I
n light of the recent sports betting controversies involving the NBA, Nevada gaming regulators may be looking at rule changes to protect bettors from similar schemes.
On Wednesday, members of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) questioned two license applicants about ways to prevent cheating when players shave points and other statistics to influence prop bets.
Applicants Asked For Their Opinions
Joe Asher was one of the applicants asked about his opinion on the issue. The president and CEO of Boomer’s Sportsbook was seeking a license for Ojos Locos Sports Cantina y Casino in North Las Vegas. Asher said he was against prohibiting prop bets because similar wagers would still be available at unlicensed online sportsbooks and drive business elsewhere.
“When you read in the press about outlawing prop betting, I think that that’s a negative, because that just pushes people into the black market or the unregulated market,” he said.
“But I do think there’s room for regulation around this, because what is important is that in a given jurisdiction, all of the operators are playing by the same rules and that the same standards apply to everybody and that the bet offerings can have some consistency.”
Dan Shapiro, chief development officer at William Hill, was also seeking a license to take over sports betting operations at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. He seemed to indicate that the best way for cheaters to be spotted was through sportsbooks themselves.
His employees are trained to watch for suspicious betting activity and report it, Shapiro said. The company also refunds bettors in these types of situations.
A Growing Problem?
The control board’s consultation on Nevada sports betting come as the NBA has faced some serious concerns involving fixing player stats. Last year, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned for life by the league. He eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of the bet fixing scheme.
In October, numerous people were arrested for a bet-fixing scheme, including Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones. A senate committee has now asked for details on the NBA’s gambling policy and any ongoing investigations.
