Nevada Sports Betting Operators Reject Calls for New Restrictions

A wave of high-profile gambling probes across several big leagues has turned up the heat on sports betting nationwide, but top bookies in Nevada say the state’s setup will not change much anytime soon.

National Probe Sparks Policy Shifts, Yet Nevada Sportsbooks Hold Their Ground

In the last month, alleged betting plots have shaken the NBA, NCAA, MLB and UFC. This kicked off a US Senate look into the matter and pushed professional leagues to think again about how they handle prop bets. MLB acted fast, teaming up with licensed betting shops to put a cap on micro-bets linked to single pitches and take those bets out of parlays. This move came after federal charges claimed two Cleveland Guardians pitchers took money to sway pitch results.

As other states and leagues think about changing their approach, the big sportsbooks in Nevada have taken a different stance, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Leaders from Circa Sports and the Westgate SuperBook believe the current system already has enough protection. Chris Bennett from Circa thinks bookmakers, not regulators, should choose which bets to offer and how much to allow. He says there will always be weak spots when people have strong reasons to mess with outcomes. He also believes that limiting popular betting options would not do much to get rid of these risks, but it would make it harder for bookmakers to compete with each other.

Nevada Books Say Existing Safeguards Are Enough

Betting on pitch-by-pitch outcomes is widespread on national online platforms, but Nevada boards rarely offer these options. The state’s bookmakers also claim they can spot unusual patterns well before bets become an issue. John Murray from Westgate highlighted a recent UFC fight that the sportsbook pulled after noticing irregular betting activity. He stressed that seasoned staff who can review bets work better than broad changes.

Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner, spoke during the owners’ meetings this week. He said the league does not plan to add more betting limits beyond the pitch-market caps. He emphasized that looking at data from betting partners remains baseball’s main way to protect itself.

The NFL shared guidelines that push to restrict bets on officiating, injuries, and other sensitive topics. NCAA president Charlie Baker agreed with the league’s position, as he has tried to limit prop bets on college athletes. Still, bookmakers in Nevada said state regulators have not asked them to change their offerings because of this.

Bennett thinks that any future action will target amateur or low-paid athletes, who might be easier to sway. He said bets decided by one action, like baseball’s first pitch, could face closer scrutiny down the road, but he does not expect big changes overall.

Murray said that getting rid of certain props would just push players to bet offshore, without cutting down on demand. He pointed out that prop bets make up most of the Super Bowl betting action and that small changes would not matter much given the hundreds of options available. He thinks that even if some types of bets are cut back , bettors will keep doing what they have always done.