61°F
weather icon Mostly Cloudy

Nevada sports books get approval to take bets on NFL Draft

Updated April 7, 2017 - 7:01 pm

For the first time in Nevada, bettors will be able to wager on the NFL Draft, scheduled for April 27 to 29.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board granted approval Thursday for the state’s sports books to offer prop bets on the draft, according to board chairman A.G. Burnett.

Bettors won’t be able to wager on which player will be the No. 1 overall pick. But they’ll be able to wager on the total number of quarterbacks drafted in the first round, whether there will be more offensive players than defensive players drafted in the first round, and the over/under of the draft position for the first kicker taken, to name a few.

Other approved props include the total number of players drafted from a particular college or conference for the first round and for the entire draft.

There also will be matchup props on which college and/or conference will have more players drafted in the first round and in the entire draft, as well as other props.

An unidentified sports book petitioned the board to give it the ability to take bets on the draft under a regulation regarding “other events” that take place off the field, and the petition was approved for all books.

“It has to be something that makes us comfortable from a regulatory standpoint,” Burnett said. “Most importantly, that the outcome of the event can’t be affected by a bet that is placed.”

The board has denied requests in the past for books to take action on awards shows and competitions in which the results are known in advance.

The state’s sports books have received approval to take bets on the Heisman Trophy in each of the past three years and have taken action the past two seasons on baseball’s major awards: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year. The board also granted approval this year to books to take wagers on the Super Bowl MVP and the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s playoff MVP.

Betting on the NFL Draft must cease at the close of business on April 26.

Follow all of our sports betting coverage online at reviewjournal.com/betting and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST