It remains to be seen whether the gaming industry will raise its voice for state financial relief. Jody Adams of Mass Restaurants United wants to see distressed-business subsidies. “There’s this stark reality that it’s a significant financial hit for independent restaurants, and without financial relief from the state or federal government we’re not going to survive,” she said. Still, there were those who thought Baker is doing the right thing. “I would like nothing better than for this all to go away,” remarked Massachusetts Lodging Association CEO Paul Sacco. “But the governor is doing what’s necessary right now.”
It could be worse. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has re-darkened his country’s casinos. Both gambling houses and betting shops are affected by the Johnson ban, his second of the year. The good news is that the fatwa will be lifted on Dec. 2, the bad news that the gaming industry has had only two months so far to recoup its losses. Mobile betting, at least, will remain unfettered. And sports will go on, albeit without fans. Reports Global Gaming Businesss, “In addition to casinos and betting shops, pubs, restaurants, retailers and any non-essential business was to shut down for a month.”
The government’s policy was protested by British Betting & Gaming Council CEO Michael Dugher. He quailed that “the government must have a science-led approach and avoid the arbitrary and unnecessary decisions that led to random closures of casinos and betting shops, which damage employment and revenues to the Exchequer.” Added Dugher, “At a time when there is widespread despair among sporting bodies the government also needs to recognize that a healthy betting industry is vital to the funding of sport, and that betting shops in particular are critical to the financing of horseracing.” His sentiments were echoed in Scotland, where casinos are already closed, despite having conducted tens of thousands of tests with only two positives. Queried Rank Organization Managing Director John O’Reilly, “Our venues are indisputably Covid-secure. Why must they therefore close in Level 2 whilst other hospitality industries can remain open?” Good question.
Are you ready for a lot more football? The NFL is pondering expanding this year’s playoff field from the normal 12 teams to 16? Given the vast disparity between good and bad teams this year, we wonder how badly this would dilute the quality of play. But hey, those 2-5 New England Patriots suddenly have a shot. Explains Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken, “NFL thought process is to make up for any missed games due to COVID especially with limited Bye weeks remaining. In our view, clear positive for [DraftKings] and others with leverage to sports betting.”
This development certainly wouldn’t hurt the Kansas City Chiefs‘ odds to repeat as Super Bowl champs. The consensus of FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, PlaySugarHouse and BetMGM has the Chiefs +350 to win it all, meaning your $100 wager pays you $350 if and when Patrick Mahomes hoists the trophy. However, our favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers—riding a 7-0 hot streak—is sneaking up on the rail, going from +2,500 to +550, the second-shortest odds. They are followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at +750, while the Baltimore Ravens have faded from +650 to +900. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are the new darling of the oddsmakers, at +800 (having started the season at +2,000) and ousting previous favorites the San Francisco 49ers, down to +2,800 from +900. How the mighty are falling.
But if you hanker to play long shots, don’t forget the Las Vegas Raiders, playing surprisingly well and consensus +5,700 picks, up from +6,000. (The longest of shots are the New York Jets, +240,000.) “The NFL is a league built on parity, and a significant change in Super Bowl odds are expected,” claims TheLines.com analyst Brett Colson, although the competitive imbalance we’re presently seeing makes one think that certain teams’ odds should be lengthening dramatically. (And yes, we think the bookmakers underrate the Raiders.) There are no dramatic point spreads next weekend, certainly nothing remotely like the Chiefs’ covering of an historic 20.5-point spread against the abysmal Jets. If you like betting the ‘over,’ Lions/Vikings and Seahawks/Bills set the pace at 53 points each.
