The game of games in the gamer’s paradise

Gambling or sports betting – for a long time these were not advertising partners for US professional sports, but taboo areas. Las Vegas was considered a “forbidden city”, and the National Football League (NFL) even rejected commercials for the players’ paradise out of concern about doubts about the integrity of the sport. The times have changed.

Las Vegas is now not only home to several professional teams, the metropolis in the Mojave Desert is also a sought-after address as a venue for sporting events. The current highlight in the rise of “Sin City” to the status of a sports city is the biggest event that professional sports has to offer: On Sunday, the NFL Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will take place in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas . 900 million people worldwide will be watching live on TV.

Six years ago, the legal situation in the USA regarding sports betting was relaxed, and there is no longer any fear of contact. The NFL has long had several betting providers as advertising partners, and Las Vegas is the home base of important professional clubs such as the Golden Knights, who brought the Stanley Cup to the city in the NHL ice hockey league last year. The Las Vegas Aces have already won two titles in the women’s basketball league. Four years ago, the Raiders NFL team moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. An NBA team could soon set up camp in the players’ paradise. Superstar LeBron James would like to set up his own team there if the professional basketball league expands to 32 teams in 2025.

state of emergency

In the next few days, Las Vegas will clearly be dominated by the Super Bowl final for the football aces. With around 150,000 hotel beds, the city can accommodate many guests, but in the days surrounding the duel between the Chiefs and the 49ers, conditions are expected that also mean a state of emergency for Vegas. There were already 30,000 spectators in the stadium at the “Opening Night” on Monday, and at the finale on Sunday (in Austria on Monday from 12:30 a.m./live on RTL and DAZN) there will be more than twice as many, even though the cheapest regular ticket costs around 700 Euro costs. Tickets for the long-sold-out final on the “secondary market” are available from 8,000 euros and up.