Online gambling is illegal in the United States, but it has a small, very legal, foot in the door in Nevada. Clearly, gambling is a way of life in Nevada. The big casino resorts are the major draw, but there are other gambling activities such as sports gambling (and spontaneous marriages). Sportsbooking is one of the biggest industries not associated with the slot machines or blackjack tables. One sportsbooking companies has found a way to cater to their customers, and they did so just in time for the exciting college and professional football seasons to start.
Leroy’s Race and Sports Book has launched an application for BlackBerry users. The application allows them to make bets over their BlackBerry phones should they not be able to make it into a sports gambling land based site. The application was approved by Nevada’s gaming regulators. The main obstacle to overcome was proving that the application would not allow any wagers to be made if the BlackBerry phone was outside of the state of Nevada. “That’s something we had to show gaming regulators about the application,” said Chief Executive officer of Leroy’s Race and Sports Book parent company, American Wagering, Inc., Vic Salerno. The application has a GPS feature that can locate where the phone is. If it is outside Nevada it shuts down wagering for the user.
“We really believe this application will change how people bet on sports,” continued Salerno. Besides getting approval from Nevada, developers of the sports gambling app had to come up with software that would allow the app to be used on many different styles and makes of BlackBerry phones. They were successful. “It’s the same as wagering at the book,” Salerno added. “There are no limitations on where you can wager, as long as you are in the state of Nevada.” Those who win on the BlackBerry app will be able to cash in their winnings at any Leroy’s location.
