Saturday, August 27, 2005
August 26, 2005
Interstate phone-in horse race betting plan weighed
By Cy Ryan
SUN CAPITAL BUREAU
CARSON CITY -- A plan to revive the dormant horse race betting business in Nevada was outlined Thursday, a proposal that would permit the state's race books to take wagers from customers in other states.
Tony Cabot, a Las Vegas lawyer representing the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association, told the state Gaming Commission that Nevada was in a perfect position to join with 17 other states that already accept telephone bets on horse races.
The commission conducted a public hearing on two regulations that would permit people in other states to set up accounts at Nevada books and then place telephone bets. The commission indicated it would vote on the proposals at its Sept. 27 meeting.
Dennis Neilander, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said the regulation would permit bets to be made over the telephone but there would be no wagering through the Internet. Some other states permit Internet betting but Neilander said this was a "first step" into the interstate betting arena. He said Internet wagering may be allowed in the future.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Toni Cowan said Nevada has looked at the other states that permit out-of-state wagering and there are "holes in their system" of regulation. She told the commission Nevada already has a regulatory system that could be use to police the out-of-state betting.
She said the proposed system would "allow Nevada to enter on a level playing field."
Cabot said that residents in an estimated 33 states that don't prohibit interstate betting could call a race book and deposit money into an account either through a credit card or an electronic transfer of money.
The would-be-bettor would give his name, home address, telephone number, age, social security number and other information. The information would be verified to determine if the bettor lived in an authorized state and if he was 21 and old enough to bet.
The book would do the first verification and an independent third party would do a second verification.
If the player's identity and authorized location pan out, he'd be allowed to call in his bets.
Nevada pari-mutuel betting volume has fallen from a high of $619 million to $516 million in 2003. In contrast, Cabot said Oregon handles more than $1 billion in bets and California has $400 million. Cabot said he hoped Nevada's 86 books could lure away some of that business.
Neilander said the proposed regulation would not allow out-of-state telephone betting on sports or dog racing.
Seventeen other states are already accepting out-of-state wagers on horse races and there has not been any problem, regulators said.
There were questions whether those younger than 21 would be able to bet. Cowan said the regulation provides a reasonable level of regulation. But she conceded that a minor might be able to use the password of his parents and make bets.
But the commission was told the profile of a horse race bettor was 55 and holder and male.
After the testimony, Commission Chairman Peter Bernhard said the state was "treading into a new area. We have to be suspicious about it." He said additional testimony would be accepted in Las Vegas before a vote was taken.
There was no testimony opposing the proposal Thursday.
The proposed regulation would allow creation of a "call center" for small books to join where the bettor could telephone to place a bet. Cabot said it takes a big investment to set up the out-of-state telephone wagering system and small businesses may want to join in a single center.
The bettor would pre-fund his account at the casino and then telephone a special number at the call center to place the wager. There would be recordings made of all voice wagering which would be kept for 60 days to refer to in case of a dispute over a bet.
Cabot also told the board that a bettor would be responsible for keeping his password secret just like a customer of a bank that uses an ATM.
The commission praised Cowan and Gaming Board member Bobby Siller for developing the proposed regulations.
FANTASY SPORTS: 'Winning Fantasy Football' valuable book for beginners
The UPS man dropped off a box the other day and, given that I hadn't ordered anything, I was curious to see what the package contained.
I opened it to find a book about fantasy football -- one of my favorite subjects.
But this was no ordinary book. It was written by a friend and former Review-Journal colleague, freelance writer Stephen Nover of Henderson. I had known he was writing a book on the topic for months, since he had told me one of his editors wanted him to track down Bob Costas to write the foreword (No Costas in the book I received; Nover wrote his own foreword).
But I became especially intrigued when I flipped the book over and saw these words next to Nover's picture: " ... one of American's foremost fantasy football experts."
My first feeling was glee, since I had won the last fantasy league Nover and I were in together. After all, if he was one of the foremost experts, didn't beating him make me the expert?
But that's a story for another day (and another newspaper).
Nover's book, "Winning Fantasy Football: How to Play and Win Your Fantasy Football League Every Year," is really designed for the fantasy novice.
The popularity of the game is exploding, as Nover points out, and folks who just five years ago would never have given it a thought are now joining several leagues.
The book is well-organized and easy to read, though there are no secret strategies that will guarantee a victory.
Longtime and/or expert players might find it beneath them, but it will be a definite help to a newcomer or to someone serving as league commissioner for the first time.
j SAY THAT AGAIN -- It was great to see USA Today devote so much space to fantasy football this week, publishing fantasy player rankings on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
But I had to do a double take after reading Wednesday's analysis of quarterbacks. The unbylined story ranked the Colts' Peyton Manning the No. 1 quarterback and said he was "arguably the best player in fantasy football."
I can't quibble with that statement too much, though I don't rank Manning No. 1. But the next statement was a stunner.
Of Manning, USA Today wrote, "Who else can you count on to produce 40 touchdowns and 4,000 yards?"
Well, probably no one, including Manning.
Manning has been one of the great NFL quarterbacks since he entered the league in 1998. He has started every one of the Colts' 112 regular- season games and has been as productive a fantasy quarterback as anyone.
But to count on him to produce 40 touchdowns? I don't think so. Manning threw an NFL record 49 TD passes last year -- 20 more than he threw in 2003, 22 more than in 2002 and 23 more than in 2001, 1999 and 1998.
In seven years, last year was only the second time Manning surpassed 30 touchdown passes (he had 33 in 2000), let alone 40.
It's great to peg him No. 1, but let's be realistic in making projections about him.
j CSTV FANTASY -- CSTV, the network devoted exclusively to college sports, is offering a free college football fantasy game on its Web site at www.cstv.com/fantasy.
The hook is that instead of drafting players, fans draft teams.
