Casinos.co.uk: Casino News Archive
Tuesday 15th February 2005
Offshore Sportsbook One Ups Nevada Sports Books
Other than the host city of the Big Game, the most dynamic celebratory, off-the-wall activities take place in Las Vegas. The city makes this boast annually, and the claim actually lives up to the hype. On this day Vegas serves up more Buffalo wings, chugs more brewskis and exhibits more cellulite-free female skin than anywhere in the U.S.
But this year, arguably the city’s wildest, hippest most exuberant Super Bowl extravaganza was hosted by an up-and-coming (or perhaps it’s there already) offshore sportsbook. Costa Rica-based Betcom.com not only stole the thunder of the city’s numerous bet shops, it clued in its peers that Betcom is a competitor to be reckoned with.
Opting for the Whiskey Bar -- a trendy, upscale nightclub in prestigious Green Valley Ranch Hotel and Casino -- Betcom pulled out all the stops because this gala was not done on the cheap. Attendance was a who’s who of the industry.
We’re not going to mention names because we’d inadvertently leave off someone. But for more details and insider stuff about this event, check out gambling911.com, which is a preeminent website for covering both formal and informal offshore happenings.
We will mention one attendee, Ken Weitzner, who we haven’t seen in years and who used to own ThePrescription.com when he was known as The Shrink. He looked calmer and less stressed out than he was during in the anything-goes era that characterized online offshore websites back in the early days … but of course, he was accompanied by his own Rock of Gibraltar, wife Jackie, whose inner strength and outward glow has worked wonders in refocusing the erstwhile Shrink.
The party featured top quality hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, with all the fixin's, endless finger food as well as lots of fresh veggies and dips. Bottled beer seems to be the drink of choice of sports bettors, but fancy mixed drinks created by The Whiskey were also imbibed.
Before and during the game some of the most diverting, scantily clad young women we’ve seen in a while were happily posing for pictures with guests, as well as handing out a virtually endless supply of logo apparel.
In the days preceding the party, Betcom also held a golf tournament on Saturday at the nearby Legacy Course, and hosted a cocktail party Friday night.
Although it has no justification to do so, Vegas has a distinctly nose in the air attitude about off shore sports books. They are, after all, competition .And a number of unresolved issues lets the folks in Vegas assume a superior posture. Kudos to Station Casinos for working with Betcom and putting on a gala event that raises the bar pretty high for those who would follow.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention one of Betcom’s principals, Mike Nicoles, whose vision and fortitude as a sports book operator has served him well. We remember meeting him years ago in Vegas when he was launching his first book. Mike advertised in our magazine and we opened an account with the book. He has experienced the ups and downs that this industry offers and prevailed. Making a go of it is not a slam dunk.
Betcom looks like one of the industry’s emerging players which will be around when the U.S. belatedly admits that online gaming is a worthy endeavor, and our lame politicos pull their heads out of the sand and recognize it as such.
Please send comments, questions, etc. to buzzdaly@aol.com.
Source:OnlineCasinoNews
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