MOBILE SPORTS WAGERING “The Nevada Gaming Control Board does not
require our sports book operators to report to us the amount of wagers that are generated from personal device wagering,” says Michael Lawton, senior research analyst with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). “However, we have performed some internal analysis and have determined that it is a key contributor to record amount of sports wagering we have seen over the last six years. We estimate that approximately 27 percent of all sports book write in 2015 was generated from personal device wagering.”
Nevada statistics may shed light on the trend. From
2000-15, Nevada casinos and sports books’ win amounts have trended up a staggering 83.34 percent accord to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research. But much of that growth is accounted for in only the last few years. In 2011, casinos saw a drop in win amount of almost 7 percent for a total of almost $141 million. But here’s a look at the growth and amount won by Nevada casinos in the following four years:
• 2012 – 20.84 percent growth – $170 million in winnings 2013 – 19.27 percent growth – $202.8 million 2014 – 1.67 percent growth – $227 million 2015 – 7.65 percent growth – $231.7 million
While 2014-15 may show signs of a leveling off after
such extreme growth, no doubt the increases in casino win in relation to the popularity of mobile sports wagering is a pretty good bet.
Playing the game Obviously ease of use is a major factor in the
growth of the mobile sports betting industry as well as the increasing attachment of differing generations to their cell phones. Sports betting is an extremely popular pastime, both legally and illegally, and the use of cellular and mobile devices has just invigorated an already-popular segment of the gaming market.
Most wagering apps and sites offer most of the bets
available in the sports books as well as special bonuses for setting up an account. Other features include the availability of Nevada and Las Vegas- based live locations for depositing and withdrawal, live game wagering, logging in from out of state to view account and lines, and more. The ease of use also favors the player in other important ways such as comparing betting lines among the differing sports books to find the most advantageous.
“Features and offerings are fairly comprehensive,”
says Curtis of Nevada’s growing number of sports betting apps. “The big benefit for players is that they don’t have to physically go from place to place to bet. If you have all the apps, you can comparison shop (via the apps) or with an online lines feed like ours,
With so many players willing to fork over a few bucks with a chance to win their fantasy league, it is no wonder that sports wagering itself is seeing such a drive in participation. And as legislatures and courts ponder the legality of daily fantasy sports (DFS), this type of wagering has taken off over the last few years. Americans’ thirst for some type of action on games, whether traditional fantasy football, DFS, or sports wagering, show no signs of letting up – especially football. As sports simulation and analytics company Accuscore notes: “The NFL is far and away the most popular sport to bet on in the United States. While baseball might be the American pastime, football is America’s passion and it shows at the NFL football betting window.”
Or in more modern times – the betting app. And no doubt this can only be a good thing for casinos and sports wagering. Fantasy football players’ frequent mobile use for checking team updates surely has already crossed over to betting on games. Professor I. Nelson Rose, a longtime gambling industry expert and publisher of
GamblingandtheLaw.com, sees DFS finding a legal niche because of so many large players involved in
OCTOBER 2016 31 “Mobile platforms are very well suited to sports
betting which is generally transactional wagering,” Johnson adds. “Small screens on cell phones are less well suited to casino games and poker which are more experiential. As international trends and experience shows mobile will continue to grow in the U.S. as more interactive content is addressed to mobile platforms. In addition, as Millennials mature and develop into casino customers they will drive more content on mobile devices.
DFS, PASPA and the future
In September, as NFL football season was kicking off in the U.S., millions of Americans were not only betting on games but also playing fantasy football. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, the number of American players has increased in huge numbers since 2003, when only 15.2 million people were involved. In 2015, the group reports 57.4 million Americans taking part in some form of fantasy sport. Of those, 70 percent of players pay some kind of league dues.
LVASports.com, then make your best bet. Another big benefit of having the apps comes during big events, like the Super Bowl. While customers are in lines 40 deep, you can bet without having to be in the lines, whether you’re at the casino or not.”
For casinos, the apps can add to the total handle on
events because of ease of use as well as possibly improving efficiencies in the sports books themselves. Even bettors at a Vegas sports book or bar may find these services themselves more intriguing while catching a game with friends. Experts expect the growth trends in the U.S. and internationally to continue.
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