More tickets have been wagered on Las Vegas’ future NFL franchise to win Super Bowl LII than on any other team at the South Point sports book, which has the Raiders at 15-1 odds to win their fourth Lombardi Trophy next season.
Football
The defending Super Bowl champion Patriots will kick off the season Sept. 7 as 7-point home favorites over the Chiefs.
The NFL’s gambling policy not only allows players to visit casinos, it permits them to wager on casino games on their own personal time.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board recently granted approval for the state’s sports books to offer wagering on the NFL Draft.
Dr. Tony Alamo, the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, said neither the NFL nor the NHL has requested any betting restrictions on their games.
Perhaps more amazing than owners voting 31-1 on Monday in favor of allowing relocation for owner Mark Davis and his Raiders from Oakland to Las Vegas was that gambling was barely mentioned before ballots were cast.
A confluence of factors has led to the growing mainstream acceptance of legal sports betting, from expanding national media coverage to NBA commissioner Adam Silver emerging as a vocal proponent.
For ‘under’ bettors and Las Vegas sports books, it was as bad as a beat gets. For ‘over’ bettors, it was a veritable New Year miracle.
The chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission says Raiders games aren’t likely to come off the state’s betting boards if the NFL franchise moves from Oakland to Las Vegas — even if the league asks for a wagering prohibition on the team.
Derek Carr, like most other NFL quarterbacks, is the face of the franchise. He will determine a lot about the future of the Raiders, whether they are in Oakland or Las Vegas or again in Los Angeles.