RSS FeedBetting on the Big Game
According to the Detroit News, betting on the Super Bowl will be big business:
An estimated 60 million people will bet $6 billion on the Super Bowl this year.
But not a single wager will be made at a casino in Detroit or Windsor.
Sports betting is illegal in Michigan, while Casino Windsor isn’t licensed for it.
That’s not to say Metro Detroit residents won’t be betting on the game. They’ll just be doing so in ways that are somewhat less than legal.
People will illegally join betting pools in homes, offices or bars. They’ll break the law by betting with friends, neighbors and friendly neighborhood bookies.
The criminals aren’t limited to southeast Michigan. The Super Bowl is the high holy day of the $200 billion sports gambling industry, said experts and regulators.
I got quoted in the story, but I’m not totally sure where the figure of $200 billion a year in illegal bets comes from. I get questions about how much money is bet illegally all the time, but don’t know of any real source for the numbers.
In other news, according to a recent report illegal slots cost Maryland $15 million a year. I’m going to try to get the report for the center, and when I do maybe I’ll have some more answers.
I haven’t posted this week because I’ve been consumed with two projects: the relaunch of gaming.unlv.edu and getting photos for Roll the Bones.
The web stuff is coming along, and I’m close to finding the final images for the book.
Posted in gambling & culture
