HENDERSON, Nev. - NFL players and owners are currently engaged in a major dispute regarding salaries. At issue is how to divide the league's revenues, including how much team owners should get up front to help cover certain costs such as stadium construction.
If the two sides can't reach agreement, the 2011-2012 NFL season could be lost.
David Perry is a regular bettor at the M Resort's Race and Sportsbook. He's seen how the NFL attracts bettors from all over the country to Las Vegas.
"The Las Vegas economy would take a huge hit as far as gaming and gambling-wise on football," Perry said. "You hope it doesn't happen. It probably would be a disaster area as far as this town goes, for everyone as far as gambling, and for the fan. Who wants to watch that?"
Lee Amaitis is the CEO of Cantor Gaming which operates the M Resort's Race and Sportsbook. He has a vested interest in the showdown that could shut down the NFL.
"There's got to be a balance in the middle of this," he said. "We can't lose NFL football in the U.S. That would just be a disaster."
"I think you're going to see it go down to the wire," he added.
According to Amaitis, Cantor Gaming raked in $10 million of the $87 million generated in Nevada from the Super Bowl.
"There's a big draw on a Saturday/Sunday - come to Nevada for the weekend type of thing - especially from the west coast, because you can gamble here on sports," he said.
That leaves businesspeople and NFL fans rooting for both sides of the wage conflict to emerge as winners.
"They'd probably lose so much money in volume," said Perry. "As a fan, who would want to watch that? It's terrible. Guys aren't organized. It just wouldn't be good at all."
The current player contract expires Friday at 12:00 a.m. At that time, owners can vote whether to lock the players out.
