Casino City’s Friday Five: Sports betting and Super Bowl edition
Let’s start with the new sportsbook:
5. GiG powers Hard Rock’s sportsbook launch in New Jersey
The new omni-channel sportsbook now allows players to place bets online and on the mobile app within the state of New Jersey, and in person on the casino floor at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Atlantic City.
New Jersey was the first state in the U.S. to open up a sports betting market following the Supreme Court’s decision in 2018 to repeal the federal ban on sports betting. Since the first bet was placed in July last year, the market has quickly grown to a value of$21 million per month, with around 70% being online.
This introduction of the sportsbook could not have come at a better time, just days before Super Bowl Weekend.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch our online and on-property sportsbook, providing our guests and players the opportunity to bet on football’s big game this weekend,” said Joe Lupo, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
We're proud to have launched the new omni-channel #sportsbook for @HardRockHCAC, making Hard Rock Casino the most exciting place to play, win and earn rewards in #NewJersey. https://t.co/Odvj8QaSnO pic.twitter.com/0nYB9j4Ujv
— Gaming Innovation Gr (@GIG_online) January 30, 2019
4. Jimmy Vaccaro explains his decision to leave Las Vegas and head home to Pittsburgh
After finalizing his paperwork first thing this morning, former bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro began his new job at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh today.
Vaccaro, who has spent the better part of the last four decades in Las Vegas putting together a storied career that saw him become one of the most well-known sportsbook figures in the U.S., will start his new gig at Rivers Casino not as oddsmaker, but in an executive marketing role for the new sportsbook that opened its doors in December.
Vaccaro grew up in Trafford just 20 miles west of the property, where he first learned about sports betting.
"Really, it's not as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be," Vaccaro said by phone from his new digs in Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon. "It's just that at the tender age of 73 years old, there comes a time when you want to do something different. I'm not running the sportsbook or making big decisions for them, so that's kind of refreshing for me. And to have the chance to do it where I grew up, it’s just something I really wanted to give a try."
#Sportsbook icon Jimmy Vaccaro explains to @casinocity why he decided to move on from @southpointlv and Las Vegas after more than four decades to return home to Pennsylvania at @WinBigRivers: https://t.co/KxOa9Bujjz pic.twitter.com/7TiraL12TM
— Gary Trask (@casinocityGT) February 1, 2019
3. Pearl River Resort to offer new sports betting options
After opening a new sportsbook five months ago, Pearl River Resort in Mississippi – home to Silver Star Hotel & Casino, Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, and Bok Homa Casino – will officially launch the state's first mobile on-premises sports betting.
The launch of Quick Bet Kiosks will soon follow.
With these new additions, guests will be able to conveniently place bets on the gaming floor at Golden Moon, Silver Star and Bok Homa. The self-service quick bet kiosks will offer traditional sports betting in which guests can bet on all professional league sports and major collegiate sporting events.
2. Top 10 Super Bowl prop bets and tips
Casino City’s Gary Trask recalls one of the biggest moments in football sports betting history: William "Refrigerator" Perry barreling his way into the endzone in 1986 for the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl. Since then, the way the Super Bowl has been bet on has never been the same.
There are more than 1,000 ways to place a bet on Super Bowl LIII between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots. Trask gives a few examples of bets to keep an eye on and maybe place some cash down on. He also gives bettors some key tips to have in their mind when going to place bets.
Thanks to the wildly popular and creative proposition bets being offered by #sportsbooks all over the planet, there are more than 1,000 ways to wager on the #SuperBowl this Sunday. We found five to our liking: https://t.co/Uh2woDKHNL pic.twitter.com/RocQFPmgvi
— Gary Trask (@casinocityGT) January 29, 2019
1. Sports betting approved for four New York casinos
On Tuesday, the New York State Gaming Commission approved several sports betting regulations that will allow four casinos in upstate New York to build sportsbooks and offer sports wagering, possibly as soon as this spring.
The four casinos are Tioga Downs Casino; Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady; del Lago Resort & Casino; and Resorts World Catskills, the $1.2 billion resort casino that celebrated its grand opening early last year.
In his State of the State address on 15 January, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “Let’s authorize sports betting in the upstate casinos. It’s here. It’s a reality, and it will generate activity in those casinos.”
As far as mobile sports betting goes, a bill was introduced by five New York lawmakers which will aim for creating a task force to study mobile sports betting. It will be interesting to see how the conversation for online sports betting continues for New York, since New Jersey’s mobile sports wagering was responsible for more than half of the state’s handle last year.
The next step in this process is a 60-day period for public comments, which will then be edited and sent to the commission for the final vote.
Sports betting is making serious progress in New York. Check out @casinocity_dan's coverage of the latest news for the Empire State.https://t.co/vhbwCcsIXj
— Casino City (@casinocity) January 30, 2019