Sportsbooks Show Unprecedented Traffic in NFL Week 1, Capped By Wild Raiders Win

Posted on: September 14, 2021, 08:09h. 

Last updated on: September 14, 2021, 02:19h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Las Vegas Raiders last night welcomed fans for the first time to its new $1.9 billion home just west of the Strip. The NFL team put on a show against the visiting Baltimore Ravens that could have seemingly happened only in Vegas.

Las Vegas Raiders odds sports betting NFL
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Zay Jones (7) celebrates with his teammates and fans after scoring the game-winning touchdown on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium. The Monday Night Football game capped off a busy sports betting week. (Image: Las Vegas Raiders)

The first regular-season NFL game to be played in front of fans in Las Vegas didn’t disappoint. The Raiders overcame a two-touchdown deficit, capped off by a 55-yard field goal with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie. The home team Raiders thought they had won the game in overtime when Bryan Edwards seemingly scored a 33-yard touchdown catch from Derek Carr.

A review, however, found that Edwards was a yard short. The Ravens took possession following a botched Carr pass that resulted in an interception. But Ravens QB Lamar Jackson later fumbled on a sack, setting up a game-winning 31-yard Carr pass to Zay Zones with 3:38 remaining in the extra period.

The Raiders’ 33-27 upset delivered wins for Las Vegas bettors who wagered on the Silver and Black. The Raiders were four-point dogs, and the 60 total points easily went over the 50.1 over/under.

Prior to last night’s game, the Raiders’ odds of winning the Super Bowl were at a lengthy 66/1. After their 1-0 start, that line has shrunk to 50/1 at BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook.

Sports Betting Surge

Sports betting is legal in more than two dozen states, including 17 plus the District of Columbia that allow mobile wagering.

GeoComply has become the gaming industry’s leader in compliance-grade geolocation services. In layman’s terms, GeoComply makes sure a mobile user is located where he or she says they are. The Vancouver-based company is a fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions firm that specializes in location detection.

The tech company tells Casino.org that the first week of the NFL season was extremely busy in terms of online sports betting. GeoComply reveals that it processed a record number of requested location detections between Thursday through Sunday evening.

According to GeoComply, there were 58.2 million geolocation transactions across 18 states and DC from September 9 through Sunday, September 12. That represents a 126 percent jump from Week 1 last year.

GeoComply location services, the company claims, are used to support nearly 100 percent of the legal US online sports betting market.

Bookie Blow

GeoComply believes the surge in online traffic accessing legal sports betting platforms is hurting illegal bookmaking businesses.

In what can only be a sign of dismal days to come for the illegal market, data compiled by GeoComply Solutions Inc. reveals that in just one year, legal online sports betting volumes have more than doubled,” a company release stated.

“The combination of new sports betting states and American consumers migrating to legal sportsbooks has resulted in the highest four-day stretch of geolocation transactions ever recorded by GeoComply,” the statement continues.

GeoComply says the top five states in terms of geolocation transactions were New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, and Illinois.

A substantial chunk of the New Jersey traffic is being driven by residents in New York, a state that has only legalized in-person sports betting at its four upstate commercial casinos. During NFL and college football games, the Hoboken transit terminal is flooded with New Yorkers who travel into New Jersey to make their bets online.