It may be that Gary Bettman is a betting
man. The NHL commissioner is showing a liking for Las Vegas, so that’s a start.
Bettman is planning to expand the
30-team league, and Seattle, Portland, Ore., Kansas City and Quebec City are on
his short list. But he’s definitely ready to bring ice to the desert, according
to a report from the Vancouver Province.
“Sources close to the situation have
indicated Las Vegas is a done deal,” the report stated.
It’s a
developing story, not a done deal. In May, MGM Resorts broke ground
on a $375 million, 20,000-seat arenaon the Strip that is set to open
in 2016, and it figures to someday be home to an NBA or NHL franchise. A hockey
team is now the favorite in the race to be first.
The issue of legalized sports wagering
will be a hot topic for debate, though in reality it should not be an issue at
all.
There is no way to justify a betting ban
on Las Vegas’ NHL team when UNLV football and basketball games are offered in
the books. Bettman might not make the request, but if he does, there should be
a unified effort to refuse a sports book blackout of the local team.
“We don’t know what their intentions
are, and they might not want that,” LVH sports book director Jay Kornegay said
of the NHL. “I can’t speak for the industry, but I think it would be hypocrisy
if we took our home team off the board. I just think we’re sending the wrong
message if we were to take games off the board.
“We have a history. By booking UNLV and
UNR games for the past 14 years, we have proven that. We have not had a
problem, and they are just another game on the board. It certainly would not
make sense if we’re booking local colleges and not the local pro team.”
In one possible scenario, only MGM
Resorts could agree to not book games involving the Las Vegas team. But even
that step is an unnecessary concession.
“My thought process would be to do what
we can to make sure we have all the teams on the betting boards,” Kornegay
said.
Hockey wagering is rather insignificant,
accounting for around 2 percent of his book’s annual handle, Kornegay said. But
allowing for any type of betting ban would set a bad precedent, so Kornegay and
his colleagues have a significant argument.
