1001 Ways to Make Money If You Dare (87 page)

537 PLAY THE SLOTS.
The good thing about slot machines is that you can invest pennies and walk away with millions — but the odds are pretty unlikely. Save your change for a year. If you're still up for it, head to a casino and spend the day playing the slots. If you're not, well, that's a lot of change, so you still have some cash.

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538 BET ON HORSES.
Horse racing goes back hundreds of years. You can win or lose hundreds (or more) by heading to the track. The big race, the Kentucky Derby, offers the largest payout. But if you don't look good in big floppy hats (and who does?), visit
HorseBetting.com
to find a comprehensive list of races around the country.

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539 BET ON DOGS.
They're like horses, only smaller — but the pennies you can win off these four-legged racers are just as pretty. You'll need to get over the whole inhumane treatment thing though if you want to make a wager (many tracks are coming under scrutiny — and being closed — for the way they treat the animals).

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540 BET ON PRO SPORTS.
Anyone can bet a buddy $20 on a Monday Night Football game, but if you want to win big, get yourself a bookie. Since these shady characters generally don't advertise their services, your best bet is to head to a sports bar and find out where you can get in on some action.

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541 BE A
MADE
COACH.
No one knows how to take advantage of suckers like MTV. Besides drawing you into twelve-hour marathons of
Next
, they created a series called
Made
that features high school students looking to become a new person. Contestants have become hip-hop dancers, motorbike riders, and cheerleaders. If you have a talent that someone would actually envy, then visit the Made section of
MTV.com
. You could make a tomboy into a prom queen in no time.

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542 START A MARCH MADNESS POOL.
March is the one time of year when the whole country pays attention to college basketball. Consider your office — do most of them know more about
Top Chef
than college ball? Take advantage of their NCAA naiveté and start a pool — skimming an organizer's fee from the pool. Hey, you did have to use a ruler to make that grid so straight.

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