Hamster powered races

[ethereumhunter]

The bottleneck that I am seeing here is that, they are only accepting eth right now. So the owner, can't post their site in the gambling board. This thread is gaining interest more than the official thread from their staff - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5206396

The topic itself was created in Dec 2019. But look at how many users posted their comment here vs. their thread? 

Maybe the developer still work hard for their project, so they do not back to their thread or they forgot that they already launch their project in this forum
If they are still working on their project, I think they will come back here and explain what they did so far to communicate with them again.

[Saint-loup]

Well, cock fighting is common already and really involves fighting between roosters (as the name suggests). But unlike it, I think and I hope that in hamster race, no harm will be done to the animals. I mean, it's just a race so they'll just have to hurry to be the first in the finish line.

Cock fights seems to be more enjoyable when one of the fighters die in my experience, it gets the crowd fist pumping in the air for the smell of crimson saline liquid, I think the culture of cock fighting will not change. Hamster race will grow in popularity and your hope will be crushed sadly because as it grows, it means that there will be scummy people that will be trying to breed this racing hamsters like how a racing horse is eugenically bred, now while we were at it, almost all kinds of games that involves animals are subjected to eugenics.

But some platforms could commit to remain ethical and friendly with their animals. Then it would be the bettors' responsibility to encourage this or not by gambling there or elsewhere.

[MiaAndTheMarbles]

Hi all,
Thanks for your interest in our game!
You can find our official announcement post in the altcoin subforum,
since we are using ETH and are not allowed to post in the main Gambling forum.
Make sure to subscribe there, because discussion threads like this one tend to be locked by mods after some time and we can't post to inform you about updates. You can also follow us on Twitter: @miandthemarbles

Unfortunately it is not that easy for us to add BTC as a payment option since we are using some of the more advanced features of the ethereum blockchain that allow us to do automatic payouts and guaranteed refunds. But we will investigate the Directbet's payout solution some have mentioned in here, thanks for that.
In case you know of other ways to integrate BTC into Ethereum please let us know.

At the moment there are no races taking place because of the high transaction fees on the ethereum network. They are causing the betting fees and operation costs to skyrocket which is why we decided to temporarily postpone the next race until further notice.
However, we are working on the integration of a layer 2 solution which will provide us with better scalability and dramatically lower the tx fees for betters.

We love to take the opportunity to address your questions and concerns raised in this thread:

Animal welfare
Mia (the hamster) is not forced to do anything, as some have already pointed out.
Also she runs just as much as she wants. Currently, every 2km she runs, a new marble race starts.
If she is not in the mood for running much for a longer period (days or weeks), we can just lower that threshold to have more races. So the game adapts to her, not the other way around.
Typically she is still running in the wheel during a marble race, but on some race videos you see her getting out of the wheel and watching the marbles or just run around.

Safety of bets
As there is no guarantee that a race will take place within a certain time (Mia might get ill or just not be in the mood to run, or something far worse like an earthquake might happen),
our smart contract has an integrated refund functionality which is enabled automatically 2 days after the round has started.
You can verify this for yourself and take a look at the contract’s source code on etherscan.

Track length
We started with a short track because we wanted to make it not too random so that players can make educated guesses and not everything is dependent on pure luck.
As it turned out, the outcomes on the current short track are already very random. Making the track longer with more obstacles makes it even more unpredictable.
It looks like finding the right balance between predictability and entertainment is quite tricky for marble races, so we might as well do longer and more entertaining race tracks in the future.
After all, it should make fun to play and watch, and a longer track is certainly more entertaining!

Marble weight
We actually never measured them. But the statistics of the ~170 races during the beta phase (which you can see on the bottom of the “past races” page) did not show an advantage of any certain marble.
We don’t think that weight is a big factor, the obstacles have a much higher impact on the outcome of the races.
On a completely unobstructed track, weight would become the dominant factor for sure.

House edge
We are taking 20% of the pot, however >50% of that goes into the next round as seed money. That being said, there is no guarantee for us to make a profit in every round, and under certain circumstances it can also result in a loss for us.

[CarnagexD]

I've seen the video from a random recommendation from YouTube. I mist say, the whole gist of it is actually fantastic in a sense that nobody else had actually thought about this before. Now my question is, how can we ensure the hamster's productivity? Like let's say a game is supposed to happen this day but the hamster is not cooperating, how can we avoid that in a manner that is both human and practical?

Hi all,
Thanks for your interest in our game!
You can find our official announcement post in the altcoin subforum,
since we are using ETH and are not allowed to post in the main Gambling forum.
Make sure to subscribe there, because discussion threads like this one tend to be locked by mods after some time and we can't post to inform you about updates. You can also follow us on Twitter: @miandthemarbles

Unfortunately it is not that easy for us to add BTC as a payment option since we are using some of the more advanced features of the ethereum blockchain that allow us to do automatic payouts and guaranteed refunds. But we will investigate the Directbet's payout solution some have mentioned in here, thanks for that.
In case you know of other ways to integrate BTC into Ethereum please let us know.

At the moment there are no races taking place because of the high transaction fees on the ethereum network. They are causing the betting fees and operation costs to skyrocket which is why we decided to temporarily postpone the next race until further notice.
However, we are working on the integration of a layer 2 solution which will provide us with better scalability and dramatically lower the tx fees for betters.

We love to take the opportunity to address your questions and concerns raised in this thread:

Animal welfare
Mia (the hamster) is not forced to do anything, as some have already pointed out.
Also she runs just as much as she wants. Currently, every 2km she runs, a new marble race starts.
If she is not in the mood for running much for a longer period (days or weeks), we can just lower that threshold to have more races. So the game adapts to her, not the other way around.
Typically she is still running in the wheel during a marble race, but on some race videos you see her getting out of the wheel and watching the marbles or just run around.

Safety of bets
As there is no guarantee that a race will take place within a certain time (Mia might get ill or just not be in the mood to run, or something far worse like an earthquake might happen),
our smart contract has an integrated refund functionality which is enabled automatically 2 days after the round has started.
You can verify this for yourself and take a look at the contract’s source code on etherscan.

Track length
We started with a short track because we wanted to make it not too random so that players can make educated guesses and not everything is dependent on pure luck.
As it turned out, the outcomes on the current short track are already very random. Making the track longer with more obstacles makes it even more unpredictable.
It looks like finding the right balance between predictability and entertainment is quite tricky for marble races, so we might as well do longer and more entertaining race tracks in the future.
After all, it should make fun to play and watch, and a longer track is certainly more entertaining!

Marble weight
We actually never measured them. But the statistics of the ~170 races during the beta phase (which you can see on the bottom of the “past races” page) did not show an advantage of any certain marble.
We don’t think that weight is a big factor, the obstacles have a much higher impact on the outcome of the races.
On a completely unobstructed track, weight would become the dominant factor for sure.

House edge
We are taking 20% of the pot, however >50% of that goes into the next round as seed money. That being said, there is no guarantee for us to make a profit in every round, and under certain circumstances it can also result in a loss for us.

Okay this answers my question regarding the welfare of the animal. Glad to hear that Mia is doing well and is taken care of to the best of your abilities. One last question, in the event that Mia passes away, what are your plans? What will be the future of the game?

[Quidat]

Marble weight
We actually never measured them. But the statistics of the ~170 races during the beta phase (which you can see on the bottom of the “past races” page) did not show an advantage of any certain marble.
We don’t think that weight is a big factor, the obstacles have a much higher impact on the outcome of the races.
On a completely unobstructed track, weight would become the dominant factor for sure.

House edge
We are taking 20% of the pot, however >50% of that goes into the next round as seed money. That being said, there is no guarantee for us to make a profit in every round, and under certain circumstances it can also result in a loss for us.

Just concern about this two things. Why wouldnt consider on not to make some weighing into  those marbles? Did you know that weight will be definitely on of the main factor on which coin would fall down first?
There might be some obstacles but doesnt mean that weight will not be a deciding factor.So you should consider on breaking even when it comes to weight because if you dont mind on doing so then
i dont really trust up on how those marbles will really be dropping off with some random weight.The heavier the faster it drops though and also with that 20% deduction into the pot
which is too big, also when a certain round ends and there we no winners then 50% of funds will go to the next round and the rest?

[dunfida]

Okay this answers my question regarding the welfare of the animal. Glad to hear that Mia is doing well and is taken care of to the best of your abilities. One last question, in the event that Mia passes away, what are your plans? What will be the future of the game?

Answering with just using up your common sense on what would they do if mia passes away? They would find just for a replacement and it isnt really that hard to do.
Typically, hamsters live for up to two years, although some may live for longer depending on how its being cared nor handled.I do see that lots are really that much
concern with that hamster rather than with the game itself. hehehe. Some users had pointed out about the wrong things about Marble weight and Fees, so i would
go in matter of the course which it should really be longer so that the race wont really be that boring on seeing results in a matter 3-5 seconds?

[chaser15]

Did you know that weight will be definitely on of the main factor on which coin would fall down first?

We are gambling here so it's understandable that weight shouldn't be a factor.

If users know the weight of each marble, then the analysis will come up spoiling the main point of the game wherein everything is random, unpredictable, and will only rely on Mia's activity.

There's no consistent marble that always wins and that's the challenge.

[MiaAndTheMarbles]

Why wouldnt consider on not to make some weighing into  those marbles?

I understand your concerns. Would it be sufficient for you if we would publish the weights of each of the marbles on the mia.bet webpage?

20% deduction into the pot which is too big, also when a certain round ends and there we no winners then 50% of funds will go to the next round and the rest?

I think there is a misunderstanding. We seed each round with a fixed amount of ether, currently 3.5 ETH (i.e. 0.5 ETH on each marble).
So far we reinvested much more than 50% of the house edge in each round as seed money. Looking back, it was even more than 100%.

A list of all previous payouts and seed transactions can be found on the block explorer and some of this information on our "past races" section: https://mia.bet/past-races
We're going to provide you with even more useful stats on our webpage in the future.

[Smartprofit]

Few months before I saw a post here when a guy apparently have his idea about using his hamster for marble races for gambling and guess what ??

https://cointelegraph.com/news/the-future-of-gambling-hamster-powered-marble-races-come-to-ethereum/amp

Apparently the article has been published and it's all going forth.

The races are called *Mia and the Marbles*

I also found their youtube video and it's indeed very funny 🤣https://youtu.be/ZH4jqS53TXE

Well honestly for me the probability of one marble winning is low so I won't really bet on it but I think we can just do it for fun though.

Did someone here engage in such races ?
How was it ?
Did you win / loose?

It's not only funny but I won't mind loosing for the hamster lol whosoever's idea it was congratulations!!!

https://mia.bet/play

Here is their site :3

In my opinion, the idea is very interesting.  Hamsters can also be tokenized by creating the NFT hamster market.  

I really like that the project is being created on the Ethereum blockchain.  It is the most popular blockchain with an advanced smart contract system.  At the same time, the Ethereum network has high fees.  This can prevent such a game from becoming really popular.  Be that as it may, I think it is promising to combine gambling and blockchain.  

In my opinion, the future belongs to this approach.  Hamsters are also a popular meme in the crypto industry.

[Fortify]

It's not only funny but I won't mind loosing for the hamster lol whosoever's idea it was congratulations!!!

Haha, it is a brilliantly original idea and looks a lot more "provably fair" than most online casino games. As you say, it feels much more interesting than betting on some random slot game with cookie cutter graphics and sound effects, the hamster seems to love running on that wheel! I wonder if they'll have a few of these set ups running for when the hamster wants some downtime The only slight flaw I see in the design is the marbles, they should be kept in view at all times (instead of being fed back underneath the track) and it would be nice if they can figure out a way to verify the weight of each one on screen - a heavier weighted marble could be abused as it would run down the course faster than any other.

[dunfida]

It's not only funny but I won't mind loosing for the hamster lol whosoever's idea it was congratulations!!!

Haha, it is a brilliantly original idea and looks a lot more "provably fair" than most online casino games. As you say, it feels much more interesting than betting on some random slot game with cookie cutter graphics and sound effects, the hamster seems to love running on that wheel! I wonder if they'll have a few of these set ups running for when the hamster wants some downtime The only slight flaw I see in the design is the marbles, they should be kept in view at all times (instead of being fed back underneath the track) and it would be nice if they can figure out a way to verify the weight of each one on screen - a heavier weighted marble could be abused as it would run down the course faster than any other.

Yeah, thats the only factor i can see for this game on having some issues about being fair completely because marbles can really neither be a heavy one or a light one which
as mentioned already with some users that it should really be verified or can be seen out real-time so that at least everybody would really be that confident
that this race is actually fair and square.

I tried to visit the site and showed. The next race is postponed
The continuously high Ethereum gas fees cause betting fees and operation costs to skyrocket.

which is understandable.

[Twinkledoe]

Yeah, thats the only factor i can see for this game on having some issues about being fair completely because marbles can really neither be a heavy one or a light one which
as mentioned already with some users that it should really be verified or can be seen out real-time so that at least everybody would really be that confident
that this race is actually fair and square.

I tried to visit the site and showed. The next race is postponed
The continuously high Ethereum gas fees cause betting fees and operation costs to skyrocket.

which is understandable.

They can opt for other networks like TRX or EOS, as the fees on these networks are relatively cheap than ETH. But maybe, they are also waiting for ETH developments. We don't know yet when will eth finally address the gas efficiency problem. While waiting for that, Mia team should think of adding other alts in their system other than ETH.

[plr]

They can opt for other networks like TRX or EOS, as the fees on these networks are relatively cheap than ETH. But maybe, they are also waiting for ETH developments. We don't know yet when will eth finally address the gas efficiency problem. While waiting for that, Mia team should think of adding other alts in their system other than ETH.

No use relying on one coin only, when there are a lot of options to choose from, they should continue their races and just add more coins and tokens, their supporters will not stop supporting their races just because they stop using Eth and added other coins, other gambling sites are already doing this.

[dunfida]

Yeah, thats the only factor i can see for this game on having some issues about being fair completely because marbles can really neither be a heavy one or a light one which
as mentioned already with some users that it should really be verified or can be seen out real-time so that at least everybody would really be that confident
that this race is actually fair and square.

I tried to visit the site and showed. The next race is postponed
The continuously high Ethereum gas fees cause betting fees and operation costs to skyrocket.

which is understandable.

They can opt for other networks like TRX or EOS, as the fees on these networks are relatively cheap than ETH. But maybe, they are also waiting for ETH developments. We don't know yet when will eth finally address the gas efficiency problem. While waiting for that, Mia team should think of adding other alts in their system other than ETH.

Try to check out on whats the build of it which is purely based on erc20.Dont know on how its been set-up but its understandable that they had suspend the operation for now because of such fee or gas problem.

Adding alts? Its a no brainer but that would really be giving out some complete overhaul which might really be taking some time for those adjustments.

[acener]

Well that is something new to me this is the first time I've seen it being used for gambling,
I mean I already watch some marble race or something like guessing which one would reach the end first,
But this is the first time that I've seen it being used for gambling and with a twist.
How about adding more obstacle powered by Mia and sad that it would be postponed due to high gas fee.
Well at least Mia could practice more hope to see more on it.
And how about a live weighing of the marbles before the race start so the bettors would have a peace of mind since it look's like some are bothered by it.

[CarnagexD]

The gambling concept that the devs used is novel indeed, but until they increase their payment channels, there will be a huge bottleneck from the people who do not have ETH on their wallet, or simply those who do not want to pay the horrendously high fees just to bet. I know it will be very hard to implement such a thing at a very small span of time, but if the project is this good, money shouldn't be a problem.

[MiaAndTheMarbles]

Hi everyone,
thank you all for your feedback and continued interest over time!

Today we have some good news to share: Mia is back!
We just relaunched on Polygon network, which means:

• Free transaction fees! Gas fees are sponsored by Mia now
• Bets are now in WETH (erc-20 wrapped version of eth)
• Cheap and fast fiat on-ramps with transak

Hope to see you again soon on mia.bet
Cheers!

[Hamphser]

Hi everyone,
thank you all for your feedback and continued interest over time!

Today we have some good news to share: Mia is back!
We just relaunched on Polygon network, which means:

• Free transaction fees! Gas fees are sponsored by Mia now
• Bets are now in WETH (erc-20 wrapped version of eth)
• Cheap and fast fiat on-ramps with transak

Hope to see you again soon on mia.bet
Cheers!

Welcome back MiaAndTheMarbles!

When the site had closed down, the community thought that there is no really demand for this but this proves out that there's still someone who do interested into these kind of races

since you had came back and now on using other platform and its a good news about that free transaction fees. Using up WETH on bets is very a good choice.

Do you have plans on accepting other coins in the future?

[Lanatsa]

Is the jackpot of;
Jackpot
≈ 6,073 USD = 2.802 ETH



Recent one? or this is the older pot before this game had stopped?

Edit: Yeah, I was able to notice it too but not particular been pointing it out but its good that its been clarified.

[MiaAndTheMarbles]

Is the jackpot of;
Jackpot
≈ 6,073 USD = 2.802 ETH

Recent one? or this is the older pot before this game had stopped?

Yes, this is the most recent jackpot (or was, at the time of your writing. current one is 2.8 )

You mean because the tooltip still shows "ETH"? That's actually a good catch, we will fix that to read "WETH". Thanks for pointing out!