In-Game Betting Expected to Draw Large Crowd This Sunday
Thanks to the increase of “in-game” betting at Las Vegas sportsbooks, some are predicting that this Sunday’s Super Bowl game will attracts more bets than any other Super Bowl game in history. In-game betting allows patrons to bet on virtually every play of the game. Lagasse’s Stadium, a restaurant/bar located in the Palazzo in Las Vegas, NV, has made available hand held devices, distributed by Cantor Gaming, to facilitate in-game betting. This will enable patrons to bet on an adjusted money line, point spread, and total throughout the game, as well as wagers such as “will this play result in a first down,” “will the kicker made this field goal,” etc.
Mike Colbert, the Director of Race and Sports at M Resort in Las Vegas says ,”It’s going to be enormous. We’re expecting the highest turnout for in-running betting that we’ve ever had. It’s been getting more popular with every week and with the Super Bowl I would expect us to be using every device we have on hand by the time kickoff comes around.” That’s great news for resort owners who know that it will be a day of high returns for them and in a post-recession economy, that’s more than they can hope for.
While Cantor Gaming is the only company distributing hand held mobile gaming devices, in-game betting will also be utilized at all thirteen of the Lucky’s Sportsbooks in Nevada. While a patron cannot participate in play-by-play wagering at these locations, during each commercial break customers can go to the window and place their wagers with a new point spread and over/under.
Concerns at gaming outlets regarding in-game betting are mostly logistical ones such as crowd control and help for patrons who need help comprehending the system. John Avello, Race & Sports Book Director at the Wynn, is unsure as to whether these concerns will be addressed in time for Super Sunday, but says, “There a lot of safeguards that will have to be put in place, but eventually it has to happen. It only makes sense. When you have something that the customers want, you hope to make it easy and accessible for them. That’s the name of the game.”
