The budding Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) will expand its footprint to the East Coast to capitalize on football betting.
The media group announced Thursday the opening of a broadcast studio inside the sportsbook of Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City. The VSiN hub sits within the sportsbook of the South Point sportsbook in Las Vegas.
VSiN will move up its start time to begin weekend broadcasts at 10 a.m. ET. It’s a move that makes sense for sports betting purposes, allowing football bettors a chance to tune in before college and NFL kickoffs.
“As legalization continues to expand across the country, VSiN will be where it needs to be to cover these markets,” said Brian Musburger, VSiN CEO, in a statement.
The network launched more than a year before the Supreme Court struck down PASPA and created the option for legal sports betting nationwide. It certainly looks like a prescient move for the Musburgers today.
VSiN bringing in NFL talent
The weekend sports betting broadcasts from Atlantic City will feature former NFL executive Mike Lombardi. In 25 years working in NFL front offices, Lombardi earned three Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots.
Lombardi previously transitioned into the media realm and works currently as a writer for The Athletic. He also published a book with a foreword written by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who called Lombardi “one of the smartest people I’ve worked with.”
“Michael impressed us immediately with his ability to relate to sports bettors with the insights they need to make informed decisions. He’ll make a great addition to a team dedicated to delivering the news and analysis needed by the growing number of Americans wagering on sports.” Musburger said in the statement.
Host Jonathan Von Tobel will commute from his Las Vegas base to host the shows with Lombardi.
Ocean Resort improving its sportsbook presence
Ocean — the revamped former Revel in Atlantic City — incorporated sports betting plans from the beginning of its renovations earlier this year. Owner Bruce Deifik’s intent predated the Supreme Court decision:
Atlantic City is coming back with a vengeance and with the groundwork for the legalization of sports betting, we foresee a great opportunity to bring a state of the art sports book to a city which caters to a large and diverse sports market.
Ocean brought in more than $1 million in New Jersey sports betting revenue in August. That placed the casino behind only The Meadowlands ($1.37 million) in land-based New Jersey sports betting.
Ocean gave its sportsbook good real estate
The Ocean sportsbook enjoys a prime location within the property’s gaming floor. Its spot essentially serves as a pass-through between the two sides of the property, giving it prime exposure to customers.
William Hill operates the retail sportsbook at Ocean.
“Our goal for the William Hill Sports Book at Ocean Resort Casino is to maintain its status as the new epicenter for sports betting on the East Coast, so to be able to enhance that reputation by partnering with broadcast pioneer VSiN and esteemed industry leaders Brent and Brian Musburger was an easy and exciting decision for us to make,” Deifik said in the statement.
