Where Does Nevada Go From Here After Coronavirus Break?

For decades, Nevada has been the place to go for sports betting while the rest of the United States of America got its act together with legalization. Even after numerous states around the country legalized sports betting, it was this one that kept it going – even with some legitimate push from New Jersey at the top earner in the U.S.
Now, things are getting way too wild even for Nevada – and it’s largest city, Las Vegas – to handle. The recent coronavirus outbreak has forced nearly every professional and collegiate sports league to suspend all operations until further notice.
“On anything that’s still available to at this point, we will have as expansive a menu on it as we can risk,” said Jeff Sherman, The Westgate vice president of risk.
The Silver State now only has sports like horse racing, MMA, international soccer, cricket, rugby and darts left on the board. No longer is it LeBron James throwing down hammers for the Los Angeles Lakers. Rather, it’s Virat Kohli throwing down it down on the cricket surface for India.
We know, there really wasn’t any way to get you fired up about that.
“I hope they don’t shut that (the remaining sports to bet on) down,” said The Mirage sportsbook director Jeff Stoneback. “We’ve got horse racing plastered all over our TVs now, and we’ve had pretty good race crowds (before the weekend, on Thursday and Friday).”
Stoneback also added, “A few years ago, when the NBA had a lockout, we could book EuroLeague games and pick up some more soccer games in Europe to have more content to wager on. But the whole world is shut down. There’s really nothing more we can do.”
What Happens Now?
It’s fair to wonder were Las Vegas goes, not only in sports betting, but business-wise as a city. Most of the United States is about to face a possible 14-day mandatory quarantine period, with most travel (domestic and international) being limited as well.
“You’ve got to have content,” DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello said. “We do have retail locations, but for the most part, we’re a digital company. If you don’t have stuff you can bet on, what good is it?
Avello also added, “Everybody’s watching their phones and virus happenings. We’re trying to get their mind off of that. Maybe we’ll open some new markets for people we never knew about before. Maybe people find something they really like.”
So, what does that mean for the state of Nevada? In March, April and May of 2019, The Silver State had a combined total of $1.2 billion wagered over that period; the combined total of $65.2 million certainly was worth the effort and risk. After all, Nevada took in $329 million on a $5.3 billion betting handle in 2019.
“We’ve dealt with labor issues but nothing like this,” said Caesars Entertainment sportsbook director Bill Sattler. “We’ve dealt with labor issues but nothing like this. This is unprecedented. All we have to do is weather the storm. Once it blows over, I think it’ll be as good or better than it was.”