While the rest of the country has been talking about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on sports gaming and how that will affect the states, in Las Vegas, it has been business as usual. Las Vegas has been the gambling capital of the United States since the end of World War II and continues to be the destination for gamblers today.
Las Vegas has been at the forefront of gambling in the United States for so long, it has been the only place where sports betting was permitted, therefore, the gambling community does not seem worried about the possible explosion of sports betting.
Nevada as the Center of Gaming
There are several reasons why Nevada does not appear to be concerned about states that may be thinking of allowing sports gaming. First, Nevada has the infrastructure already in place for sports gaming as part of its overall gambling package. States that are just beginning their sports gaming do not have the necessary infrastructure to immediately serve sports gamers, either online or on-site.
Second, while it is expected that sports gaming will bring in a lot of additional revenue for states that enact legislation to have it, it represents a drop in the bucket for gaming in general. The largest rise may come instead from online gaming, such as poker and blackjack, and not from sports gaming at all.
Nevada has estimated that gambling on sports represents about 20 percent of its total gambling percentages, at $250 million, when compared with the $5 billion spent on it. In other words, any state that is thinking it is going to come in and spend a little money to get large returns is kidding itself.
The Largest Advantage to Nevada
Perhaps the largest advantage Nevada has is that it can offer tourists an entire vacation experience unlike other places in the country. Nevada offers its high rollers more amenities than any other location, with everything from limousine service to and from the airport and complementary food, beverages, hotel rooms, and tickets for shows to world-class concierge services. Las Vegas is also able to provide high rollers, who make up the largest percentage of spenders in the industry, with the world-class service they expect.
Las Vegas is also able to offer its visitors experiences besides gaming that other states cannot. Many famous entertainers are in residence at its casinos and provide nightly or weekly shows that draw people to the gaming businesses.
In addition, gambling houses have upped their games on their food and beverage services to the point that people come into the casinos for food and beverages or entertainment and then stay to gamble. While other states can offer one-time entertainers for a weekend or a night and some have excellent food or beverages, none can match the entertainment quality in Las Vegas.
States that are interested in sports betting can petition their representatives to begin the process of enacting sports-betting legislation. This process usually does not happen overnight, and in some cases, it can take years, if it happens at all.
After the legislation is passed, companies – even if they are already established in the gambling industry —will have to create infrastructure for sports gambling and draw customers to their businesses. In the meantime, Las Vegas will continue to do business the way it has always done it: by drawing customers in with the promise of a great time and great vacation memories, as well as an opportunity to strike it big on the slots or the tables—or on a sport.
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