? (Score:4, Insightful)
you don't "help" a company or technology by buying their stock since the said stock is owned by some other dude and the sale does not bring a single more dollar to the company
This is not quite true. Most companies dilute their stock regularly, to compensate management and founders with stock or option grants.
The collection of buyers of those shares set the price for the stock -- which is ultimately being used to provide the company's equity financing.
Now it's true if you bought a share of stock for $1000.... well it's not $1000 that goes directly or indirectly to the company.
But you are trading places with someone who ultimately up the chain bought into their offering.
In the event the buying volume ran out... the stock price could easily fall by a few %. Even a $0.01 price decrease is significant.
So it's not that you aren' "giving" to the company --- it's just that the relative proportions of what you are giving are probably very very small, for a multi-billion$$ company.