(ATR) Not a peep of dissent was uttered as a measure was passed on Thursday that will allow gambling on the Olympics in Las Vegas.
Betting on the Games, already allowed in overseas sports books, began shortly after the resolution by the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Usain Bolt was installed as the early favorite in the men’s 100m while the U.S. men have the best odds to take gold in basketball.
The measure was approved in minutes by a unanimous vote and allows bookmakers to post lines on athletic events sanctioned by the IOC.
Around the Rings reported earlier this month that the South Point Casino initiated the measure because "it just came to the time where it’s time for us not to be second place," South Point bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro told ATR.
A United States Olympic Committee spokesperson declined comment on the ruling.
The move was discussed at public workshops leading up to Thursday’s meeting and its passage was considered a foregone conclusion.
One outstanding question was whether betting would be allowed on judged sports like figure skating, but the idea was not addressed, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Some mentioned the age of competitors in certain sports, but South Point lawyer Barry Lieberman is unconcerned.
"We bet on horse racing, and there are 16-year old apprentice jockeys running," Lieberman told the Associated Press.
Vaccaro told ATR earlier this month that the integrity of the sports is not at risk and that any "unnatural money" would be detected immediately.
"You’re not going to be able to walk up to a window and bet $200,000 on USA to beat Bulgaria."
Written by Nick Devlin
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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