This is a short diary, for which I apologize. There are a dearth of Open Threads, and my strong dislike for John Tierney overwhelms any sense of modesty.
It is a crime in the District of Columbia to make a mutual wager over a future securities price- it is called "bucketing". Nonetheless, John Tierney today writes about a $10,000 wager he (illegally?) made on future crude oil prices.
In D.C., as most states, you can play lotteries. You can bet at licensed parimutuel parlors on horse races. And, you can buy and sell registered financial securities thru licensed brokers. Including "bets" on crude oil prices.
But you cannot make a bet with a friend about crude oil prices.
My comment below the fold:
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