Nevada set records in the first month of football since sportsbooks opened in other states around the countryGETTY IMAGES
A record $571M was "wagered on sports at Nevada books in September, topping the previous mark" of $565M bet in October of '17, according to Todd Dewey of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Nevada sportsbooks won a record $56.3M off those bets, topping the "previous record win in a month" of $53.3M in September '12. The wagering records were "set in the first full month of football since sports books opened in New Jersey, Mississippi, Delaware, West Virginia and New Mexico." Nevada Gaming Control Board Senior Research Analyst Michael Lawton said, “We felt that the expansion of sports wagering could have a positive effect on our business with increased acceptance and exposure. It is very early. However, this month would support that theory” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/31). ESPN.com's David Purdum noted the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement "reported that the state's sportsbooks won" $24M off $183.9M in bets in September (ESPN.com, 10/30).
PRIME TIME: The AP's Tim Dahlberg writes sports betting is "changing the way America's biggest sports approach the game." The NHL this week announced a deal with casino giant MGM Resorts Int'l that "officially ties the league to a gambling company." That follows a "similar deal MGM made earlier with the NBA." It is only a "matter of time before the NFL joins in to get a piece of the pie, and baseball wants its share, too." Those running America's sports leagues are "taking notice." There is "money to be made, and they're wasting no time in going after it" (AP, 10/31).
