Columnist Jeff Haney: ‘Sports loop’ features home PC-based betting

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 | 10:02 a.m.

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

Let's get this straight: We are not talking online sports betting here.

That's not permitted in Nevada. Yet.

But while state gaming regulators grapple with the implications of an Internet wagering bill approved in Carson City during the recently concluded legislative session, Las Vegas-area gamblers can, in fact, bet sports from their home computers.

Coast Resorts' "sports loop" system allows local residents to bet into the Coast sports books' wagering line from home PCs.

Creators of the sports loop system -- which is unique among Las Vegas sports books -- go out of their way to eliminate any mix-ups or misconceptions with this message, displayed prominently on the betting screen: "This is a closed-loop system, not the Internet."

OK. Got it. Now that we have that out of the way, the following are among the benefits of the sports loop system:

Of course, you can do this with a phone account, too. But sports loop users do not have to ask a clerk for a rundown of the day's lines -- instead, upon logging on they are greeted by a complete betting menu that includes odds on sides, totals and run lines, along with an option to "list" starting pitchers in baseball.

The following are among the sports loop's drawbacks -- or at least aspects of the system to be aware of before getting involved:

A sampling of other limits: $550 on NFL sides, $500 on NFL parlays, $220 on NFL totals, $200 on NFL teasers, $330 on college football sides, NBA sides, baseball sides and hockey sides, $220 on college basketball sides.

While these figures are fine for casual bettors, clearly no wise guys are going to beat anyone's brains in betting on the loop system.

Bettors can sign up for sports loop wagering at the Suncoast, Gold Coast, Orleans or Barbary Coast.

Goosen and Brooks have been rewarded with their own individual betting odds for next week's British Open (July 19-22). Brooks is a 125-1 long shot and Goosen is listed at 75-1, with Tiger Woods a 7-4 favorite to win the event, according the Regent sports book.

"I would have put Goosen up individually anyway (in the British Open odds), because I take his European tournament results into account as well," said Jeff Sherman, sports book supervisor at the Regent. "I didn't decide to take Brooks out of the field until he made the playoff at the U.S. Open."

Despite some wet conditions at Daytona International in the days leading up to the race, there were only three cautions, making winners of those who bet the "under" 3 1/2 in a proposition posted at Station Casinos sports books.

Gonzalez, who won the All-Star home run derby Monday night, was a 9-2 shot to win the event, according to odds at Mirage properties. Bettors who played the "field" at 2-1, which included Jason Giambi, suffered a bad beat of sorts as Giambi had a record-breaking first round but could not keep up the pace in later rounds.

Also on the board at Intertops is a prop asking how rap star Eminem will serve his community service sentence. Among the choices are a charity concert (3-2), rapping in hospitals (3-1), teaching kids to rap (4-1) and "sweeping the highway" (50-1).