by Hillary LaClair, Senior Editor
February 26, 2009
The NCAA opposed all forms of sports betting since its inception. Because sportsbooks have been made illegal in almost all cities in the United States, Windsor, Canada has been the designated city for sports betting during the final four basketball season. The NCAA’s 2009 final four will be held in the home of Motown – Detroit, Michigan - in early April. A simple hop across the lake would lead one to the conflict with the final four in Windsor, Ontario.
Windsor is a progressive city with a staggeringly low crime rate. Sports betting is legal at the Caesar Windsor and is very close to Detroit where the final four will compete. The Caesar sports a luxury hotel where the National Basketball Coaches Association has rented hundreds of rooms for the event. Coaches and sponsors of the event will stay at the hotel and it is specifically prohibited that any players or staff with the NCAA be involved in any form of sports betting, legal or illegal.
The Caesars’ Windsor is a much different casino than those found in the United States. It was not forced onto an Indian reservation or located in a “gambling state.” In fact, the Caesar Windsor is owned by the Canadian government. Therefore, when the NCAA asked them to shut down all sports betting during the Final Four they were essentially asking the Canadian government to not generate revenue on the event as it has always done in years past.
"As you know, sports books are only located in a few, select cities, and given the closer proximity this year, the request of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. was a proactive move to ensure a Final Four environment that is free of college sports wagering," says Stacey Osburn, the associate director of public relations for the NCAA.
Official numbers as to how much the casino and Canada stand to lose on the temporary ban are yet to be announced. According to the FBI, over 2.5 billion dollars is gambled illegally on March Madness every year in the United States alone, save online sports betting. The loss comes as no surprise to those who know the management of Caesar Windsor well. While the casino is owned by the Canadian government, it is run by Las Vegas’ own Harrah's Entertainment Inc., responsible for such notorious sporting events as the World Series of Poker. Harrah’s has been trying for an NBA team in Las Vegas for years but has always been halted by the anti gambling laws. Analysts have said that it should be no surprise that Harrah’s would play ball with this request even though it was in no way obligated to do so.
Experts like Randall Fine, the managing director of the Fine Point Group, a casino consulting firm, believe it is in the best interest of casinos to work together with associations like NCAA to show that they are willing to go half way. "Gaming companies are going to great lengths to be cooperative in hopes that a pro team comes to Las Vegas," said Fine. “"What worries me as a fan is when this activity goes underground," Fine said."We would like all sports authorities to understand we're responsible businesspeople...We want to protect the integrity of the game.”
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