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Las Vegas Notebook
August 16, 2012
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Wi-Fi Wagering
Cantor Gaming unveiled their Wi-Fi wagering system that now allows bettors to be from almost any device while within the state of Nevada.
"Introducing Wi-Fi enabled sports wagering on personal computing devices was a natural goal after releasing our Android-compatible sports wagering application last October," said Lee Amaitis, president and CEO of Cantor Gaming.
Cantor Gaming sports book director Mike Colbert details the easy process of signing up.
"The best way to do it is go on-line to CantorGaming.com where you can download the application to your lap top, any tablet or phone. It will work with any Wi-Fi connection and you can bet everything through it that we offer inside the book."
Colbert also adds that as of now, bettors will have to make deposits through one of the Cantor books around town, but they can use debit or credit cards to fund the account. Colbert didn't say that process with debit or credit cards might be allowed in the near future, but I kind of got the feeling that it was something they are working on to get approved, which will make the entire process the easiest ever seen in Las Vegas.
With Cantor getting into the online business, it now gives Station Casinos Sports Connection some competition. For the last 10 years, Stations has had that market all to itself.
No Parlay Cards??
One of the other new innovations Cantor books will implement this year is not using parlay cards in the sense we have all been used to over the years. They'll have daily cards posted through account wagering that will be offered in the book and on their new apps, but not in the paper format we have been accustomed to.
This is completely revolutionary from the sense they are abandoning a part of the business that comprises close to 15% of all revenues for many books during football season. Parlay Cards generally hold 30% and are wildly popular with folks that have a mild understanding of how to bet sports. These are the same type of people that line up to enter the no-point contests. Las Vegas loves parlay cards.
The Cantor approach is going after the future and getting people acclimated NOW with all the technology they currently have available. By offering daily cards, they no longer will have stale spreads, they don't have to worry about sharp groups playing round-robin cards and in the process, can also offer higher odds.
It will take Las Vegas locals some time to getting used to, but I wouldn't be surprised to see several books follow suit in the same way or another after another year of getting pounded by the groups. But by no means, do I ever see a local chain of properties like Stations, Coasts or South Point eliminating the paper parlay cards altogether. There's too much money at stake.
The M Resort and Palms are both considered locals properties, and both have Cantor Gaming books. I am almost positive the property GM at both will hear some static from angry guests that can't get their cards like they have been accustomed to in the past.
Station Casinos Unveils Football Contests
No one offers more overlay cash on the table to be taken during football season than Station Casinos. It's a business model that has been highly successful over the years and has kept contestants consistently coming through the doors sampling all the other amenities offered throughout the casino.
Stations will again be offering $2 million in cash and prizes for their popular Great Giveaway contest, which has been voted the most popular in the city for 18 straight years. In addition to the cash prizes, the $25 entry fee also allows contestants the opportunity to win cars and houses by either picking the most winners or losers. They even have a category that pays out for being very ordinary called the fiddle-in-the-middle.
A few years ago, Stations came up with the concept of 'Last Man Standing,' a different type of contest from Great Giveaway that appeals to bettors more because it has a point-spread attached. For $25, contestants pick one game a week. If you win that week, you get to pick again the following week until eventually there is one last man, or woman, standing. All the entry fees are returned as prize money and they guarantee $75,000 for the pro contest and $25,000 for the college.
Last year the pro payout was $86,325 and if a contestant is fortunate enough to win both the pro and college contest, Stations kicks in an additional $100,000 bonus. Some of the promotions Stations will continue this year is the $1 million parlay cards offered on Wednesday and Friday's. 15-out-of-15 against the spread pays $100,000 and 20-out-of-20 pays $1 million. They'll also be offering $1 hot dogs and Budweiser's at any of their casinos whenever there is a football game on. Stations definitely makes it hard not to stop by one their 19 books throughout the city. Realistically, it costs you more money to stay home and watch the games.
2013 Masters Odds posted
It didn't take long for the LVH's Jeff Sherman to have enough information needed to post odds on next year's Masters. Tiger Woods didn't win a major this season, but he did come close enough to make Sherman believe he's on the brink of capturing one as he was made the 11/1 favorite. Rory McIlroy is next at 13/2 followed by Phil Michelson (15/1), Luke Donald (20/1) and Lee Westwood (20/1).
Bubba Watson, who won this year's Masters, is listed at 25/1 and Ernie Els, who won the British Open, is once again in the conservative, but respectable, price of 50/1.
Because these odds will have been posted for so long with several thousand new visitors taking action home with them, it's easy to understand why the Masters annually has the most action of any golf tournament.
Barclays Premier League is Back
It's hard to believe that the Premier League is back in action so soon, but the 2012-13 season kicks off this weekend. The LVH has posted Manchester City as the EVEN money favorites to repeat followed by their rival, Manchester United at 9/4. Man City won their first ever Premier League title last season.
The LVH lists Chelsea as the third choice at 9/2, followed by Arsenal (15/1) and Tottenham (25/1). Liverpool, an18-time top division winner is also listed at 25/1. After that, every team is listed at 150/1 or higher with the bottom 12 teams at 1000/1 of higher. The parity in England's proper football league is not quite the same as it is in American football's top division.
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