With the pandemic still raging, this week’s gambling news finds Super Bowl betting at Las Vegas casinos down millions. The resorts are not enjoying their usual rush of visitors this year, and that translated to big losses not only in sports bets, but millions more in lost tourism revenue for hotels, restaurants, bars, taxis, and air travel. Despite this, there are signs that Sin City is preparing for the future, with new Coronavirus measures and new luxury resorts opening soon.

Hello, friends! Thanks so much for streaming another edition of This Week in Gambling! And congratulations to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their Super Bowl victory! However not all the winners and losers were on the football field this weekend. And that is this week’s big story. In a normal year, over a quarter of a million people would have streamed into Las Vegas to take part in the Super Bowl betting and festivities… but this is not a normal year! And with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging on it’s adding up to millions and millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Usually there’s over $100 million bet at Vegas casinos on the big game itself, but in addition to that there’s over half a million bucks dumped into the Nevada economy from things like air travel, hotels, restaurants, bars, and hookers… I hear stories! The good news is that even with tourism cut in half many experts still believe that Super Bowl betting and the economic bump will bring in about 75% of the normal revenue. So, not as good as usual, but a hell of a lot better than nothing!

And even though we’re months (or god forbid years) away from returning to normal, the state of Nevada is still preparing for the future by vaccinating casino employees against the Coronavirus! They consider them to be ‘essential workers’. Employees of Vegas casinos and resorts are in the fourth group of eligibility when it comes to receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, and that translates to about 300 000 people… or 25% of Nevada’s total workforce.

So, Super Bowl weekend was a win for the Buccaneers and a loss for Las Vegas casinos... at least as far as revenue goes. But on a positive note, I suppose the big game did settle that whole “who-made-who”… Brady vs Belichick debate.

This week we have some new game reviews to tell you about starting with the Jungle Mega Moolah, a 5 reel, 25 payline game from Microgaming that features wilds, scatters, and bonus symbols. Plus, the Moon Sisters Hold & Win from Booongo, also with 5 reels and 25 paylines, where players collect bonus Moon Symbols for jackpots up to 1,000 times their bet! Both of these reviews and hundreds more are available right now on our YouTube channel.

Finally this week, word of a brand new resort that’s opening in Las Vegas in the year 2024. It’s a five-star resort with over 700 suites, but its most interesting feature: No gambling allowed! The Majestic Las Vegas will be located off the strip near the convention center, catering to those visitors who want to come to Sin City and not experience so much “sin”. Kind of like going to Disneyland and not experiencing any of the rides. Yeah, that sounds fun.

Check out more about the Super Bowl betting in Nevada over the weekend at KTNV Las Vegas.