Nevada’s gaming companies have invested millions of dollars in their sportsbooks since casinos took their first sports wagers in 1949.
Betting on sports and racing is widely viewed in the industry today as a means of getting customers through the doors to bet on other games of chance that are more profitable to casinos than sports bets or to spend on nongaming attractions within the casino.
In May 2018, other states nationwide were enabled to offer legal sports betting, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 7-2 vote to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
The PASPA decision started a wave of sports-betting legalization that has resulted in 39 states and Washington D.C. allowing bets.
