Sports bettors line up in Windsor

[clevfan]

Sports bettors line up in Windsor

BY MARGARITA BAUZA
DETROIT FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

September 9, 2006

WINDSOR -- Construction worker Steve Dunlop got up Friday morning with one thing on his mind: sports betting.

And he was first in line at Legends, the new sports lounge at Casino Windsor. It opened Friday with much fanfare and media attention from around the region. The lounge is part of a $360-million expansion at the casino.

"That's the only reason I have to be here today -- checking out the sports betting," Dunlop said.

It's the first sports betting lounge easily accessible to Detroiters. The other closest one opened in Niagara Falls, Ontario, last year. In the United States, sports betting is legal only in Nevada.

Dozens of curious bettors lined up outside the lounge's doors before 4 p.m., wanting the first peek at the lounge, which featured U.S. Open tennis matches and golf and baseball games on 36 high-definition televisions.

Customers made beelines for the bar and restaurant seating areas, ordering drinks and such bar fare as nachos, burgers, calamari and onion rings. They also watched games and placed bets at the far end of the dim room.

Dunlop, who plays Texas Hold 'Em and frequents Detroit and Windsor casinos, said he had stopped visiting Windsor because of the provincial smoking ban. "I really like to smoke when I'm gambling," he said, adding that he wasn't sure he'd return.

Bill Johnson, 48, of Toledo made the 45-minute trip Windsor to place some bets on college football games. "This is a new thing for me," said Johnson, who manages a golf course.

"I bet you they do so well; they will have to expand soon."

Casino Windsor could use the lift. This summer, it had to lay off 329 workers as it saw its revenue plummet 17%, in part due to the smoking ban.

Ernest Dex, 78, of Milwaukee stopped in to bet on the Green Bay Packers. He left his girlfriend Della, 79, at the slot machines, played blackjack, where he won $500 and then made his way to the sports lounge.

He and his sons visit Las Vegas three to four times a year to place sports bets. But even with that option, he probably will make more frequent stops at Casino Windsor to place bets on pro football.

"I'm a gambler," said Dex, who will be in Windsor for two weeks. "It makes my heart beat fast."

[clevfan]

U.S. sports bettors try Windsor

Jennifer Youssef / The Detroit News

WINDSOR -- Dozens of sports fans and curious gamblers crowded into Casino Windsor's news sports betting lounge Friday afternoon to wager on their favorite teams.

Legends, the first legal sports betting lounge in the region, officially opened at 4 p.m. Gamblers quickly crowded the bar, snagged cushy chairs in front of television sets and dug into plates piled high with onion rings, mini-hamburgers and chicken wings.

"This is going to be a big hit," said Bill Moncrief, who, along with his wife, Judy, traveled from Sterling Heights to attend opening day. "The casino lost some business when smoking was banned (May 30), but I think this will bring them back."

About 100 people trickled into the multimillion dollar lounge -- part of Casino Windsor's $400 million expansion -- during its first half hour; a full house was expected as the night progressed.

Legends has sparked a lot of interest across the country since the casino announced its opening, said Holly Ward, Casino Windsor's director of communications and community affairs.

"It's offering a new entertainment attraction you can't get in Detroit (casinos)," Ward said.

Casino Windsor is betting the 170-seat sports betting lounge will lure Metro Detroiters, passionate about gambling and sports, back across the river.

The casino has experienced waning revenue since Ontario enacted a smoking ban on May 30. The casino also has been hindered by higher fees to cross the bridge and tunnel, an unusually low exchange rate and the region's struggling economy.

The Detroit casinos can't offer sports wagering. Metro Detroit bettors have had to travel to Las Vegas -- one of the few places in the United States where betting on sports is legal -- or to Niagara Falls, Ont.

Judy Moncrief said Legends was ideal for her husband, who loves to watch pro and college footfall. The couple frequently visits Casino Windsor.

"There's no place locally where you can do this," she said. "At least I know where he'll be."

At Legends, gamblers can bet on professional football, basketball, hockey and baseball games, as well as college football and basketball. Casino Windsor has set a maximum limit of $200 (Canadian per bet, with a $1,000 Canadian) daily limit per category type.

Gamblers can make traditional wagers on which team will cover the point spread and the "over/under," in which gamblers wager that the combined points scored by both teams will be above or below a certain number.

They also can bet on more specific outcomes, such as total number of yards gained in a football game or the number of three-point shots made in a basketball match-up. The casino has its own oddsmakers.

"We think it's really great," said 79-year-old Beverly Aguanno of Mississaugano, Ont., who sat at the bar playing video poker with her husband, Joe, 75. "People need to get off the floor."

Joe Aguanno speculated the sports betting lounge was a good move for the casino.

"Any time you make a change, you never know if it's going to be good or not," said Aguanno, a Toronto Blue Jays and Maple Leafs fan. "I think this is good."

[michael777]

ernest and della sound like old degenerates [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[Michael Cash]

I was gonna go check it out last night but a buddy said don't even bother because you would never get in.

MC

[Johnny Detroit]

It looked sweet on the news, but most likely going to be lame. All the 19 year olds from MI will be all over the place.

[h_upmann]

Why does this remain news? As others have stated in previous threads, it's just a ProLine parlour, not to be confused with a proper sportsbook.

http://proline.olgc.ca/

[clevfan]

Are you ready for some football bets? Windsor is.
BY TODD SPANGLER
Detroit Free press staff writer

September 10, 2006

As the National Football League season went into full action today, gamblers, football fans and curious spectators gathered at Casino Windsor just before the 1 p.m. kickoffs to take in the scene.

At 12:50 p.m. today about 175 people crammed into Legends, the new sports lounge at Casino Windsor. Many waited in line at three betting windows, trying to place wagers before the 1 p.m. football games began.

High-definition televisions surrounded the room.

The lounge, which opened Friday, is part of a $360-million expansion at the casino.
It's the first sports betting lounge easily accessible to Detroiters. The other closest one opened in Niagara Falls, Ontario, last year. In the United States, sports betting is legal only in Nevada.