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Super Bowl Pumps Up Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS --Though the Super Bowl was still more than three days away, Las Vegas resident Jon Patino got off to an early start placing bets on the upcoming National Football League championship.

Camped out near the back of the Stardust Race & Sports Book Thursday afternoon, Patino explained why he's betting that the Oakland Raiders, then a 4-point favorite, will be victorious over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday in San Diego.

"I think (Oakland quarterback) Rich Gannon is going to pick Tampa Bay's defense apart," said Patino, a Raiders fan who likes to bet the Super Bowl each year. "I've already put my money down on Oakland."

Bob Scucci, manager of the Stardust's sports book, expects plenty of others to follow suit. He believes the Raiders' widespread following is just one factor that should keep local sports books busy through Sunday's projected 3 p.m. kickoff.

"We couldn't be happier with the matchup," said Scucci, now in his 10th year at the Stardust. "There are certain teams people love to follow, and from our perspective, love to bet on. Oakland is both."

Widely loved - or loathed - in football circles, Scucci said the Raiders' presence will cause many otherwise casual fans to place bets this week, as will other factors associated with this year's game.

"The Raiders are going up against Jon Gruden, their former coach, plus this game has the whole East Coast versus West Coast thing, not to mention the No. 1 offense (Oakland) versus the No. 1 defense (Tampa Bay)," Scucci said. "We were thrilled when Oakland (qualified for the Super Bowl) last week."

Scucci said the Super Bowl has become such an event that nonsports fans often take an interest. Coupled with VIP parties and events to lure high rollers, he expects the Strip to be jammed this weekend.

Frank Streshley, senior researcher for the Gaming Control Board, said it's still too soon to predict how much money might be wagered on this year's Super Bowl, traditionally the busiest sports betting day of the year, though Streshley said the event typically generates close to $70 million in legal bets statewide.

Still, Streshley believes the Raiders' strong following could help sports books top last year's action. The New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams' 2002 showdown resulted in combined wagers of about $71.5 million in Nevada's sports books, Streshley said. Casinos kept about $2.3 million in winnings.

"In the years we've had a West Coast team or a fan favorite, we've seen increased wagering," said Streshley, who said a similar effect could occur with Oakland this year.

The Super Bowl also drives thousands of visitors to Southern Nevada's hotels, said Kevin Bagger, research director for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. He's projected about 271,000 visitors will be in town this weekend, generating hotel occupancy rates of 93 percent and a projected nongaming economic impact of $95.9 million.

While not every visitor will come to Las Vegas this weekend specifically to take part in Super Bowl-related activities, Bagger said the game's significance to the local economy, particularly its publicity value, cannot be overstated.

"Las Vegas has certainly had it's share of media coverage related to this year's game," said Bagger, who alluded to a recent national controversy stemming from the NFL's refusal to allow ads touting Las Vegas as a tourist destination to be aired during Sunday's game.

For Super Bowl weekend 2002, the city reported about 282,000 visitors resulting in hotel occupancy rates of 97.3 percent. However, Bagger said it's difficult to compare this year's event with a year ago because last year's Super Bowl was played in February to accommodate changes in the NFL's postseason schedule.

Last year, the league pushed back its playoff schedule by one week to allow its teams to make up for games canceled days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Originally scheduled for Jan. 27, Super Bowl XXXVI was played Feb. 3 2002 in New Orleans.

Because of that delay, Bagger said comparisons to Super Bowl weekend 2001, which like this year's event, was scheduled for late January, offer a better indicator of the city's overall performance. That year, Las Vegas hosted about 255,000 visitors over Super Bowl weekend, with hotels at about 89.3 percent occupancy.

Measured by gaming action, Nevada's busiest Super Bowl was in 1998, when more than $77.3 million was wagered on the matchup of two so-called "public teams," or teams with a strong national following. That year, the Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-24.

The state's largest gaming win occurred in 2001, however. That year, the upstart Baltimore Ravens defeat of the popular New York Giants led to casino winnings of $11 million, Streshley said.

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