Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | 9:17 a.m.
Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or [email protected].
Everyone take three steps back.
First, it's preposterous to think anyone would try to fix the NBA All-Star Game.
Second, if the ghost of Jack Molinas ever does surface, it would be an advantage -- not a liability -- to have the game on the board, so the betting action could be tracked and abnormalities noted.
Third, the game typically attracts only a paltry amount of wagering anyway.
But those aren't the real issues, according to veteran Las Vegas gambler Arne Lang, in Nevada gaming regulators' decision to prohibit betting on the 2007 NBA All-Star Game if it is played in Las Vegas. The state Gaming Control Board officially made that recommendation last week.
While Lang sees the value in attracting such a major sporting event to Las Vegas, he said he's uneasy that the request to ban betting on the game came from an outside entity -- the NBA -- and that Nevada gaming interests acquiesced so readily.
"Obviously, choosing what's better for the town is a no-brainer. It's an insignificant betting event," Lang said. "An All-Star game brings such free spenders to town that it would be kind of stupid to let it slip away. ...
"If I was on the panel, I would have voted in favor of the betting ban, to be honest. But I worry about the long-term repercussions. I don't like to see Nevadans be so submissive."
The decision could set a bad precedent, said Lang, who, in a story posted at gambling Web site therx.com, recalls the details of a similar situation when the Utah Jazz played 11 regular-season games in Las Vegas in 1983-84.
What will happen the next time Las Vegas is in the running to attract a major league baseball team, for example? Will Nevada gaming agree to ban bets on its games?
That way of thinking could not only limit options for local gamblers, but also strip Las Vegas of some of its unique character.
"If you open a crack in the door, the long-term results could be pernicious," said Lang. "I don't like outsiders to govern what we in Nevada can or can't put on the wagering board."
Others, though, don't see a "slippery slope."
UNLV professor Bill Thompson, who studies gaming issues, thinks state officials and casino executives will look at future proposals on their own merits and on a case-by-case basis.
"I think this is a one-game thing," Thompson said. "Plus, it's tricky action (to book). The players goof off toward the end of the (All-Star) game and they don't really care who wins or loses. I don't think many casinos would miss taking action on it."
It's doubtful Nevada gaming officials would agree to prohibit wagering on an entire season's worth of games if an NBA team one day came to Las Vegas, Thompson said. Likewise, state regulators would be hesitant to prohibit wagering on any major football game in the state, he said. (For instance, wagering on the Las Vegas Bowl is permitted in Nevada sports books.)
"So many people like to gamble on football and (non-exhibition) basketball, that's a whole different thing," Thompson said.
TV sports prognosticator Wayne Root believes it was a good move to meet the NBA's demand because the handle on the All-Star game is so small.
"Maybe it's a wink-wink situation, where it looks like the casinos gave up something, but it doesn't really matter," said Root, a Henderson resident. "Maybe the casinos are kind of laughing about it, because they're really giving up very little.
"I don't know anyone who bets on the All-Star game. I never, as a handicapper, have had anyone ask my opinion on the All-Star game. I don't think they take much action on (the All-Star game) at all. ... If it was a regular-season game, then it's a different story. It would definitely set a bad precedent."
Jeff Sherman, assistant manager of the Las Vegas Hilton sports book, said given the exposure that comes with the NBA All-Star Game, it was an easy trade-off to make.
"We're all for (the betting ban) because we realize the impact (the game) could have on the city (outweighs betting concerns)," Sherman said. "It's for the greater good."
And the amount of money bet on the game? Not much of a concern, Sherman said: "Oh, we have regular-season NBA games that out-handle it."
U.S. Open
Las Vegas sports handicapper Patrick Bartucci, who boasts a consistently impressive record in golf wagering, is recommending a play on Phil Mickelson to win the U.S. Open, which takes place Thursday through Sunday at Pinehurst, N.C.
Bartucci said he likes Mickelson -- the second betting choice behind Tigers Woods at most sports books -- due to his understanding of the course, his confidence and the fact that he is rested after skipping the Memorial.
"Intangibles point to 'Lefty' as well," said Bartucci, online at patricksfreepress.com. "I think he's hungrier (to win a U.S. Open) than anyone out there. ... He has the combination of distance, accuracy and short game that is required to win (at Pinehurst)."
Mickelson is 6-1 to win the tournament while Woods is a 4-1 favorite, according to odds at the Las Vegas Hilton. In a head-to-head matchup at the Hilton, Woods is a minus-135 favorite (bettors risk $1.35 to win $1) against Mickelson, who's plus-115.
A value investor, Bartucci said he also made wagers on a handful of long shots, including Rodney Pampling when he was 200-1 at Caesars Palace and the "field" (all golfers not listed individually) at 15-1, also at Caesars. Bartucci also likes long shot Jeff Maggert, who finished seventh at Pinehurst in 1999. Maggert opened at 300-1 at Caesars and was bet down to 75-1, Bartucci pointed out.
The Hilton's Sherman said his sports book has written more tickets to win on Chris DiMarco (30-1) than any other player, with Mickelson running No. 2 so far.
"DiMarco has been steadily backed, and Mickelson always gets a lot of support (from bettors)," Sherman said.
UNLV's Ryan Moore, who recently said he will turn pro after the U.S. Open, has not generated much interest from bettors at odds of 150-1, Sherman said. That's in contrast to the Masters, when bettors at the Hilton were taking plenty of shots on Moore at odds of 500-1, he said.
Along with 15 head-to-head matchups, the Hilton is also offering 20 proposition wagers on the U.S. Open, including:
Sports Memo
The Vegas Sportswire radio show began airing this week under its new name, the Sports Memo radio show, according to host and CEO Tim Trushel, who said the change was primarily a business decision.
"Sports Memo has existed for 13 years, but with the radio show under the Sportswire name, consumers were not making the connection between the show and the other components of our company," Trushel said in a prepared statement. "By unifying our brand name, we hope to make our listeners more aware of the other products and services available."
The Sports Memo radio show, which airs from 7-9 a.m. weekdays on KENO 1460-AM, features a regular slate of guest handicappers and sports talk from a gambling angle. It also airs in Boston and Providence, R.I.
archive
