If the glutting of our TV screens with obnoxious FanDuel and DraftKings ads has not been enough to trigger a backlash, it has 
been sufficient to inspire Wynn Las Vegas‘ resourceful sports books director, Johnny Avello, to devise his version of casino-based fantasy wagering. He’s created a prop bet in which punters are given a choice of two fantasy-team rosters and allowed to bet on one over the other. It’s one way to probe what American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman calls “the current lack of legal clarity.”
Meanwhile, NFL owners — including Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft — aren’t hesitating to get deeply into bed with the fantasy leagues. So are NBC-TV and Fox Sports, which partly explains the advertising onslaught. Having nothing much else to show for themselves, the Jacksonville Jaguars have created FanDuelVille, which the New York Times describes as “a space where up to 3,000 fans can watch games, check daily fantasy football statistics, sip signature cocktails and dance to music spun by a disc jockey.” That sounds an awful lot like … a casino.
The gaming industry has one potential ally in Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D). The New Jersey congressman wants to know if fantasy 
leagues are skirting federal restrictions on Internet gambling. “Anyone who watched a game this weekend was inundated by commercials for fantasy sports websites and it’s only the first week,” he told the Times, adding, “Despite how mainstream these sites have become, though, the legal landscape governing these activities remains murky and should be reviewed.” Here’s hoping that Pallone can persuade his fellow congressmen to help him cut through the murk.
* Speaking of Wynn Resorts, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli believes the company has been “punished enough” by the stock market for events in Macao (or the lack of same). With development of Wynn Everett “moving at glacial speed,” Santarelli 
predicts 2016 will be a time for deleveraging Wynn’s balance sheet — and we all know that Steve Wynn prides himself on keeping debt low. Santarelli wrote that he remained optimistic that would succeed in cannibalizing enough Cotai business “to generate a return that implies upside in shares. Furthermore, we think far too much has been made of WYNN potentially having balance sheet issues.” Keeping a “buy” on the stock, he said Wynn “is the cheapest name amongst our Macau coverage, an infrequent occurrence.”
* You can only play poker at Los Angeles‘ Bicycle Club, but that’s 
not stopping the card room from billing a $50 million expansion as “Los Angeles’ First Luxury Gaming Resort.” It’s adding a 99-room hotel, a spa and a microbrewery. The makeover also includes “a VIP gaming area of bold Asian influence and decor.” With California‘s government closely wedded to tribal gaming revenues, there’s about zero chance of the Bicycle Club graduating to casino gambling but the new bells and whistles certainly do wonders for the image of California card rooms.
