English Soccer in Las Vegas
I usually go to the sports book at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas one Sunday a year during NFL football season. I make sure to arrive before 10am local time before the first game of the day starts. On a recent trip, I arrived shortly after 9am and was amazed to find that there was hardly an empty seat in the place.
My first thought as to why it was so busy was that there must have been an NFL game that had started earlier than scheduled. My second thought was that I had incorrectly set my watch to the local time in Vegas and that the games had started already. Neither of those thoughts were correct.
There was a “football” game that had started already, but it wasn’t what I thought. They were broadcasting English Premier League soccer. The big Arsenal vs. Liverpool showdown packed the house at 9am on a Sunday in Las Vegas. Not only were they broadcasting the game on the big screen tvs, but the casino had begun accepting wagers on English soccer matches this season, something I never thought would happen. I know that betting on soccer is commonplace in Europe and on the internet, but it shows just how much of an impact English soccer has made in this country to have Las Vegas not only accepting wagers on English soccer but also drawing large crowds because of it.
The ability to bet on English soccer in Las Vegas is further proof that sports fans in the USA are beginning to recognize the appeal of the “beautiful game” and the high quality of competition that the English Premier League offers. Either that or everyone in the casino that day was a tourist from England.
Comments
I wouldn't be surprised if it was the later. The strength of the Pound vs. the Dollar makes the US are great tourist destination for the Brits. I'm actually surprised one wasn't able to wager on EPL games previously.
Posted by: Q | January 11, 2009 1:40 AM