As SuperBook Expands Across U.S., What Happens To The SuperContest?
The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas is the largest sportsbook in the world. It offers a sports betting experienced unmatched by any casino.
The SuperBook has more than 350 seats and a massive, one-of-a-kind 220-foot-by-18-foot 4K video wall. The size of the sportsbook is only part of what makes the SuperBook so popular.
The SuperBook offers some of the fairest odds in America, a large variety of betting options, and will take large wagers on a regular basis. They even have a line specifically dedicated to larger bettors. The SuperBook offers a great experience for high rollers and low rollers.
One of the best marketing tools for the Westgate (formerly Hilton and LVH) SuperBook has been the SuperContest. The pro football betting contest costs $1,500 to enter and has participants all over the world. The word of mouth from celebrities, gamblers, and football fans have helped the popularity of contest to grow annually.
Even though picks have to be placed in Nevada, the Westgate allows participants to hire a proxy to place wagers in their place. This is the biggest reason for the growth of the SuperContest. The football contest started with 342 contestants in 2007 and grew to 2,748 in 2017.
The prize for first place last year was more than $1 million and it should be even more this year. The SuperContest is way ahead of last year’s record number of entries.
Actually pace is up 31% over last year’s record pace. Current count: 659 vs 501 (2017). SCG 26 vs 10 (2017). https://t.co/GY0uv6rPHB
— LVSuperBook (@LVSuperBook) August 5, 2018
The week-old tweet above is already out of date. The SuperContest already has more than 900 entries and the NFL season doesn’t start for another three weeks. Earlier this year, Westgate Vice President of Sports Operations Jay Kornegay told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he’s expecting 3,500 to 4,000 participants in this year’s SuperContest.
The popularity of the SuperContest could grow even more in the future. The Westgate is working with software developers to offer a mobile app just for the SuperContest. The app will be accessible to anyone in the state of Nevada.
Residents who can’t visit the casino to make their picks in person every week will be able to do so without stepping foot in the Westgate or hiring a proxy. Yes, there are residents in Las Vegas and around the state that hire a person to make the picks in person.
Making picks from an app could help out of state residents too. A proxy will still be necessary but might come at a lower rate. Part of the fee pays for the proxy to drive to the casino. Since they won’t have to physically visit the Westgate every week to submit picks they might lower their rates.
The Westgate SuperContest app should be ready by the beginning of the NFL season. That’s not a guarantee as we’re less than a month away, so don’t expect changes straight away.
SuperBook expanding
The Westgate hasn’t made an official announcement yet but they’ve leaked to some media outlets that they will begin offering their sportsbook services to casinos outside of Nevada. The new company will be as a separate entity from the Westgate, operating independently and offering line services to other casino operators.
This new company will, in essence, make the SuperBook an outside sportsbook operator similar to William Hill. According to Patrick Everson from Covers.com, Kornegay said he hopes to be operating sportsbooks in other states by the end of the year. An official announcement for the new company is expected soon.
The addition of SuperBook odds around the country could be great for sports bettors. They offer some of the best odds in Nevada and that should extend to their new properties. Sports betting outside of Nevada has gotten off to a bumpy start with complaints about large vig from some sportsbook operators. A local SuperBook could make this a great option for a casino looking for a savvy sports bettor looking for the best wagering options.
More SuperContests
The SuperBook expansion won’t funnel customers looking to participate in the SuperContest to Las Vegas. Kornegay tells TheLines that each new SuperBook location would run their own SuperContest within the particular state. As the original SuperContest in Las Vegas grows it becomes more difficult to win.
Having smaller contests around the country could provide a better opportunity for sharp handicappers to win a SuperContest. In this scenario, the Las Vegas SuperContest will still remain the richest and most prestigious.
More SuperBooks?
The extension of the SuperBook brand is more than just great betting options. The Las Vegas SuperBook is the largest sportsbook in the world. The massive viewing screen and 350 seats dwarf anything available in other states.
Coming to you live from the Beau Rivage Sportsbook 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/HD93FefTcP
— Atlanta Sports Guy (@Atlantasportguy) August 12, 2018
Any sportsbook can be a great sportsbook because legal sports betting is great. However, no sportsbook outside of Nevada can offer the same experience of the SuperBook. Experienced sports bettors may care more about the best lines. Inexperienced sports bettors need will need to enjoy the experience as much as getting a fair bet.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook experience brings awe to everyone that walks into the sportsbook. The new SuperBook locations may not all have the same physical structure as the original in Las Vegas. Kornegay says that the size and scope of each new SuperBook will be based on regulations and what the partner property has to offer. Fingers crossed that the rest of the country will see the same great sportsbook experience as Las Vegas.
Hooters? Dave & Buster’s? Which Sports Bar Is Next To Serve Sports Bettors?
The largest bar/restaurant chain in the United States shouldn’t come as surprise to anyone. According to Restaurant Biz, Buffalo Wild Wings had sales of $3,785 billion in 2016. That’s a lot of beer and wings. You may have heard that BW3 is considering offering sports betting themselves or partnering with a sports betting company like DraftKings Sportsbook.
The idea of a sports bar and restaurant offering sports betting or partnering with a sports betting operation makes almost too much sense. The next logical question is: who’s next? The sports bar and restaurant chain that had the second most sales in 2016 was Hooters with $864,000,000. In fact, three of the top seven bar/restaurants are also known as a “breastaurant.”
Urban Dictionary has more information if you’re not familiar with the nickname breastaurant. (Excuse the colorful language.)
- A restaurant such as Hooters where scantily clad waitresses have their frontal assets on display, tits on a tray if you will.
- A local nosh house, preferably of the dive variety, where a well-endowed serving wench is want to lean suggestively over your food.
Buffalo Wild Wings had the most sales of any bar and restaurant chain in America. Hooters was second but a distant second. Twin Peaks had the fourth most sales for a bar and restaurant chain in the United States with $332,900,000 in sales. Tilted Kilt finished in the number seven position on the list. They had $180,600 in sales in 2016 despite having more locations than Twin Peaks.
Beer – Wings – Sports Betting – Boobs
Buffalo Wild Wings is an obvious partner for someone looking to expand sports betting to mainstream America. They’re the largest chain by a big margin. Once that deal is complete it isn’t a stretch to imagine other companies would look to the other top sports bars and restaurants for an outlet beyond casinos and racetracks.
While Hooters operates a casino in Las Vegas, they don’t operate the sportsbook. The casino is home to one of the 100-plus William Hill sportsbooks in Nevada. There are more than 400 Hooters restaurants around the world. They have breastaurant locations in 42 states in America. This wouldn’t be a bad partner for William Hill or another sportsbook operator as sports betting becomes legal in more states.
It’s probably a coincidence there are locations for both Twin Peaks and Tilted Kilt attached to Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas. Twin Peaks on the Vegas Strip is located at Harmon Corner next to Planet Hollywood casino. The walk to the sportsbook takes about 90 seconds if you want to place a wager on a game.
Tilted Kilt on the Vegas Strip is located at The Linq Shopping promenade. The breastaurant is nestled between two large casino-resorts. The sportsbooks inside the Flamingo and The Linq casino are both about two minutes away as you wade through people walking through the promenade.
Caesars Entertainment is working on expanding their sportsbook operations to their large network of casinos around the country. If Caesars decides to look outside of their casinos maybe there’s a Total Rewards, Caesars Entertainment, breastaurant partnership possible in the future.
‘Hard Knocks’ Hype: Things To Know Before Betting The Cleveland Browns
The NFL is officially underway now that the first episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” is in the books. This season’s show features the Cleveland Browns. While viewers love the drama of NFL training camp, many teams avoid appearing on “Hard Knocks” because the cameras can be a distraction. The Browns have nowhere to go but up, so why not let cameras into camp?
There was a bit of innocence with teams participating on “Hard Knocks” in the early days of the show that started in 2001. Since the show started it seems as if players are overly aware that the cameras are on. Jarvis Landry trying to make “bless him” a cool catchphrase is so fetch. Of course, we’ll never forget J.J. Watt using “Hard Knocks” as an infomercial for himself.
Ironically, that Houston Texans team is one of two “Hard Knocks” teams to finish above their season win total in the past five years. The recent history of teams appearing on “Hard Knocks” doesn’t offer a strong trend against their win total set by the sportsbooks. The Rams (2016) and Bucs (2017) didn’t come close to reaching their projected win total.
2013 – Cincinnati Bengals – Preseason win total: 8.5 – actual win total: 11 – Result: Over
2014 – Atlanta Falcons – Preseason win total: 8 – actual win total: 6 – Result: Under
2015 – Houston Texans – Preseason win total: 8.5 – actual win total: 9 – Result: Over
2016 – Los Angeles Rams – Preseason win total: 7 – actual win total: 4 – Result: Under
2017 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Preseason win total: 8.5 – actual win total: 5 – Result: Under
Betting on the Cleveland Browns now
The Browns enter the season with limited expectations. After all, a single win is an improvement on the winless 2017 season. The 2018 season win total for the Browns at the Westgate in Las Vegas is currently six wins. There’s a lean to the under at -130. The Browns winning more than six games is +160.
Wagers on whether the Browns will make the playoffs at the Westgate tells a similar story. The odds on the Cleveland Browns to make the playoffs is leaning very much to the No. The Browns are -650 (bet $650 to win $100) not to make the playoffs. The odds of the Browns making the playoffs are +450 (bet $100 to win $450).
Maybe the season isn’t over already for the Cleveland Browns. The odds listed for them to win the AFC North are +1000. That’s not the worst in the division. The Cincinnati Bengals have the longest odds to win the AFC North at +1600. In case you’re curious, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the favorite to win the division at -260.
While we’re looking at current Cleveland Browns odds at the Westgate, they’re +4000 to win the AFC and +8000 to win the Super Bowl.
If you have “Hard Knocks” fever you can wager on their first preseason game of the year versus the New York Giants. The Browns are currently a -1 favorite at the Westgate. The game has a total of 34.5 if you think there will (or won’t) be a lot of points scored. Here’s a place to start if you’re looking to handicap the preseason games. Baker Mayfield will start the season as the backup to Tyrod Taylor but should see “extensive work” during the preseason.
Westgate Superbook Releases Opening NBA Win Totals For 2018-19 Season
There’s a reason the SuperBook at the Westgate is one of the most popular sportsbooks in Nevada. They’re often the first sportsbook in Las Vegas to post odds for sports bettors. They’ve done it once again by being the first Las Vegas casino to postseason win totals for the NBA.
There won’t be any pushes on the over/under for NBA season win totals. Each early wager on an NBA season win total at the Westgate will be over or under the total since each total is a half game. That’s sure to change over time as wagers are made. Here are the first NBA season win totals for each team in the league.
NBA Win Totals 2018-19 (Westgate Superbook)
| Team | Opening Line | Current Line (8/5/18) |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | 23.5 | 23.5 |
| Boston Celtics | 57.5 | 57.5 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 32.5 | 32.5 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 35.5 | 35.5 |
| Chicago Bulls | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 30.5 | 30.5 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 34.5 | 34.5 |
| Denver Nuggets | 47.5 | 47.5 |
| Detroit Pistons | 37.5 | 37.5 |
| Golden State Warriors | 62.5 | 62.5 |
| Houston Rockets | 54.5 | 54.5 |
| Indiana Pacers | 47.5 | 47.5 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 35.5 | 35.5 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 48.5 | 48.5 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 34.5 | 34.5 |
| Miami Heat | 41.5 | 41.5 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 46.5 | 46.5 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 44.5 | 44.5 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| New York Knicks | 29.5 | 29.5 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 50.5 | 50.5 |
| Orlando Magic | 31.5 | 31.5 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 54.5 | 54.5 |
| Phoenix Suns | 28.5 | 28.5 |
| Portland Trailblazers | 41.5 | 41.5 |
| Sacramento Kings | 25.5 | 25.5 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 43.5 | 43.5 |
| Toronto Raptors | 54.5 | 54.5 |
| Utah Jazz | 48.5 | 48.5 |
| Washington Wizards | 44.5 | 44.5 |
The NBA hasn’t released its schedule yet but the season should begin in mid to late October. These opening NBA season win totals will change regularly as bettors place wagers on the games.
The Westgate already has an extensive NBA wagering menu. There are propositions for every team to make the playoffs (the Warriors are -10000). They also have a prop on whether the Los Angeles Lakers will win the NBA Championship by the 2021-2022 finals (Yes +150, No -180). The world’s largest sportsbook also have NBA futures available for the championship, conference, and division winners.
What Can MGM Do With Official NBA Data? Let’s Speculate
Earlier this week, MGM Resorts became the official gaming partner of the NBA. The partnership gives the MGM Resorts the right to use official NBA (and WNBA) league logos and other marketing considerations.
Through this deal, MGM Resorts also has a non-exclusive deal to use official league data across their sports betting platforms. Other casino operators might be able to pay the NBA for the use of the data, but they won’t be able to pay the NBA for the marketing that comes as part of this deal.
But here’s why this is big for MGM: The official NBA data will reach MGM Resorts and any other casino company that has access BEFORE unofficial data. Additionally, MGM Resorts will have access to the NBA’s Second Spectrum data. The latter was divulged during the Q & A session after the official press conference.
So, Let’s Dance!
MGM Resorts hasn’t said how they’ll use the data from the NBA since announcing the partnership. They keep on touting how in-play betting is the future and how this deal will help them be top of the pack. Unfortunately, MGM Resorts lacks specific examples.
MGM Resorts is only pointing to their recent joint venture with GVC as a way to improve their sports betting technology. In theory, this should make the in-play wagering available from MGM Resorts better than other sportsbook operators.
Until we see something tangible from MGM Resorts, anything you see is all just words. Right now anyone saying this deal is meaningful or meaningless is just guessing. Since we’re all just guessing, let’s think about how the official data from the NBA could make betting with MGM Resorts properties especially better.
- Official Data: There are way more NBA statistics available than most people know. Sports bettors do not have access to wager on much of this data anywhere in the United States. The potential for prop bets and in-play is huge. Of course, MGM Resorts and GVC have to use the data to make new and unique wagering opportunities available.
- Faster Data: The feeds that exist for in-play wagering are fairly quick already. A bettor might be able to reconcile a wager a few seconds early. Perhaps MGM Resorts will find a way to make this more useful to gamblers.
- Second Spectrum Data: This company tracks NBA players unlike anyone else. You see a lot of their data used on ESPN (see video about halfway down the page). Like the official NBA stats this data could offer MGM Resorts access to create some unique wagering options that you can only play at their casino/sportsbook.
Wait and see
The NBA doesn’t even have a schedule yet, so be patient. The season should begin around the middle of October. MGM Resorts has just over two months to figure out what they’re going to do with all of this data that they have access to. Let’s see if they use the data to improve the gambling or if there’s something else going on with this deal.
Claim Your Free Bet Up To $200 At DraftKings Sportsbook!
-
-
- Free Bet Up To $200
T&Cs Apply
-
DraftKings Sportsbook Review
- First Bet Matched up to $200
- Use Our Link – No Code Required
- Bet On NFL, MLB, NBA + More
- Deposit: Paypal, CC
-
Here’s What ‘Official Gaming Partner’ Of The NBA Means For MGM Resorts
MGM Resorts International has been a busy beaver ahead of their quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday. By Monday of this week, they already announced the partnership with GVC, Mississippi sportsbook openings, and a partnership with Boyd Gaming. Now it’s time for another big sports betting announcement (or two).
On Tuesday the NBA announced that MGM Resorts would be the first official ‘gaming’ (not gambling) partnership. The deal allows MGM Resorts to use official NBA data and branding. However, this is a non-exclusive deal so expect the NBA to pimp this deal to other casino and sportsbook operators around the country.
Here are some highlights of the deal between the NBA and MGM Resorts:
- MGM Resorts becomes the Official Gaming Partner of the NBA and WNBA.
- MGM Resorts will use official NBA and WNBA data.
- MGM Resorts will use NBA and WNBA branding across land-based and digital sports betting offerings throughout the U.S.
- MGM Resorts shows their commitment to responsible gambling and protecting NBA game integrity.
- MGM Resorts and the NBA will collaborate to create a series of integrations across NBA platforms, including a special digital content series
Beyond the data use and “integrity” efforts, this is essentially a marketing deal. MGM Resorts created an easy-to-read presentation that mentions that MGM Resorts and the NBA will collaborate to create a series of integrations across NBA platforms, including a special digital content series.
Neither the NBA or MGM released financial details of this deal. However, Darren Rovell from ESPN tweeted that the deal is for three years and more than $25 million. Every other casino and sportsbook operator is probably cursing at MGM Resorts for putting a price on official data and branding.
The NBA plans on shopping similar deals around to other casino and sportsbook operators. MGM Resorts hasn’t said if they will be making similar deals with other leagues.
MGM Resorts and NBA have a good thing going
This deal reflects the strong relationship that MGM Resorts and the NBA have formed over the past several years. MGM Resorts is a partner for the NBA Summer League. The casino operator also owns the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.
MGM Resorts has been trying to get an NBA team to play in Las Vegas for years. MGM Resorts is co-owner of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This deal continues a good relationship that could one day include a team playing in Las Vegas.
But wait…there’s more
Towards the end of the press conference, MGM Resorts CEO, Jim Murren, announced that the company would begin taking mobile wagers in New Jersey by the end of the week. This is the first announcement on when any sportsbook operator in New Jersey will take mobile wagers. MGM Resorts owns Borgata. Expect more details on this later in the week.
Legal Sportsbooks Coming To A Casino Near You!
Get ready for local sportsbook news! We’re in the middle of gaming corporations reporting their quarterly earnings. When these companies have earnings calls with investors and advisors they often share forward-looking information. Casino operators are particularly great because they often share information publicly for the first time.
The first batch of casino corporations to report earnings were Penn National Gaming and Boyd Gaming. Both companies have casinos located in Las Vegas and around the country. Now that sports betting is legal outside of Nevada, these kind of companies are preparing their casinos outside of the Silver State to take sports bets.
Boyd is ready to go in Mississippi
On its earnings call, Boyd Gaming said that it will be ready to take sports bets at its Mississippi casinos as soon as regulators allow it. Boyd Gaming operates approximately 10 casinos and sportsbooks in Nevada and will oversee its own operations at its Mississippi casinos. Boyd operates Sam’s Town in Tunica and IP in Biloxi.
Boyd Gaming expects to take bets in early August. The company is hoping to take bets on NFL preseason games and should be ready in time for college football season. Again, everything in Mississippi depends on regulatory approval.
Boyd Gaming caters mostly to locals in Nevada and has 40 years of experience operating casinos. An experienced casino and sportsbook operator should be able to expand operations smoothly. There shouldn’t be any shenanigans like FanDuel had when it opened its first sportsbook at Meadowlands in New Jersey. You can see the early FanDuel experience here and here.
It appears as though the Boyd Gaming casinos in Mississippi will use the same lines and odds that originate in Las Vegas. We still don’t know how lines in Nevada will be shaded for football season. Originating lines in Las Vegas could provide an opportunity for SEC bettors to find favorable lines and odds on their teams.
On the earnings call, Boyd Gaming said the purchase of Valley Forge casino in Pennsylvania should close in the fourth quarter. The company did not commit to taking sports bets and said there are still evaluating the situation to see if taking bets makes sense in PA. Stay tuned.
Penn National Gaming preparing for kickoff
Penn National Gaming is also gung-ho for sports betting but doesn’t seem quite as ready as Boyd Gaming. It is planning to accept wagers on sporting at their Mississippi and in West Virginia casinos in time for the NFL regular season.
Penn National Gaming operates Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia and Boomtown Casino in Biloxi, MS, Hollywood Casino in Tunica, MS, and Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast in Bay St. Louis, MS. Penn wasn’t specific which casinos would offer sports betting on its call.
Penn National Gaming does not operate the sportsbooks in its Nevada casinos. CG Technology (formerly Cantor Gaming) operates the sportsbooks at M Resort and the Tropicana in Las Vegas. There’s no word on who will operate Penn’s sportsbooks around the country.
Like Boyd, Penn National is cautious about opening a sportsbook in their Pennsylvania casino.
Looking ahead to MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment earnings
MGM Resorts should have plenty of sports betting news when it reports earnings on Aug. 1. MGM already told ESPN that it is working with regulators in Mississippi and hopes to begin taking bets soon.
It appears as though Caesars Entertainment might be taking bets in New Jersey by the time it reports earnings on Aug. 2. Bally’s and Harrah’s in Atlantic City are currently in the process of setting up temporary sportsbooks. Caesars operates three casinos in Mississippi so we should hear news about more casinos offering sports bets.
Jim Harbaugh On Sports Betting: “Avoid It Like The Plague”
Jim Harbaugh is one of the most fun coaches in college football today. He’s been successful at Stanford and colorful at Michigan. He might even be a little weird. Maybe Michigan will beat Ohio State someday. That’s a discussion for another place and time.
The Big 10 is holding its annual media day before football season and you can bet that Harbaugh had a lot to say. He started out his press conference without an opening statement like other coaches. He went right into answering questions from the media.
As you’d expect, the questions quickly turned to sports gambling now that it’s being legalized around the country. Harbaugh may not be a fan.
.@UMichFootball coach Jim Harbaugh had quite the stance on sports betting at his presser: “Don’t gamble. Don’t associate with gamblers. Avoid it like the plague. Don’t walk away from that, run.”
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkesESPN) July 23, 2018
It isn’t a surprise that Harbaugh was direct and blunt about his feelings towards gambling. He’s usually either very straightforward in press conferences or totally avoids the questions. The comments above appear as though they’re how the coach personally feels. The comments are also being directed towards football players at Michigan. To be honest, it’s pretty good advice.
The rest of the media day for Jim Harbaugh was fairly by the numbers. The one standout comment is that he’d like to see the college football playoff expand. Jim Harbaugh says he would like to see the playoff expand to eight and then again to 16 teams.
How much fun would a 16 team NCAA football playoff be to bet on?
Big 10 Commish discusses player availability
Gambling was on top of the mind of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. He was the first to speak at Big 10 media day and brought up the topic of the teams providing a weekly player availability report. Delany seems to understand that gambling on college football isn’t new. ESPN noted that “Delany said that other than home field, personnel availability has the biggest impact on gambling ‘legally or illegally.’” You don’t find too many people in a position of power in sports addressing illegal gambling so directly.
A couple of the Big 10 coaches had different thoughts on the player availability reports. Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck is on board given they don’t violate any student privacy laws. He’d like to see who’s not playing on the other team for their games. On the other hand, Scott Frost from Nebraska said he will only participate if he’s forced to.
So … What Was Up With The FanDuel Sportsbook Vig On Opening Day?
There was excitement when the FanDuel sportsbook opened at the Meadowlands over the weekend. The new sportsbook in East Rutherford, New Jersey is the closest to New York City. Since FanDuel is owned by European bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair there was a lot of anticipation for a new sportsbook operator to offer fair lines in the United States. That excitement diminished quickly when lines started to leak out.
Yikes. FanDuel vig at the Meadowlands is steep. pic.twitter.com/2AFadfdA1n
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) July 14, 2018
Yowza!
That’s a pretty large vig for lines in Major League Baseball games. Twitter blew up. It was almost like the first born child was taken away from every household. STOP THE PRESSES! FU FANDUEL! Suck it Paddy Power! You’re the Devil! The DEVILLLLLLLL!
FanDuel may have been listening to the many complaints online because their week one NFL game point spreads are all available for the traditional -110. The baseball game spreads aren’t great but they opened better on the second day of business.
Did they do better lines today?? pic.twitter.com/zNsRNuSzoa
— MopeMan (@Mopeman) July 15, 2018
We can all agree that bad lines suck and nobody should offer them. In a perfect world, every sportsbook or bookie will offer a fair line and take any wager. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
It’s not personal, it’s just business
Investopedia describes a free market as “an economic system based on supply and demand…”
If there are customers willing to pay more for their legal sports wager they can do that. If saving 20 cents on a line is that important to sports bettors in Northern New Jersey they can still bet illegally or drive 45 minutes or so to Monmouth Park for William Hill lines. When those lines aren’t good enough, MGM Resorts sportsbook at Borgata is about another 90 minutes south. Of course, there’s always the local bookie that might offer the best lines.
FanDuel and any business for that matter have a right to charge whatever they want for their product or service. Likewise, customers have the right to shop around and buy from any location that works for them. Sports bettors can speak with their money and possibly make FanDuel change their high vig on baseball games.
Businesses like FanDuel will adjust their strategy to keep the customer base they want and need in order to make money. That’s their right as a business owner. It appears as though they may have made some adjustments after the first day.
Shopping around is free
Experienced sports bettors are a savvy bunch and know to shop around for the best lines. However, there are plenty of less experienced bettors that don’t know or care about how much the sportsbook operator is making on average. They just want to have a little action on their favorite team.
Customers in New Jersey and surrounding areas have three legal sportsbook operators to choose from and there are more on the way. There are also plenty of guys willing to take action illegally. Further, there are offshore options available to a different gambler. Customers can shop around and bet with the retail option that works best for them. It’s no different than buying a TV.
Helping the less experienced bettors
It’s easy to get caught up in the frustration of bad sportsbook operators. However, complaining doesn’t help educate the guy that would rather play a $5 10-team parlay with bad lines than a single dime line MLB game.
This is an opportunity for the experienced gamblers to teach the noobz why bad lines are bad. Maybe there’s a local sportsbook operator where they can get good lines. What’s the saying? “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Get $20 Free at FanDuel!
-
-
- Instant $20
On First Deposit
-
FanDuel Review
- MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL
- GPP, H2H, Leagues
- Deposit: Paypal, CC
-
Suspicions At Wimbledon Further Demonstrate Why Leagues Need Distance From Betting
We love sports because of the game being played. Whether you’re a baseball, basketball or football fan you watch because you want to see a fair and competitive game.
Sports has been this way forever. We expect a fair and honest game to unfold whether there’s money on the line or not.
Integrity is important to the legitimacy of a sport regardless of gambling. Believe it or not, professional tennis has been at the forefront of integrity for professional sports. The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) is the anti-corruption body covering all professional tennis around the world. Even though the professional tennis associations and major tournaments fund the TIU there are still matches that slip through the cracks.
The most recent tennis match that to draw attention for potentially being fixed by a participant happened during the first round of Wimbledon. ABC News from Australia was the first to report that a doubles match with David Marrero was flagged for suspicious betting behavior. This wasn’t tagged by the Tennis Integrity Unit who still hasn’t done anything official with the player.
Who should be tracking the integrity of sports?
The unusual odds movement in the Marrero match was caught by online bookmaker Pinnacle Sports. The tournament and affiliated associations wouldn’t have been able to see betting patterns before a match started or while it was being played. However, sportsbook operators can see strange betting patterns as the wagers are being placed.
This is the second time a Marrero match has been flagged by Pinnacle for suspicious activity. His first-round doubles match at the 2016 Australian Open was taken off the board at Pinnacle. This match was actually this event that spawned the idea of the Tennis Integrity Unit.
The Tennis Integrity Unit hasn’t taken action against Marrero for the possible Wimbledon transgression yet. Pinnacle’s integrity unit took immediate measures to make sure their customers were protected against any shenanigans. Thanks to the sportsbook operator, bettors and fans know something was up with the Marrero loss in the first round of Wimbledon.
Game and match fixing doesn’t happen often thanks to both leagues and sportsbook operators. The league has to keep their sport aboveboard so people will attend and watch games. The sportsbook operators have to track the legitimacy of an event to protect their customers. There has been a good check and balance between the two entities over the years.
Sports leagues might not realize it but the combination of both entities keeping the games legitimate is probably the best thing for fans – aka their customers. Diving into the integrity business isn’t a foolproof plan as the Tennis Integrity Unit has shown. Evidently cheating in tennis is still rampant.
Sure everyone wants a cut of the money wagered on sports but integrity and oversight aren’t new for the leagues. Charging sportsbook operators to track integrity now isn’t only disingenuous but it’s also messing with a system that has worked for years. The leagues should realize there will be revenue from sports betting without expanding the integrity they’ve been providing their league for years.