New Vegas: Devils Announce Partnership With Sportsbook And You'll Soon Be Able To Bet On Games At The Prudential Center
Rovell – When the New Jersey Devils take the ice in the very near future, fans will have the option of watching the game and other games taking place from a lounge area that looks and feels like a sportsbook. As part of becoming a new sponsor of the team, sportsbook operator William Hill will have its name on a Prudential Center lounge where games can be watched on more than 20 screens with odds boards displaying the menu of betting options across all games and sports.
Since the NHL is not comfortable with the venue being an actual sportsbook where bets can be placed at windows and kiosks, William Hill US CEO Joe Asher told ESPN that the room will be filled with company ambassadors who will assist bettors in downloading William Hill’s betting app, where bets can be immediately placed on the phone. The space is being converted and rebranded quickly, but there is currently not an opening date.
Odds will not only be displayed within the sports lounge but also during the game on the team’s massive four story tall scoreboard. The lounge will be open for every event in the venue, including all games and concerts.
I said this when it was announced that the Vegas Golden Knights had signed a partnership with William Hill in September and I’ll say it again now–actually going to a game has sort of lost it’s appeal over the years. I don’t know if that’s just a part of growing up and not being a kid anymore or what. But the thought of paying a bunch of money to go watch the same exact thing you can watch on your couch at home for free just doesn’t really do the trick for me anymore. And at home, you get to watch the replays. You get to see the game from plenty of different angles. You get to just get up and take a piss whenever you want without having to deal with any lines. Obviously there’s an “experience” when you actually go to the game as opposed to watching it from home, but if you go to enough games then that “experience” begins to lose it’s value a little. Now if you’re a parent with the money to shell out for multiple tickets and all that, it makes sense to actually go to the game since your kids will love that shit. But when you’re 26 and your buddy asks if anybody want to buy tickets to the game tonight, the answer is almost always “ehhhh probably just gonna watch on the couch tonight. Idk. Maybe a bar instead? Up to you but definitely not buying a ticket”.
But that’s all starting to change now that more teams are starting to offer in-game betting options. Now there’s actually a reason to go to the game as opposed to just watching it from your couch. Obviously you could just watch the game from home and bet from your couch. But it’s a different feel when you’re at a book. There’s more of a rush to it when you’re with a crowd. So now there’s this actual draw to get you out to the Prudential Center for a game. So you go to watch the Devils take on the Nashville Predators. It’s in between periods so you decide to go grab a beer from concessions. But since it’s between periods, the lines are packed and you don’t feel like waiting 20 minutes for a $10 beer. So instead of going to grab that beer, you walk down a few more sections to the book and throw in a live bet. Subban just scored, Forsberg is buzzing around out there, Johansen has been having his way all night. The Predators are shelling the Devils so far and you don’t sense any let down. You think they’re coming out the next period and keeping their feet on their goddamn throats. So you take the over on the live team total for the Preds and next thing you know, they come out to start the 2nd period and Arvidsson puts one in the back of the net, followed by Josi, followed by Zac Rinaldo of all people. Everybody is still just getting back to their seats from taking a piss between periods and now you’re already making money. All of a sudden that $10 beer is pocket change to you. That right there is the in-game experience that I want in my life. You’re practically being paid to go watch the game in person. Or you lose all of your money and you don’t have enough to pay for an Uber home anymore. Either way.