BOOKIES FEAR CUBS 10/01/03 - Stephen Nover
Nevada bookmakers view the Chicago Cubs like a long dormant volcano possibly ready to finally erupt.
If the Cubs were to finally capture the World Series, Nevada's hotels would lose millions. That’s big news, since some state sports books haven't lost on their baseball futures since 1991.
That was the worst baseball year ever for Nevada sports books. When the Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves in ’91, Nevada books lost about $15 million. Both the Twins and Braves opened in the 100/1 to 150/1 range that season.
"I wouldn't say it's as bad as the year the Braves and Twins met in the World Series," Stardust race and sports book director Bob Scucci said about the jeopardy his book has on the Cubs. "But it would rank right up there as one of the worst years in baseball."
The Stardust opened the Cubs 50/1 to win the World Series this season. This is extremely generous by Las Vegas standards. Nevada bookmakers have been reluctant to open all but the worst teams at any kind of high odds since getting burned on that '91 World Series.
Bookmakers fear the Cubs more than any other team on the baseball future book. Every year, Nevada hotels write more future book tickets on the Cubs than any other team.
"Most don't care what the price is, they just want to have a ticket on the Cubs," Scucci said. "We know we're going to get money on them. So any year they win, we know we're going to end up losing."
Bookmakers have been dodging bullets on the Cubs since 1908. You would think bettors would get discouraged. Not Cubs fans, though. Just why do the sports books get so much money bet on the Cubs year after year?
"Chicago has always been a great baseball town," Scucci said. "That was the initial reason. Then when WGN picked them up and cable TV erupted in the '70s and '80s, it brought the Cubs into every house.
"Even if you didn't live in Chicago you became a Cubs fan because so many Cubs games were being televised. People also love to root for the underdog. And who better to root for than a team that hasn't won in close to 100 years."
It's not just the Cubs. The Minnesota Twins are also a loser for some Las Vegas hotels. The Twins also draw huge future book money ever year. The Stardust opened Minnesota 15/1.
"We market a great deal to Wisconsin and Minnesota," Scucci said. "A lot of our customers are from the Great Lakes area. So we always have Twins and Vikings money."
Nevada bookmakers aren't worried about the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees because they opened at very low odds. Scucci said the Stardust has never lost on its baseball future book whenever the Yankees have captured the championship.
The Florida Marlins could hurt a few places. That’s not because they're any kind of public team, but just by being such a long shot. Oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants sent the Marlins out at 75/1 at the start of the season.
Most hotels are fine on the Boston Red Sox. The Stardust, for instance, opened Boston at 12/1. The Red Sox, unlike the Cubs, are far more popular on the East Coast than in the Midwest and West Coast.
"They seem to just have a regional fan base," Scucci said of the Red Sox. "If you're from Massachusetts, you're a Red Sox fan. But, unlike the Braves and Cubs who have huge followings, there's not a lot of Red Sox fans scattered around the country.
"If they (the Red Sox) win it, it's not nearly as bad as if the Cubs win it."
Nevada bookmakers view the Chicago Cubs like a long dormant volcano possibly ready to finally erupt.
If the Cubs were to finally capture the World Series, Nevada's hotels would lose millions. That’s big news, since some state sports books haven't lost on their baseball futures since 1991.
That was the worst baseball year ever for Nevada sports books. When the Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves in ’91, Nevada books lost about $15 million. Both the Twins and Braves opened in the 100/1 to 150/1 range that season.
"I wouldn't say it's as bad as the year the Braves and Twins met in the World Series," Stardust race and sports book director Bob Scucci said about the jeopardy his book has on the Cubs. "But it would rank right up there as one of the worst years in baseball."
The Stardust opened the Cubs 50/1 to win the World Series this season. This is extremely generous by Las Vegas standards. Nevada bookmakers have been reluctant to open all but the worst teams at any kind of high odds since getting burned on that '91 World Series.
Bookmakers fear the Cubs more than any other team on the baseball future book. Every year, Nevada hotels write more future book tickets on the Cubs than any other team.
"Most don't care what the price is, they just want to have a ticket on the Cubs," Scucci said. "We know we're going to get money on them. So any year they win, we know we're going to end up losing."
Bookmakers have been dodging bullets on the Cubs since 1908. You would think bettors would get discouraged. Not Cubs fans, though. Just why do the sports books get so much money bet on the Cubs year after year?
"Chicago has always been a great baseball town," Scucci said. "That was the initial reason. Then when WGN picked them up and cable TV erupted in the '70s and '80s, it brought the Cubs into every house.
"Even if you didn't live in Chicago you became a Cubs fan because so many Cubs games were being televised. People also love to root for the underdog. And who better to root for than a team that hasn't won in close to 100 years."
It's not just the Cubs. The Minnesota Twins are also a loser for some Las Vegas hotels. The Twins also draw huge future book money ever year. The Stardust opened Minnesota 15/1.
"We market a great deal to Wisconsin and Minnesota," Scucci said. "A lot of our customers are from the Great Lakes area. So we always have Twins and Vikings money."
Nevada bookmakers aren't worried about the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees because they opened at very low odds. Scucci said the Stardust has never lost on its baseball future book whenever the Yankees have captured the championship.
The Florida Marlins could hurt a few places. That’s not because they're any kind of public team, but just by being such a long shot. Oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants sent the Marlins out at 75/1 at the start of the season.
Most hotels are fine on the Boston Red Sox. The Stardust, for instance, opened Boston at 12/1. The Red Sox, unlike the Cubs, are far more popular on the East Coast than in the Midwest and West Coast.
"They seem to just have a regional fan base," Scucci said of the Red Sox. "If you're from Massachusetts, you're a Red Sox fan. But, unlike the Braves and Cubs who have huge followings, there's not a lot of Red Sox fans scattered around the country.
"If they (the Red Sox) win it, it's not nearly as bad as if the Cubs win it."
