Mobile betting to be offered at Raiders Stadium

The $1.9 billion, 65,000 seat stadium the Raiders are due to move into in 2020 could be even better than first expected with news that fans will be able to bet on their mobile phones whilst at the stadium. The lease proposed last week, that was unanimously approved, prohibits any wagering or gambling to take place at stadium kiosks or stalls, but nowhere was there anything prohibiting doing so on mobile phones. Las Vegas sportsbooks have offered mobile sportsbook apps for years, so this is an expected step.

The NFL has always had an issue with gambling, and the league could still try and block the betting on mobile phone apps. Roger Goodell and the NFL are yet to outline their policy on the matter, but if history is anything to go by then it will most likely be the un-popular opinion, which in this case would likely see the apps banned.

How the sportsbook apps themselves would be banned specifically within the stadium is an interesting topic. The use of such apps in Nevada is perfectly legal, and Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Tony Alamo told ESPN “The Nevada Gaming Commission is the policy maker for the state of Nevada and gaming, and they have not approached us in any shape, way or form”.

So how would the NFL block it being used in the stadium, but then perfectly legal once you are outside it? Geo-targeting does exist where certain locations are blocked from accessing specific content, but the accuracy of said methods would be key in this scenario.

Unanimous vote avoids relocation delay for Raiders

The Las Veags Stadium authority has unanimously approved the conditional lease agreement from the Raiders. The move comes as no surprise, but it avoids any potential delays in the teams relocation efforts. The LA Rams and Chargers recently were dealt the news that record rain fall has delayed their stadium being ready by an extra year, so its nice to see some positive relocation news for a few weeks.

Had the lease not passed this week, the next opportunity would not have been until October. Team president Marc Badain previously warned that had it not passed at this opportunity then the Raiders too may have been looking at an extra year delay on their relocation.

The lease means the 2020 opening is still the plan, with the stadium still looking good for a 62-acre plot just west of the Mandalay Bay Resort at the south end of Vegas. If you want to see more about the stadium location, then visit our dedicated page here.

The news and vote may have gone under the radar to most Raiders fans, but its just good to know its out the way. The lease agreement will be presented to league owners later on this year, and then we are hopefully looking at smooth sailing from here on out!

Odds makers favour Raiders over Rivals

With the Raiders moving to Las Vegas in a couple of years, all the major talk this offseason has been about gambling. Football betting is growing in popularity in Las Vegas and America, with new markets being created every week. In fact, it’s so popular that some markets are created and opened immediately after Super Bowl 51 finished.

Las Vegas odds makers ranked the Oakland Raiders seventh-placed favourites to win Super Bowl 52 at 18/1, joint with the Steelers, but somehow behind the division rival Broncos, at 17/1, who didn’t even make the playoffs last year. These odds came out immediately following the Patriots Super Bowl victory, so do not take the Raiders signing of Marshawn Lynch or their other strong free agent acquisitions into account. Today, some odds makers have bumped the Raiders to 12/1 and fifth overall, jumping ahead of the Broncos and into third in the AFC.

Guessing which team will win the Super Bowl next year isn’t the only offseason betting market available. You can bet over/under on how many games you think the Raiders will win this year, and it seems the market has opened at the Raiders winning 10 games. That is higher than all its division rivals and good for third highest in the AFC behind the Steelers and Patriots.

Last year the Raiders won 12, but that could have easily been 13 had Derek Carr not been injured and missed the last game of the year. Looking at it on paper, that makes you think the Raiders are likely to go over 10 games considering their record and overall team improvement in the offseason. Sadly, it’s not that easy! Of the 10 wins in the 2016 season, eight came on games that were decided by one score or less. Oakland could have easily lost those games, so who knows what might happen in 2017.

Throughout the season more prop bets will appear and provide plenty of opportunity for betting on the Raiders. Marshawn Lynch for comeback player of the year anyone?