UNLV Football: Will gambling law and NFL fix Rebels?
Where is your state on sports betting? Here’s the @espn Sports Betting Bill Tracker: pic.twitter.com/ISaIML0Jbi
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 14, 2018
3. New sports betting laws
Las Vegas has always had a dark cloud over it because of legalized sports gambling. With the NCAA ever fearful of their student-athletes being corrupted by money Vegas has always felt like an after-thought city. For years, professional sports hadn’t breached into Vegas but the NHL made the first move in bringing in the Golden Knights.
In year two the Golden Knights are already in the NFL Finals and play in the T-Mobile Arena on the strip. The NFL will be joining the Golden Knights in Las Vegas when the Raiders begin play in the desert in 2020 or even 2019 if they chose to play in Sam Boyd Stadium before the new dome is ready.
NASCAR, MMA, and boxing have found a home in Las Vegas for quite some time and many feel that Major League Baseball and the NBA could land there as well. The NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans could be seeking relocation and Las Vegas could be a viable option for the franchise.
With sports betting passing in many states and college football becoming a huge focus of those discussions the dark cloud over a program in Las Vegas could dissipate thanks to pro sports moving in and gambling being seen less and less as a vice. The UNLV basketball team might be another reason for the dark cloud as Jerry Tarkanian’s time as the Runinn’ Rebels coach led to a disgraceful resignation of the coach.
Tarkanian’s team for the 1989-90 season won the national championship and the 1990-91 team lost to Duke in the semifinal but not without controversy. Tarkanian was constantly under fire by the NCAA and his player’s involvement with Richard Perry, a know felon for sports betting, cost UNLV their 1991-92 season and Tarkanian his job.
Star recruit Lloyd Daniels never played at UNLV but his arrest for crack cocaine and involvement with Perry showed the corruption possible in Las Vegas collegiate athletics. NBA All-Stars Stacy Augmon, Greg Anthony and Larry Johnson all emerged as first-round NBA picks from those Tarkanian UNLV squads but the 1991-92 team was banned from the post-season for NCAA violations.