In Las Vegas, Baseball Is Strictly Minor League

Las Vegas breathed only a small sigh of relief Friday when a baseball strike was averted. That’s because in this town, football is king.

Of the $2 billion wagered at Las Vegas sports books in the fiscal year that ended June 30, $861.1 million was bet on football games, according to statistics compiled by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Basketball ranked No. 2 at $529.7 million and baseball was third at $448.3 million.

“Baseball is not the national pastime anymore. Football has supplanted it,” said Robert Walker, director of the race and sports book at MGM Grand and Mirage.

Las Vegas would have been affected by a prolonged strike similar to 1994-95, when the World Series was canceled. Wagering on baseball games plunged from $479.1 million to $337.9 million, a drop of 29%.

But Walker said a baseball strike this weekend would not have disrupted bettors.

“It would have hurt a little bit, but more like a paper cut,” he said. “The timing couldn’t have been worse for baseball and best for us. [Today] starts college football and next weekend is NFL football. Those are by far our two premier sports.”

Sports books would have been required to refund millions of dollars in World Series bets had the rest of the season been canceled.

“If you put your money on the Cubs or Devil Rays, you wouldn’t mind seeing a strike,” Walker said.

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Money Players

Las Vegas sports books wagers from July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002

Total wagers...$2.008 billion

Football...$861.1 million

Basketball...$529.7 million

Baseball...$448.3 million

Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board