LAS VEGAS — After years of angst and filibustering, casual bettors strolling around Sin City are basking in the NFL’s embrace of sports gambling with the Super Bowl set to make its Las Vegas debut Sunday.
The vibe around the city feels like an all-around win for the fan, the league, the TV networks and the gaming industry.
Each bet placed gives the consumer another reason to watch.
“With just all the commercials, it’s an onslaught of promotion,” Las Vegas native Jacob Galliher said. “So, yeah, they’re definitely trying to get more and more betting involved because, obviously, people have skin in the game. Even if they don’t care about the teams, they’re more likely to tune in.”
Many of the hundreds perched outside the convention center at Mandalay Bay — hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the NFL’s brightest stars headed to do interviews with the media outlets lined up in “Radio Row” — were wearing team jerseys from across the league. Some had already placed their bets on Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.