 Beating The Books
NBA Playoffs Are Last Hurrah
By Buzz Daly
Vegas Sportsbooks Face Another Long, Hot Summer
With the histrionics of another dramatic March Madness fading into history, Las Vegas sportsbooks are prepping for their last big action generator, the NBA playoffs, before the onset of summer and the daily grind that is Major League Baseball.
Pro basketball has a hardcore following of bettors who, despite the well-publicized sophomoric antics of some juvenile jocks, enjoy the challenge of handicapping the NBA. Punters factor in that given the league's grueling 82-game schedule, some regular-season games are lackluster affairs, generally decided during the last few minutes in a furious burst of activity.
The sport survived a period of declining attendance due to an exodus of high-profile stars and proliferation of boring, redundant strategies by teams. Today, the NBA is once again a big draw among sports enthusiasts, with a bonus that its audience skews younger than other major spectator sports.
Moreover, the second season, as the playoffs are known, puts a shine on the NBA with world-class athletes playing for high stakes and showing off dazzling on-court performances.
What more could an adrenaline junkie ask for than an abundance of licensed bet shops offering all manner of handicapping challenges, providing instant gratification and weeks of nail-biting anguish before a wager is resolved?
This year promises to be a big one for Vegas sportsbooks as the NBA's best teams are bunched up in the Western Conference divisions, and more than the usual number of series will generate lots of competitive action, says Bob Scucci, Boyd Gaming Regional Director of Race and Sports. Given the preponderance of “left coast” bettors in Vegas, the Midwest and Pacific Division playoff entrants are expected to garner strong support.
The East is a two-way race, he notes, between Boston and Detroit, with the Celtics a surprising contender for the NBA crown. “We opened Boston at 200-1 to win the championship,” says Scucci, who operates out of the Orleans. ”Lots of bettors jumped on the Celtics bandwagon early, when they got off to such a fantastic start.”
Boyd Gaming and other books have substantial liability with futures action on Boston, and if it wins the NBA title some bottom lines will be drenched in red. The only way to hedge, observes Scucci, is to raise odds on other contenders, but he will still be rooting against the Celts.
Managing NBA lines on games is not difficult, as the spreads on sides are not especially volatile. “Totals are another issue,” Scucci says, noting that opening numbers can fluctuate wildly. “Action from a few bettors or injuries to key players can result in moves of as much as eight points.”
The veteran sportsbook executive enjoys booking and watching NBA playoffs. He also likes to give players an extra reason to bring him their action. All nine Boyd Gaming sportsbooks, including Fremont and Main Street Station downtown, Gold Coast and Orleans on the west side, Sam's Town on the Boulder Strip and Suncoast in Summerlin, offer an incentive which he believes is unique to Las Vegas: teasers of 5, 5.5 and 6 points, compared with the standard tease of 4, 4.5 and 5 points which are available elsewhere.
“If you're going to bet NBA teasers, its makes sense to do it at our sportsbooks. That additional tease is big and helps more bettors cash tickets,” Scucci says.
For players who thrive on the hurly-burly of a noisy, crowded sportsbook, the tumult of the NBA playoffs is their last chance to be a part of the scene until the leaves start turning and gridiron action commences.
Rule Barring Cell Phones in Books Under Review
An annoying regulatory rule prohibiting the use of cell phones and other electronic devices inside sportsbooks is a nuisance and may well be headed to extinction.
Nevada regulators, at the behest of several casinos, are taking another look at the law, which was enacted about 10 years ago to prevent transmission of gambling information across state lines. Bettors and bookmakers generally agree that it is time to retire this quaint but outdated nod to an era when messenger bettors frequented the books and passed along info to local bookies throughout the U.S.
Messenger betting has been rendered illegal, and lower limits by bet shops further reduces the feasibility of runners using Vegas books as outs to balance the action of illegal bookies.
“We'd really like to see this rule removed,” says Boyd Gaming's Bob Scucci. “There was a time when runners used walkie-talkies to transfer info from our boards. But times have changed.” Removing or sharply modifying the regulation would eliminate an unnecessary distraction for race and sportsbook customers.
Scucci notes that Barry Lieberman, who represents South Point casino as well as the Pari Mutuel Rates Committee, is pursuing the change with the Gaming Commission.
Under a proposal to modify the rule, patrons of sportsbooks would be permitted to use cell phones, as long as they do not disseminate gambling information. Casino personnel would be responsible for monitoring activity. A person standing in line at a betting counter, for example, could not use a cell phone.
Customers are rarely aware of the prohibition against cell phones, and resent being told by security not to use them. Local players are more aware of the law, but still don't like it. However, until change is enacted, race and sportsbook patrons should keep their cell phones out of sight when they are inside the confines of the book. |
Leroy's Opens New $4 Million Facility at Riviera
In an effort to upgrade its image and operational capabilities, Leroy's has joined with the Riviera in a $1 million renovation of vacant space in the casino to create a new 10,000-sq.-ft. race and sportsbook, which will serve as the company's flagship location.
Operating under the name Crazy Leroy's, the new space at the Riv will include 50 high-definition flat-screen televisions, a 60-foot hi-def electronic board with crawling sports-betting odds and live scores, and two dozen cubicles equipped with TV monitors.
In a departure from Leroy's 61 satellite sportsbooks around Nevada, this standalone shop will have its own bar and grill. Bettors can come into the facility via an entrance directly from the Strip.
With five betting windows and two self-service wagering kiosks, customers should have no problem getting in their action, even during the most crowded events, says John Salerno, Director of Games for Leroy's. |
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