Oregon sports betting is officially off and running ahead of the NFL season… at least at the Chinook Winds Casino. The move comes as the Oregon State Lottery plans to launch a new online feature, but that won’t be up and running for several more weeks. Right now, betting with Chinook Winds is only available in person at the casino. The casino did a soft open earlier this week that featured former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones putting $5 on the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl this season. Shortly after, bets were open to the public….

Lottery officials intend to launch Oregon sports betting in time for football season. The lottery hopes to put the state at the forefront of a national sports betting bonanza after a U.S. Supreme Court decision last May cleared the way for every state to get into the business. The numbers are potentially huge. Ten months since New Jersey sports bets went live, its “handle” (total dollars wagered) has topped $1 billion per quarter. Investment bank Morgan Stanley last November predicted that American sports betting could reach $215 billion a year by 2025. “There is a huge pent-up demand,” said David…