Putting a sportsbook so near a professional sports venue -and it was done with the blessing and oversight of the Arizona Department of Gaming -is becoming more and more common. Just about every big stadium in every state that has legalized sports betting -from Wrigley Field in Chicago to FedEx Field in Washington, D.C. -has a nearby sportsbook.
The Colorado Buffaloes — with a national ranking, a ready-for-Prime-time head coach and a roster loaded with the same kind of speed and swagger Deion Sanders brought to the field so many years ago — are the story of the young college football season.
But can they win a national championship?
That's currently the second-most popular futures bet in the industry, says Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen, which is partnering with Ho-Chunk Inc. in running the WarHorse Lincoln casino. "People are buying into the hype," she said. "Maybe there's something to it."
Winnebago Tribal Council member Kenny Mallory speaks to the media after placing the first ceremonial sports bet in Nebraska at WarHorse Casino in Lincoln. Mallory placed a bet on Wake Forest winning the College World Series.
Sports gambling will likely cause a large jump in the September tax numbers provided by the Racing and Gaming Commission.
This week, it released August tax numbers, which showed modest gains from the previous month.
The total gaming tax generated by WarHorse Lincoln was $855,823.12 — up more than $14,000 from July's total of $841,714.98. Of that total, the city of Lincoln and Lancaster County each took in $106,977.89.
Grand Island Casino & Resort, which added table games — Texas Hold 'em poker, craps, roulette, and blackjack — at the end of August, saw an increase in gambling receipts last month.
It reported a total gaming tax of $470,131.47 — up nearly $30,000 from the $440,895.60 accrued in July.
Harrah's Casino in Columbus generated just more than $225,000 in gaming taxes in August, down more than $35,000 from July.
The commission has not yet released a revenue breakdown for each casino for August. In July, WarHorse Lincoln had more than $82,000 in sports betting revenue.
