Let it ride. Well, not exactly.
The 13-year-old Queens boy that won big in a Super Bowl Pool didn't exactly put all of his prior winnings into the bet that won him his biggest winnings to date.
Johnny had bouts of wins throughout this past football season with prizes in the $200 and $300 range, the Daily News reported.
His total winnings prior to his big take-home? A cool $1,200. Not too shabby in its own right.
When dad, Danny, decided to begin putting bets for Johnny, he saw no harm since it went under the guise of simply benefitting his future college tution. Mom, Elaine, was unaware of the bets, until Johnny started winning.
This may seem like a heart-warming story of a father and son bonding experience that reeped great benefits for the college-bound youngster, but I fail to see how there isn't cause for concern for the lesson a very impressionable Johnny is learning.
In his one season of $5 box bets, Johnny not only went from betting the small amount of $5 at random picks by barmaid Mary, he went to picking his own box and pushing to put down cool $500 bet from the proceeds of his past wins.
Not only did his wins not just go to his college fund, but to put down a higher bet, Johnny became more engaged in the betting process with the desire to up the stakes and choose his own box.
Yes, dad was placing the bets for Johnny, but there is still an element of control the youngster had surrounding the gambling.
Likened to buying a raffle ticket, Danny is quoted in the Daily News report as stating, "It’s no different than buying a raffle ticket for a good cause," because the winnings go to Johnny's college fund.
A raffle ticket being sold for a good cause is not the same as a bar Super Bowl Pool even if what was won was supposed to go to a young teen's future college tuition.
Not only did Johnny bet almost have of his season winnings on the big game, but bought a round on the house with his $20,000 grand prize.
The lines seem to be blurring more and more from the original ground rules set by dad and what actually transpired towards the end of the season.
It's wonderful that a boy now has a nice nest egg for his college education even after sharing a piece of the pie with his siblings for their college educations.
The lesson that he can win big by continuously betting is one definitely worth monitoring in upcoming seasons.
