They Call it the Super Bowl for a Reason

My yearly rant about this game is back. They call it the Super Bowl because Vegas and online sports books along with the bookies make a SUPER killing. Vegas sports books have profited off this game 20 out of the last 22 years with losses of $2.57M and $397K in those two losing years. Sure, all those ridiculous prop bets add to the take but how can anyone profit that many years without some sort of fixed result to ensure profitability? Maybe the sports books should be the one's raising the Lombardi trophy each year. Happy betting and enjoy the Super Bowl.

NCAA Football and Sports Books Ready to Rake it in!

NCAA football fans will finally get what they asked for with a new four team playoff for the national championship starting in 2014. Are the fans the true winners here though? Sports books are the biggest beneficiaries of this change as they estimate these additional games could bring in a total of $6 billion worldwide between the two semifinals and the championship game. Get ready for a couple of extra games to throw your money away on but just remember you the fans asked for it.

Vegas Sportsbooks Making Their Own Rules

Two weeks ago we read about an odd scenario in college football between USC and Utah.  USC was a 7.5 favorite for this game.  On the final play of the game with USC leading 17-14 they blocked a Utah field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown.  A miscommunication between the scorer and officials initially waived off the touchdown due to an excessive celebration penalty leaving Utah with the cover.  Pac-12 officials changed the score over two hours later to include the game ending touchdown making the final score 23-14 effectively changing the outcome of the betting side.  This erupted in a barrage of calls from gamblers and casinos to the Nevada Gaming Control Board but still resulted in some casinos honoring one side while others honored the opposite side.  What was the gaming board doing?  If not consistent across the board then each sports book is making it's own rules and not being regulated.  Sounds like another case of Vegas never loses.  The fix in is!

Odd Ending to Michigan - Western Michigan Game Last Week

Last week was the very first time in Michigan University history that a football game was canceled.  Well it was canceled after three quarters.  Keep in mind Michigan was a 14.5 point favorite over Western Michigan with a 57.5 over/under.  One source showed over 70% of the public on Michigan and a slight majority on the over as well.  Already handily covering the 14.5 spread and nearing the over did someone pull the plug on this game early?  Alright so severe weather was in the area and did delay the game but games in close proximity were all completed as normal so what gives?  Although Michigan was credited with the win it was not a complete game therefore bettors of Michigan were not paid out and once again Vegas doesn't lose a penny.  Just something to think about when you see weird occurrences in sports.

Super Bowl Fix

Gamblers favorite game of the year is in two days!  Yes I am talking about the Super Bowl.  Why do I call it a fix?  Because Vegas wins out almost every year.  I featured this last year and have to update for this year.  Over the last 20 years Las Vegas sportsbooks have profited on the Super Bowl in 18 years and had minimal losses in two years.  How is that possible?  The fix is in!  Good luck with your bets and enjoy the bad penalty calls that will screw us all I'm sure.

Playboy Explores the National Fix League (NFL)

Matthew Kredell of Playboy recently explored the world of gambling and the NFL or what some of us like to call the National Fix League. He explores both sides of the table, those who want NFL gambling legalized and those who don't (the NFL). The NFL claims they don't want their games legalized for betting because they maintain integrity and fear this would lead to corruption. They also claim in their history not one game has been fixed. Those are both complete laughers to me. They also mention something I have read quite a few times that they have contacts at the Vegas sports books so they can be notified of irregular betting patterns or possible corruption. I laugh at this too. I think these contacts feed them the information on where the money is so they can manipulate the outcomes of these games. NFL and casino owners have so much power and money they don't want to share it. Do you think these bigwigs would let that kind of money be left to chance? NFL teams and casinos should not have any communication what so ever if they want integrity. If NFL gambling were legalized they can't control all the winnings they rake in every year. Talk about greed! If it was legalized state deficits could be reduced, jobs would be created and the teams themselves could make more money than ever. Although this article is not too detailed it does bring up some good points. Check out this article and worse case scenario you have some Playboy bunnies to check out so you really can't go wrong.

Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal - Where it all Began

Before Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal came to Las Vegas there were no sports books.  Rosenthal was a sports gambling pioneer who had inside information to just about anything in the sports world.  He learned his trade in the bleachers of Wrigley Field and soon had a reputation as a leading sports bettor and handicapper.  He was arrested several times for illegal gambling and bookmaking which led to his departure to Las Vegas.  He was the first to operate a sports book in a casino and secretly ran the Stardust, Freemont, Marina and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas.  Rosenthal was eventually denied a gaming license due to his connections to the Chicago Outfit and subsequently forced out of Las Vegas when he was added to the notorious Black Book.  He later ran a sports betting website and was a consultant to offshore sports betting companies.  If you're reading this blog you have probably already seen the blockbuster Martin Scorsese film based on Rosenthal named Casino.  This is a great movie and does a good job capturing the rise and fall of Rosenthal, played by Robert De Niro.

Las Vegas Says No to Olympics

In a ban traced back to 2000 state law prohibits Nevada casinos from accepting wagers on the Olympics.  I think this has more to do with the fact that Olympic athletes are there to win medals and represent their countries.  There is no motivation to fix anything for these athletes when there is little money incentive to win.  If Vegas can't control the fix then it's not worth accepting bets and possibly losing for once.  I wonder how the off-shore and local books that take this action are doing.

Nevada Casinos Clean House Again

The Vegas Super Bowl domination continues. Nevada casinos took in $82.7 million in bets at 182 sports books for Super Bowl XLIV and came out on top with a net profit of $6.86 million. So over twenty years Nevada casinos have now profited off the Super Bowl an astounding eighteen years!

Las Vegas Rules the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl handle in Nevada has been tracked since 1991.  How many years do you think they have lost money on this mega event? Two, that is correct two!  In 1995 Nevada casinos lost a whopping $396,674 and a bit more in 2008 at $2,573,103.  You're going to tell me that casinos in Nevada are going to profit 17 years and lose peanuts in only two years.  With millions of bettors betting different sides, totals and props it would be virtually impossible to have that kind of winning trend unless something was fixed.  People love sports and way too much money is made off of it and that is why it never will be truly exposed for what it really is the biggest fraud on the planet.  Good luck on your bets and squares this Sunday!