Golden Knights could cost Las Vegas millions if they win Stanley Cup

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moncler outlet online LAS VEGAS At the time, Nick Bogdanovich thought he was actually giving the Vegas Golden Knights pretty favorable odds. Bogdanovich’s William Hill sportsbook listed the city’s new hockey team as 250 to 1 long shots to win the Stanley Cup in their first year of existence. The true odds before the season, he said, should’ve been closer to 2,500 to 1. moncler outlet online

moncler sale «Every expert had them finishing dead last or maybe next to last in the Western Conference,» said Bogdanovich, William Hill’s chief oddsmaker. moncler sale

With the Golden Knights holding a one game advantage heading into Game 2 Wednesday night, William Hill could be three Vegas wins away from losing close to $2 million. One bettor is in for $1,000 on a 50 1 ticket. Another has $200 at 200 1. And there are many smaller bets that were placed at 250 1.

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moncler outlet Casinos all along the Strip are facing similar circumstances, and the total liability in Las Vegas has been moncler mens jackets estimated at $5million to $7 million, which would likely mark the city’s biggest loss on futures betting. moncler outlet

«We’re going to be wrong, and we’ll just have to pay,» Bogdanovich said. «That’s just the nature of the beast.»

moncler outlet jackets These Stanley Cup finals represent a unique case study, a nexus of hometown rooting interests and legal sports wagering. As states across the country consider regulating sports wagering in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down monlcer down jackets a federal law that had previously outlawed it, fans may soon have an easier pathway to laying down both a rooting and a financial interest in cheap moncler sale their favorite teams’ games. The series also underscores the risks cheap moncler coats at play, particularly for the house. In Las Vegas, locals backed the long shot and casinos are now bracing for a big hit. moncler outlet jackets

While seven figure losses sound big on the surface, casinos are accustomed to occasionally taking their lumps. Jay Kornegay, who runs the sportsbook at the Westgate Las Vegas, likened the potential hit to a really bad weekend cheap moncler jackets during the football season.

With hundreds and likely many more of Golden Knights’ tickets floating around town, bets made months ago are suddenly big business. PropSwap is a site that serves as a secondary market for sports bets, allowing gamblers to unload active tickets for guaranteed cash rather than waiting for the game or event to take place.

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moncler factory outlet «It’s a way for you to get rich and your team can still win,» said co founder Luke Pergande. «Some people might describe it as an emotional hedge.» moncler factory outlet

The biggest Vegas ticket currently listed on PropSwap was originally purchased for $300 at 400 to 1 odds. It would pay out $120,000 if the Knights cheap moncler win three more games. A bettor could buy that ticket right buy moncler jackets now for the asking price of $95,000.

Pergande knows the risks and rewards. He, after all, bought a $50 ticket back in October at 500 to 1 odds. «I didn’t think they were going to win the Cup,» he said, «but I knew the number felt off.»

cheap moncler coats After the Knights’ hot start, he sold the ticket in November for $550, a tenfold return on his investment. The new owner of that ticket now stands to make $25,000. cheap moncler coats

«I have no regrets,» Pergande said. «I basically hit a 10 to 1 winner and paid my rent. Who’s going to cry about that?»

moncler outlet uk Oddsmakers around town agree that most Golden Knights tickets were purchased as souvenirs, a keepsake for fans to frame and save. Kornegay said he’s still heard from fans recently claiming they were convinced back in October the Knights were bound for the finals. moncler outlet uk

cheap moncler jackets «I don’t believe them. ‘Oh, I saw this coming.’ Sure you did,» he said with a chuckle. «Why’d you only bet a whole $10 then?»There’s at least one such hockey fan who’s already cashed a big ticket and insists he had a gut feeling before the season that Vegas would reach the finals in their first season. He also predicted they’d face the Caps. Motivated by historical trends and gambler hunches, a Washington man named Howard placed a pair of bets back in early October. (The Washington Post agreed to use only his first name because his bet was made using an online sportsbook.) He felt good cheap moncler jackets about the Caps and Golden Knights and placed $100 on Vegas to reach the finals and another $100 moncler sale on the Caps to win it all. At 300 to 1 odds, the Golden Knights paid out $30,000 after winning the Western Conference. Howard stands to win another $1,000 if the Caps at 10 1 odds manage to hoist the cup. cheap moncler jackets

cheap moncler Howard believed in George McPhee, the Vegas general manager, and moncler outlet felt good about the addition of goaltender Marc Andre Fleury. He felt strongly that the team and city would respond to the mass shooting in October similarly to the Red Sox, who won the World Series following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. «It dawned on me how tragedy can motivate a team and motivate players to another level [and] inspire a fan base to get more involved,» he said. cheap moncler

cheap moncler outlet The hockey team certainly has become a rallying point for Las Vegas, and the arrival of the Golden Knights changed the nature of hockey betting in Las Vegas. It had historically moncler sale outlet been a low dollar business for sports books, but the interest in the team sent many new fans scurrying to the betting windows. cheap moncler outlet

The professional gamblers counting on a terrible team were getting crushed from Day 1, and newly converted puckheads kept cashing bets, courtesy of a team that was crushing everyone’s expectations.

moncler outlet store «Look, cheap moncler outlet I’ve been in the business since ’86. I said I thought it’d increase hockey a little, but nothing significant,» Bogdanovich said. https://www.cheapmoncler.com «I think the moncler outlet online main reason I was wrong is they got off to the fast start and were winning from Day 1. The whole town drank the punch and a lot of them started betting on hockey. Once they started watching, they liked it. They started betting it and they were winning money. And the whole thing snowballed and snowballed.» moncler outlet store

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Kornegay estimates that his sportsbook sees 15 to 20 times more action on Golden Knights’ contests than other NHL games. And because the Golden Knights usually won posting a 47 31 moncler outlet store record against the spread, including 28 13 at home local fans who bet with their hearts often walked away winners.

Betting on the home team was largely a new experience for locals. Although sports books have taken bets on UNLV games since 2001, the Golden Knights represented the first big gambling friendly local sporting event that entire community could rally behind.

moncler jackets outlet Kornegay is a longtime bookmaker, but he’s also a sports fan and a Golden Knights season ticket holder. He knows his employer stands to lose money in this series, but he also knows the team has been a great addition to the local community moncler jackets outlet.