If you've ever had the urge to put your sports knowledge to the test or act on that gut feeling that arrives every time your favorite team plays and place a wager, your wait is almost over.
Sports betting is coming to Louisiana, and New Orleans will
soon be the home of the state's premier sportsbook, located in a setting
familiar to area gamblers.
The inaugural Caesars Sportsbook will be located in Harrah's
Casino, offering seasoned sports betting pros and rookies alike the chance to
wager on their favorite teams and watch all the big games in a new, luxurious
sports viewing area.
"Here at Harrah's New Orleans, our plan is to provide a
Vegas-style sports betting atmosphere," Samir Mowad, senior vice president and general
manager at Caesars Entertainment, Inc., said. "It's as nice as some of the
permanent sports books that you're going to see across the state and in a lot
of the regional markets across the country."
Although sports betting has occurred for years in plenty of
cities and states, it's usually been a behind-the-scenes activity, using bookies
or offshore betting companies. With recent legislation allowing sports betting
to happen in Louisiana, the Caesars Sportsbook is ready to bring sports betting
out into the light for the masses, ushering in the city's newest entertainment
option.
But what exactly is sports betting?
That answer depends on the sport, but let's take football
sports betting for example.
If two teams are playing, there is what is a "spread." A
spread is a prediction about how much one of the teams is going to win by, or
on the flipside, how much the other team is going to lose by.
If the New Orleans Saints are playing and favored by three
points, meaning the spread is three points, you can bet that the Saints are
going to win by three or you can bet that their opponent will lose by less than
three.
From there, the possibilities become endless. You can also
bet that the Saints are just going to win the game straight up and not worry
about the spread. You can do the same thing with their opponent and that starts
to adjust the odds as it relates to your money. For example, a standard bet, if
you're betting on the points spread, would be $110 to win $100.
Mowad says a big part of the appeal of sports betting is
that bettors feel like they have more control than in traditional casino games.
"People feel like they have the information, they know all
of the teams," Mowad explained. "They know one of the sides is going to win.
When you're making a sports bet, if you pick the right side, there's no
question you can win no matter what. It's on you to use the information that
you have, the knowledge you have, or maybe even just the gut instinct you have
about who's going to win. There is a sense of control that you can have a
little bit more input over your money."
One of the highlights of Caesars Sportsbook is the variety
of ways to play. Sports bettors can either visit the bricks and mortar
sportsbook in Harrah's or they can download the Caesars Sportsbook app, which
is already live and available for people to download and register in advance of
the official launch of sports betting in Louisiana. This is a key
differentiation from Mississippi sports betting, which allows in-person sports
betting but not mobile betting.
For those new to sports betting, Caesars Sportsbook plans to
provide top notch customer service to enhance your experience, offering a staff
ready and willing to answer your sports betting questions, especially for
people who have never placed a bet.
"You have folks who come in that know exactly what they're
doing and exactly what they want," Mowad said. "You have folks who come in and
they literally want to learn about it. What we've tried to cultivate here is a
team that is all about educating others on what it is and how it works."
Once you place your bets, either at the sports betting
window or at one of the available kiosks, catch the latest sporting event in
the sleek sports viewing area. The viewing area features a spacious bar, 14 big
screen televisions, and the Hoodoo Lounge, a restaurant serving everything from
New Orleans favorites to gameday fare.
The Caesars Sportsbook is just the beginning for the future
investments Caesars has planned in New Orleans. As part of the agreement to
renew their lease with the state, Caesars is investing at least $325 million to
completely refresh the property, ultimately rebranding from Harrah's New
Orleans to Caesars New Orleans. The centerpiece of this refresh will be a new
340-room hotel tower, as well as a permanent world class sportsbook rivaling
those found in Las Vegas.
"There's a lot of interest (in sports betting) because in
our country, people are passionate about sports," Mowad said. "Any way to
express your passion and have fun around it, I just think it's a big win."
