Why dont U.S legalize Vegas betting over the phone and net for everyone, everywhere

Iceman · Jan 11, 2008

I know this is sort of leaglizing sportsbetting but it would keep it all in one state. Not sure how most of you thought of legalizing it in the past but in my mind it would have been avaibile in every state on every streeet corner and that would obviously be too drastic of a change for everyone.

What I think should happen is you fund a Vegas sportsbook with a credit card and than a player, anywhere in the U.S, can go online or call a bet into that book. It seems like a no brainer.

Havent heard many people talk about this being looked into. The book has to operate out of Las Vegas and instead of you actually stepping foot into the book you can bet over the phone or online.

From what I understand all Vegas residents can already do this by way of the telephone (I hope I am right). This would solve everything other than having to actually be on Las Vegas land. Maybe go as far as you have to fund the account in person in Las Vegas one time which would force people into entering the casino but once funded you can bet however you choose.

Are the casino's pushing this? Everyone knows this is going on in Las Vegas already and no one has much of problem with it. This should be the step people should be taking in getting this legalizied in the United States. It would forever put an end to anybody complaining why it isnt leaglized in the U.S as Las Vegas would and should be the only state this would and could ever be allowed. Everyone gets what they want in the end and everything keeps running the same way. Y

You could keep also do this with online poker and have it only ran by Vegas hotels and casino's and the poker world should be happy with that. This would be the end of offshore sportsbooks as everyone would feel alot safer in Vegas ran casino's and sportsbooks could relocate there.

I apologize if others have been pushing it this way but I was always under the assumpation that it would be located in any state. Keep it SIN CITY. I am surpised most people aren't pushing this as it would satisfy everyone everywhere.

dougstewart · Jan 11, 2008

That makes way too much sense so of course it's never going to happen!

bellyputter · Jan 11, 2008

Iceman, before the casinos got involved in sportsbook wagering(1975), there were many interstate bookmakers located in Las Vegas. They slowly were eliminated by law enforcement(Federal and local) and the new .025% IRS tax law.

jasin4000 · Jan 11, 2008

why thought iceman, I personally would rather have my money offshore where the irs can't tax me on the spot.

other than some top books dropping out, I think the betting industry is doing fine, no?

CapNCash · Jan 11, 2008

Would take too much money from Scratch offs and lottery. The government wont let you make a bet that you actually have a chance of winning!!

louisvillekid · Jan 11, 2008

like CapNCash said, the government wants us to play games we can't try and pick a winner at, they want us to play chance games. plus state lottos and scratch-offs divvy up the share of profits from revenue to their own state, they would rather get our money from the chance games than us spending it in vegas. About living in vegas and being able to call it in, i have only been to vegas a few times, and have not heard of it, but if that is the case, i would think you/anyone could just set up a fake residency and then call from wherever you live.
i think the bottom line is just us sports gamblers are considered scum and we represent a very small portion of gamblers. i think i read once that vegas casinos on average only get about 5% of their revenue from sports betting. vegas is a prime tourist spot, vegas and the government would rather us fly and stay there and spend our money to help the economy that way, instead of us sitting at home and being able to enjoy a game from our couch.
thats my .02 about it.

lapdance · Jan 11, 2008

Not Sure If Vegas Or Any Other State Would Even Want It.

Iceman · Jan 11, 2008

Maybe I am missing something here but the goverment would obviously get it's cut and the handle bet in Vegas would go up 10x more than it currently is and probaly more than that.

They are not getting rid of casino's and sportsbooks and so the numbers will always be there. The casino's wouldnt have to deal with comp's or nearly the work staff if they were all walkin bettors so there would be alot higher profit margin. Even if the casino's edge is small with sports the handle would still make it very very profitable.

People in regualr everyday society joke all the time about going to Vegas and making a few sports wagers while they are there so it would be socially acceptable because the current setup is not socailly acceptable right now no matter how much we here like to think it is.

The lawmakers need to go this route as getting it accepted everywhere in the U.S is not realisitc for a long time. The are NEVER going to get rid of sportsbetting in Vegas so you my as well let others get there plays in over the internet insted of standing in line, what is the difference?

BadCo · Jan 11, 2008

Harrah's and all other gaming enterprises could give a shit if we ever got down on a game again.

They don't want online sports betting.

They would love to have on line table games though.

The sportsbooks are on thier property's because of the draw it attracts.

Hell they really don;t want you in the sportsbook they want you out on the casino floor where the money is.

Casino's are getting out of the sportsbook business as it is by leasing it to Leroy's and such.

quantumleap · Jan 11, 2008

There's a negative connotation with sports gambling and the government feels that the public wants to keep people away from this since it's addictive and ruins families, blah, blah, blah. People don't have a perception of scratch tickets as being addicting or causing financial ruin.

weirdian · Jan 11, 2008

That's because scratch tickets are boring as hell.

On a more serious note, I think the government should open its own sportsbook, they could make it the only legal form of sportsbetting and make a killing. I always thought the reason they don't want people betting online was to keep money inside the country instead of getting to all of these offshore companies. Then again, maybe the reason they don't legalize it anywhere besides Vegas is because all of the companies there want the draw, if you could do it anywhere, why bother going to Vegas?

CapNCash · Jan 11, 2008

Sports betting you get $0.05 on the dollar return. Scratch offs and lottery you get more like 0.50 cents on the dollar return. They dont want this competition. There is no way sportsbetting would be as profitable for state and federal govts.

SportSavant · Jan 11, 2008

legalizing sportsbetting would not result in a reduction in the lottery scratch tickets or other similar lottery.

BigPapaPat · Jan 11, 2008

Wont happen till the government can figure out how to tax the shit out of it...offshore is much better

weirdian · Jan 11, 2008

$0.05 per dollar is still a lot better than the $0.00 per dollar they're getting from money Americans spend on offshore books.

JohnnyB · Jan 11, 2008

SportSavant said:
legalizing sportsbetting would not result in a reduction in the lottery scratch tickets or other similar lottery.

Agreed.

bellyputter · Jan 11, 2008

weirdian said:
$0.05 per dollar is still a lot better than the $0.00 per dollar they're getting from money Americans spend on offshore books.

The government already receives .025 of every gross wager made in Nevada.

cd329 · Jan 11, 2008

indian casinos wont allow it to happen. Indians are paying the politicians major bucks to make sure there is a gambling ban, thus sending more people to the tons of indian casinos we now have across this country.
Indians will someday control this whole coutry again, that you can bank on.