Casino and football: The power of pig skin

Number one and number ten. Time for sports books to get busy and full of coffee. Local casino operators are ready to play some football, and Las Vegans bosses say.

After teasing football fans with preseason professional games and dozens of college games last Saturday, the National Football League begins its regular season

Thursday night.

Next weekend, both the university and the NFL will be full, and executives at the largest casino operator in the Las Vegas area are eagerly awaiting the action.

Soccer games are an important attraction that attracts Las Vegans to the dozens of casinos scattered around the valley, local bosses said. Local casino sports books make most of their revenue during the football season, taking advantage of the public's readiness to play highly profitable games, such as betting on games and playing parlay cards for books.

But soccer is more than just driving the revenue of sports books. Bosses said Las Vegans are a key factor in regaining the habit of regularly visiting local casinos. "Soccer brings real estate to life after a summer lull," said Steve Cavallaro, the station's chief operating officer. "The locals are back from their vacations, and our soccer tournament is in full swing."

Casino activities begin earlier on Saturdays and Sundays during the football season, with local operators agreeing, as East Coast games attract large crowds early on with sportsbooks. "Our business will be noticeably buoyed by sportsbooks and the casino floor when the football season begins," said Glenn Christensen, chief financial officer of Station Casino, recently.

Many station casino buildings and Sam's Town have set up flat-panel TV monitors around the tabletop, which, according to improvement operators, have moved on to exciting parts of the book. According to officials, customers can continue to watch games they are interested in while playing blackjack or craft games.

Mike Gilmartin, a spokesman for Icahn Gaming, said that American football is integral to both Arizona Charlie's properties. "Football has gotten to be a big part of it this year," Gilmartin said. "Especially here in Las Vegas, there's a casino and American football together. You can cheer for the team, bet on games, and watch four to five different games at the same time." Gordon and Cavallaro said that their properties add some staff when they complete their weekend graveyard shifts during the football season.

All large local operators offer paid participation or free football tournaments, and entice players to visit at least once a week to offer a chance for prize money.

With a 17-week NFL season, a few weeks of NFL playoffs, and college football games, the football season accounts for nearly 40 percent of the weekends of the year. "Soccer is the only sport where sports books make money," said Michael Gaughan, president of the coastal casino.  슬롯머신사이트

Gaughan tells his managers that sports books should accomplish three things. "Bring in new people, serve existing customers, and make money," Gaughan said. "The only sport that really achieves that is soccer."

Station Casino Sports Books Honcho Art Manteris says his company's books make money in other sports, but soccer is the king without a doubt. He estimated that "football is about 40 percent of our job for a year," noting that gridiron games provide more than 40 percent of the book's revenue. "Sports books should be the center of excitement. It should provide competitive products, be clean and comfortable, and complement casinos. In conclusion, race and sports players go where they are treated the most."

Gaughan said, "Football is just more exciting. It's like the excitement at the start of the NCAA (Men's Basketball) tournament every weekend."

The state's 159 sports books reported a 33.3 percent increase in earnings from soccer gamblers for the fiscal year that ended June 30. Soccer gamblers saw a decrease of $51.5 million out of a total of $124.4 million in all sports. Basketball gamblers lost $33.7 million, a 12.2 percent increase, and baseball gamblers lost $12.2 million, a 16 percent decrease.

Paray Card, the casino's most profitable sports betting arm, won $23 million from gamblers, up 20.1 percent. Almost all Paray Card bets are made at football games.

"Soccer is perfect for the public for many reasons," said Manteris. "Baseball is complicated with cash cow bets. Soccer point spreads are easier for the public to understand. Soccer is attractive for people from all walks of life. Everyone bets on the NFL," said Gaughan.