[toc]Following a tragic October in Las Vegas, Nevada, a more positive event occurred on Tuesday. The city, fondly known as Sin City, is now a hockey hub. The Las Vegas Golden Knights made their home debut against the Arizona Coyotes. The T-Mobile Arena was brimming with fans who enthusiastically took part in this unforgettable home opener.
By paying tribute to the victims of the recent Vegas shooting incident and the first responders, as well as triumphing over their opponent with a 5-2 score, the team has won the hearts of fans. The Golden Knights are still undefeated after three games.
William Hill had most NHL action ever
The arena wasn’t the only lively spot. All Nevada sports books saw significant increases in bets on regular-season NHL games.
Interestingly, while Vegas residents may be fans of their hockey team, they are also astute bettors. Due to uncertainty regarding the skill level of the new team, bets were placed against the Golden Knights in their first two away games, according to David Malinsky from Sports Book Review.
Nonetheless, as highlighted by Sports Book Review, after the Vegas Knights triumphed twice as the underdog, bets flooded in for their initial home game. The line opened at -110 or -115 at numerous large Vegas casinos, but escalated to as high as -135. In contrast, offshore bookmakers offered significantly less action.
The line was not the only difference; both brick and mortar and live sports books experienced unusually high action. ESPN’s David Payne Purdum reported on the action at William Hill:
According to @MikeGrodsky, the choice between the Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights is the most significant hockey decision ever for @WilliamHillUS. “We need the Coyotes,” they stated.
Rewritten: A tweet from David Payne Purdum dated October 11, 2017.
As the season progresses, time will reveal whether the surge in NHL continues. The city, still recovering and keen to back any form of #VegasStrong celebration, coupled with the novelty of the team, could make this an anomaly in betting action rather than the norm.
Sports betting apps ignore NHL pleas
Just before Tuesday’s home game, William Hill actively promoted more hockey betting with their own Tweet.
Place your bet on the game at the event.
Get in on the action with our Mobile Sports app, before the first puck drops and throughout the game. pic.twitter.com/ydncsWzlsP
This was posted by William Hill US on October 11, 2017.
Indeed, supporters from both sides can place bets directly from their seats due to the prevalence of mobile betting apps in the state. Nonetheless, the NHL would prefer that fans remain uninformed about this.
Last month, Gary Bettman, the NHL Commissioner, expressed his desire to restrict betting within and around the arena during a conversation with Bloomberg. He suggested that nearby casinos such as New York New York, MGM Grand, and Monte Carlo, all of which are MGM properties, could stop accepting such bets.
None of those casinos removed the bet before Tuesday’s game. Furthermore, there were no location-based restrictions on mobile betting apps.
Bettman is worried about keeping the games suitable for families. However, considering the diverse age range of fans attending, it appears he might be overstating the current negative perception of betting.
Image courtesy of Jonathan Weiss via Shutterstock.com
