With Vegas expansion, NHL gambling on fantasy sports payday

It was one of the first questions NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was asked after announcing that Las Vegas wouldget a hockey team.

It's a question he's answered again and again, ever sincethe idea of a franchise in "Sin City" was first floated. The question, in essence, was this: Isn't it risky to have a team play in an arena nestled betweencasinos?

"Compared to say basketball or football, our game is less susceptible to gambling, which is why we're avery small per cent of the bookor the take," Bettman said.

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What he didn't say: For the NHL, sportsgamblingis no longer a liability,it's an asset.

"All the leagues are pursuing the fantasy market in terms of how to expand it," saysGordon Hendren, the CEO of Toronto-basedsports marketing firmCharlton Strategic Research.

According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, more than 56 million people playfantasy sports, which letparticipants bet on athletes' performances. The industry isexpected to bring in morethan $1.5 billion this year.

And major sports leagues want a piece.

For instance, theNBA has invested in the fantasy site FanDuel, andNFL owners Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones have invested in DraftKings. Now the NHL, Hendren says, ispositioning itselfin the heart of the action.

"Having a team in Las Vegasgives the NHL a different profile when it comes to wagering," hesays.

'It's time to just move on'

It's about time, saysKen Boehlke, as hewatchesa minor hockey tournament at the Las Vegas Ice Center.After years of blogging about junior hockey for his site TheSinBin, he'll soon be makingthe jump to the pros.

He says all the hand-wringing about the effects of gambling on the gameisn't justified.

"I think the concern is gone," Boehlkesays. "With the popularity of fantasy sports, it's time to just move on."

The NHL's move to Las Vegasisn't just good for his city, he says,it's good for the league.Having a team in the"Entertainment Capital of the World"will help raise the game's profile. More people will bet in NHL fantasy leaguesand the more people play fantasy, the more they'll watch.

"The NFL is as popular as it is in this country because of fantasy sports and because of gambling; it's one of the main reasons people love the NFL," Boehlke says. "A lot of the sports rely on gambling. They're not going to tell you that but it's important.

"The more people that have money or a vested interest in the game, the more people are actually going towatch the game. And for the NHL, this is a market that'suntapped," he adds."People are going to bet on these games. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's taking away from what's actually going on on the ice."

Gambling jitters subsiding

For decades, that was the fear that kept all the pro leagues out of Vegas.But that seems to be eroding.

Two years ago, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggested sports betting should be legalized across the country.And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodelladmitted his stance probably the toughest of the major leagues said his position is evolving.

Since fantasy sports betting is growingand athletes areearning more money, the fear of temptation is slowly diminishing.

"It's always been a concern,"Hendren says. "But I think all of the leagues are starting to look at Las Vegas differently because it's becoming mainstream in terms of an entertainment destination. I think they also believe they have the right controls in place and that they don't see it as a huge risk,as they've seen it in the past. So I think there are other leagues like NBA, like the NFL, who are now looking at Las Vegas as a potential site."

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To celebrate his city's first pro sports team, Boehlke hosted a party a Las Vegas bar. T-shirts with an utterly unofficial logo were already being sold and proudly worn by the dozens who started gathering a couple of hours after the announcement.

"We're going to be insane about the NHL," Boehlke says. "We're going tobe like Canada about the NHL because this is our one thing. This is all we got."

At least for now.