Will There Be Mobile Betting in Vegas Raider Stadium
UPDATE: The Las Vegas Raiders have a new stadium approved and ready for construction and completion in 2020. Fans who attend games will have their smart phone mobile devices ready to place wagers on NFL games. Most sports books in Vegas have a mobile betting platform available for anyone to open an account with a minimum deposit. Even non-resident visitors can start an account and start betting from anywhere inside the Nevada state borders.
The NFL has a strong anti-gambling policy and knew there would be a conflict of interest by relocating the Raiders to Las Vegas.
Does mobile betting fall under the prohibited game umbrella. Apparently, all forms of gambling are supposed to be banned in the stadium but the latest update is nothing in the stadium lease mentions access to a mobile betting app offered by the sports books. Nevada sports books have been offering mobile betting for several years which allows bettors with approved accounts to place bets. Mobile betting is well received by bettors and is a big part of the sports books operations. Bettors like the convenience of betting from home or elsewhere without having to visit a sports book casino. Revenue from this mobile platform is close to 40% of the total sports betting handle. Mobile betting is a significant part of the Vegas legal betting environment.
This lack of betting access information missing from the stadium lease is probably an oversight by the NFL and the Raiders. How could this potential problem not be mentioned in the lease unless an addendum to the lease is forthcoming. Then the conflict of issues flares up with the NFL and the Raiders trying to push their anti-gambling agenda in the face of the Las Vegas casino owners and city officials.
Vegas was built on gambling and will not change their identity for anyone. There will be friction in the league office and a standoff likely unless both sides compromise and reach a solution.
There is plenty of time for the NFL and sports books to reach an agreement on the issue of betting on games. But as previously stated, the NFL has not asked the sports books to remove the Raiders to “off the board” status which would prevent all betting just on the Raider game — no point spread or total would be listed on the betting board. By removing the Raiders from the betting board would be a token gesture by the sports books to appease the NFL front office and a possible solution to this issue. The rest of the world can bet the Raiders but not in Nevada. Besides, the books would lose some action on the Raiders but it would only be eight games a year when they play at home.
However, nothing will stop mobile betting at the Raider stadium on all the other games being played at the same time across the country. Mobile betting is here to stay and is ubiquitous throughout Vegas and cannot be stopped in any way even if the stadium had signs prohibiting mobile betting. How can security keep tabs on 60,000 people attending a game in the new stadium. Security has more important jobs to monitor and respond to with the enormous size of the stadium. But there could be an agreement that stadium betting is off limits. How will they enforce it is a technological problem. The NFL holds games in London where betting is legal and done through betting kiosks and mobile. However, betting kiosks are non operational inside the stadium during the game. The NFL had the influence to get an agreement with the London officials —- but that is not Las Vegas.
However, bettors get their bets in before the game starts and will attend the game after betting but that is a small justification for why bettors will not bet inside the stadium. Any added regulations added to the lease to clarify mobile betting inside the stadium is fruitless. People always find ways around rules and regulations in all walks of life. Bettors might want to get a half time bet in on other games or need to text their wives or friends. Many thousands of fans at the game will be using their smart phones at any one time. How can any ban be effective.
