Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

A17
Thursday 7 december 2017

Is sports betting

about to go

mainstream?

Bet on it

By TIM DAHLBERG BEAL
AP Sports Columnist
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jimmy
Vaccaro has been tak-
ing — and dispensing — STREAK
money in this city’s sports
books for the better part
of 43 years.
Until this week, he thought
he’d seen just about ev-
erything in a business
that’s not for the faint
hearted.
But he never thought he’d
see justices of the U.S. Su-
preme Court favorably
discussing the idea of
sports betting in a state
other than Nevada.
The veteran bookmaker
still makes it a 5-1 longshot
that fans in New Jersey will
be able to wager on their
favorite team’s next foot-
ball season.
But it’s clear to him and
others in the betting indus-
try that momentum is on
their side.
“I think we’re just about
crossing midfield, put it
that way,” said Vaccaro, Beal has career-high,
who helps run the South
Point hotel sports book.
“And we were on the Wizards down Blazers
2-yard-line with 98 yards to
go just three or four years
ago.”
Indeed, sports betting
may be on the verge of
exploding nationwide,
much like casino gam-
bling did after the flood-
gates were opened in At-
lantic City in 1978.
A Supreme Court ruling
on New Jersey’s chal- Washington Wizards guard
lenge to federal gambling Bradley Beal drives to the
laws is expected in the basket against Portland
months ahead, and jus-
tices seemed to indicate Trail Blazers center Jusuf
in arguments this week Nurkic during the first half
that the law is on shaky of an NBA basketball game
ground. in Portland, Ore., Tuesday,
How it will all shake out is
tougher to figure out than Dec. 5, 2017.
a three-team NFL parlay. Associated Press
Page
Continued on Next Page