[toc]Following a tragic October for Las Vegas, Nevada and its citizens, the mood shifted positively on Tuesday. Las Vegas has officially become a hockey city. The Las Vegas Golden Knights faced off against the Arizona Coyotes in their first home game. A crowd-packed T-Mobile Arena witnessed a memorable home opener alongside the team.
The team captured the fans’ affection by paying tribute to the victims of the recent Vegas shooting incident and the first responders on the scene, as well as by triumphing over their opponents with a 5-2 win. The Golden Knights maintain their undefeated status through three games.
William Hill had most NHL action ever
Not only was the arena bustling, but Nevada sports books also saw a significant increase in bets on regular-season NHL games.
Interestingly, while Vegas residents have a fondness for their hockey team, they remain shrewd gamblers. According to David Malinsky from Sports Book Review, despite the uncertainty of the performance of the new team, bets were placed against the Golden Knights in their initial two away games.
However, as also noted by Sports Book Review, after the Vegas Knights emerged victorious as the underdog twice, money started pouring in on their side for their first home game. The line was initially set at -110 or -115 at several prominent Vegas casinos, but eventually rose as high as -135. In contrast, offshore books offered significantly lower action.
The line was not the only thing that was different, the activity in both physical and live sports books was significantly higher than usual. David Payne Purdum from ESPN provided a report on the action at William Hill:
The choice between Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights is the most significant hockey decision @WilliamHillUS has ever faced, according to @MikeGrodsky. “We need the Coyotes,” he says.
This was posted by David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) on October 11, 2017.
As the season progresses, only time will tell whether this surge in NHL continues. The city, still recovering and keen to back any #VegasStrong celebration, coupled with the novelty of the team, could make this an exception to betting activity rather than the norm.
Sports betting apps ignore NHL pleas
Just before Tuesday’s home game, William Hill actively promoted more hockey betting with a tweet they posted:
Place your bet at the game.
Get involved before the first puck drops and during the game with our Mobile Sports app. pic.twitter.com/ydncsWzlsP
This was tweeted by William Hill US on October 11, 2017.
Indeed, supporters of both teams can place bets directly from their seats due to the abundance of mobile betting apps available in the state. However, this is information that the NHL would prefer to keep from their fans.
Just last month, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman discussed with Bloomberg his hopes to restrict betting within and around the arena. He suggested that adjacent casinos such as New York New York, MGM Grand, and Monte Carlo (all owned by MGM) could remove the bets.
None of those casinos removed the bet before Tuesday’s game. Moreover, there were no geotargeted restrictions on mobile betting apps.
Bettman is worried about keeping the games suitable for families. However, considering the diverse age range of fans, it appears he might be overestimating the current level of discomfort people have with betting.
Image courtesy of Jonathan Weiss via Shutterstock.com
