The planned Las Vegas stadium that looks set to become the new home of NFL American football team the Oakland Raiders could offer mobile betting services to fans attending matches.
According to ESPN, a conditional lease agreement approved last week by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority does not include language that suggests mobile betting will be prohibited at the new venue.
However, the lease did state that “gaming and gambling, the maintaining or operating of a gambling establishment and/or sports wagering or any wagering on racing or other non-sports events” will be prohibited at the venue.
The 65,000-capacity venue is expected to cost $1.9bn (€1.7bn) in total, with the Raiders scheduled to relocate from its current home in Oakland, California, and begin playing matches at the Las Vegas stadium from the 2020 season.
Nevada is currently the only US state where betting on sports is legal and many leading sportsbooks in Nevada operate sports wagering mobile applications that enable punters to place bets while on the move or at events.
League rules
The NFL could request the Nevada Gaming Commission to prohibit access to such apps at the stadium through the use of geolocation technology.
Responding to a request for comment about on-site sports betting at the venue, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN that the team is “required to abide by league rules on the matter”.
However, Tony Alamo, a spokesperson for the state’s regulatory body, told ESPN that such a request relating to the Las Vegas stadium is yet to be made.
“The NFL has not approached me for any policy decisions,” Alamo said. “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.”
NFL owners are set to vote on ratifying the conditional lease at a meeting this week.
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