Cell phone ban lifted in Las Vegas Sportsbooks

[onlooker]

They are going to review this for one year, to see how well it works out.

Cell Phone Ban Lifted In Sports Books

Gaming Commission Lifts Ban For 1 Year

POSTED: 7:35 pm PDT August 21, 2008
UPDATED: 11:01 pm PDT August 21, 2008

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- A decade-old ban on use of cell phones and other electronic devices inside Nevada sports books has been lifted for one year by the state Gaming Commission.

Commission Chairman Pete Bernhard said regulators realize there's a lot of "purely innocent use of cell phones in casinos" and that casino patrons using the phones often don't understand why they're told to stop.

But Bernhard said cell phone use in the sports books will be monitored during the one-year suspension to ensure people with "less than pure motives" aren't using them for illegal activity such as messenger betting, in which a person is paid to place bets for others.

It's illegal for someone on the phone in a legal book to make bets for a person on the other end of the call -- typically in another state.

Critics said the cell phone ban is outdated -- and there's the problem of annoying people who happen to be in a sports book when they place or take a cell phone call to or from a family member or friend.

Article

[englishmike]

I've never understood the rule anyway. In 99% of Vegas sportsbooks you can stand outside the sportsbook with a clear view of everything, it was always pointless.

[gordon gekko]

[Long John Silver]

Does this mean I can start bringing my laptop in to play the horse races? Doing all my math with a pocket calculator isn't quite fast enough.

[englishmike]

Anyone that was at the bash will know the sportsbook in the Golden Nugget. Cellphones were banned but the length of the place was about 12 feet, You could stand outside and get as good a view as if you were stood half way back at the Mandalay Bay.

[MonkeyF0cker]

Is that effective immediately, looker? That's one thing I hate about watching games in the books. I knew they were considering lifting it. They said they casinos were tired of enforcing it. It was outdated and consumed wage and manpower. The MGM always has a few security guards walking around the book, seemingly explicitly for that purpose. I know I'd get sick of telling people every 3 minutes...

[RickySteve]

Does this mean I can start bringing my laptop in to play the horse races? Doing all my math with a pocket calculator isn't quite fast enough.

Computers never were banned.

[onlooker]

Is that effective immediately, looker?

As far as I know, yes.

[MonkeyF0cker]

Computers never were banned.

Yeah they were actually, as they are considered "electronic communication devices."

[reno cool]

I hope this doesn't mean every yahoo is going to be yakking on the phone in the sportsbook now.

[MonkeyF0cker]

It shouldn't matter really, there's usually 12 people screaming for their horse, calling some player a bum, or hollaring after every free throw in the books anyway. I really doubt cell phones will add much chatter.

[jjgold]

Can you use laptops in sportsbooks?

[MonkeyF0cker]

I believe you will be able to now, with this ban lifted. I'll find out for sure tomorrow.

[Bread]

About time. Sucked trying to hold seats by yourself last year and not be able to call or text anyone to keep busy.

[TodaysAction]

I believe you will be able to now, with this ban lifted. I'll find out for sure tomorrow.

Looking forward to what you have to report.

[MonkeyF0cker]

Yes, effective immediately, any communication device is legal to use in the sportsbooks, including cellphones and laptops...

[Cyclone]

Instead of banning them in the first place, I don't understand why they just didn't install cell phone jammers.

[Immortality]

Instead of banning them in the first place, I don't understand why they just didn't install cell phone jammers.

Because they would of gotten sued by someone looking for a free buck. I use to sit in the book with my phone on and if it rang I would answer and make my way out of the book and then answer it. I never had any problems doing that. If they had jammed them my phone would not of rung and that sucks.

[LVHerbie]

This is a good defiantly a good change... I was surprised to see that alot of card rooms are letting players talk on cell phones as well now as long as they aren't holding up the game... Seems like positive changes in both areas...

[TheLock]

Thanks for posting this Onlooker.