Super Bowl Betters at South Point Casino in Las Vegas
Las Vegas sportsbooks handled a record amount of gambling action in the recent Super Bowl, it was announced Monday. This year’s $119.4 million in wagers was up 17% over the $98.9 million wagered for the 2013 Super Bowl.
Of the money wagered, the 183 books in Nevada collected nearly $20 million, when all wagers were paid up. The 16.5% betting margin was the best rake since 2005, when bookies collect a 17% or $15.4 million on $90.8 million between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Like the 2005 NFL world title game with Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, and Terrell Owens, this year’s action was helped by the inclusion of superstar names. No name is bigger in the National Football League than Peyton Manning, who collected his record-setting 5th NFL MVP Award the day prior to the Super Bowl. Manning’s appearance was little help for the Broncos, who were defeated by 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks, who won their first NFL title.
Seahawks Early Favorites to Repeat
The Seattle Seahawks are early favorites to repeat as the NFL champs, after Las Vegas bookmakers installed them at 7-to-1 to win the 2015 Super Bowl. While most champions tend to be seen as the favorites heading into the offseason, the team from Seattle has especially strong prospects. The Seahawks are the 2nd-youngest team to play in the Super Bowl, behind only the 1992 Dallas Cowboys. That Cowboys squad went on to win 3 of 4 NFL championships and become the Team of the Decade, so the Seahawks could be ready to found their own championship dynasty.
Like that 90’s Dallas roster, they are led by a core of young players, including 25 year old quarterback, Russell Wilson, and 25 year old cornerback, Richard Sherman. These aren’t the only stars, as both sides of the ball are filled with young, talented players. The defense, which is the traditional path to championship titles in football, is especially full of talent. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos were announced by the bookmakers as 8-to-1 to win next year’s Super Bowl, though it’s yet to be announced if the 37 year old Peyton Manning will return for another year, pending an MRI on his surgically-repaired neck.
Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection Ad Campaign
Updating a report on this site from yesterday, Sheldon Adelson’s anti-online gambling crusade now faces powerful new opposition. MGM International and an alliance of other gaming interests announced recently they would form the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection, and the same group announced on Tuesday a new public awareness campaign to champion gaming rights in the USA.
The coalition’s purpose is to champion legalized Internet gambling for Americans. The group will back lobbyists in Washington DC, whose job it will be to protect the hard-won right of individual U.S. states to legislate, license, and regulate online casinos, sports books, and poker sites inside their boundaries.
The Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection is funding a 3-week ad campaign set for online advertisements and print ads. The campaign’s focus will be the District of Columbia, but magazine ads should have a wider circulation. In all, the coalition plans to spend $250,000 over the next three weeks to get their word out.
Letter from Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling
Meanwhile, Sheldon Adelson’s anti-gambling public policy group, the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, offered a press release about their efforts to overturn a 2011 Department of Justice ruling on the Wire Act. The 2011 ruling stated the Wire Act was passed to enforce laws only on sports betting. The DoJ’s stance on the law opened the door for the legalization of gaming sites at the state level.
Since then, the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling has sought to chance the Justice Department’s ruling. Tuesday’s press release noted that attorneys general for 15 of the 50 US states signed a letter urging the Justice Department to change their understanding of the law. Opponents of Sheldon Adelson’s group issued a counter press release, in which they pointed out that 35 attorneys general did not sign the letter. One can expect similar sparring on similar issues in the coming months, which should be pivotal to the future of US online gambling.
Meanwhile, the move towards greater legal gaming opportunities in the United States continues. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that lawmakers in the State of New York are considering legalizing online gambling in their state, like New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware have done.
