Las Vegas Casinos Say Phillies Win Game 5, Regardless of Tonight
As the sports fans of the world prepare to watch resumed action in Game Five of this year's World Series, Las Vegas gamblers have been told the Philadelphia Phillies have already won. Nevada sportsbooks are following a rule by the Nevada Gaming Commission regarding the conclusion of baseball games and paying Phillies bettors, leaving Tampa Bay Rays fans in the cold, pouring rain.
Even though the game in question will continue tonight, picking up with the score tied 2-2 in the middle of the sixth inning, Nevada rules are that a game cannot be carried over to another day. After five innings, a game is official for betting purposes.
Once that point is reached, if a game is stopped for any reason and not completed on the starting date, sportsbooks are required to revert to the last complete inning and consider that the final score.
As Tampa had tied the game in the top of the sixth, and that inning was not finished, Vegas rules put the game as final after the fifth, at which point the Phillies led 2-1.
The rules are clearly posted around all Vegas sportsbooks, but few gamblers take the trouble to learn the intricacies. Many Phillies gamblers were excited to learn they already had a winning ticket. Conversely, Tampa backers flooded casino phone lines with complaints.
On the other hand, bettors on the Series winner did not collect. Even though the casinos have paid out for four Philly wins, the Series champion is determined by Major League Baseball, and that has not yet occurred.
One local bookie who uses Las Vegas rules said most of his players were regular baseball gamblers, and had become aware of the rule when it came into play several times during the regular season. He noted that most of the outrage came from players not used to baseball wagering, who had only bet because of the magnitude of the event.
Most sportsbooks will take wagers on the continued play as a proposition bet, in which the Phillies are certain to be favored considering they possess an extra inning in which to bat.
