The blinding lights of Las Vegas have a reputation for attracting optimists and making them paupers.
All dem fancy attractions along the Vegas Strip, the otherwordly glitz at the casinos, the free drinks and discounted all-you-can-eat buffets come from the pockets of those who think they can come to Sin City and hit the jackpot.
Australia’s little old National Rugby League is the latest dreamer charting a course for Nevada’s most lurid destination and talking up the chances of putting a sport with a decent presence in only a handful of countries onto the world stage.
Hundreds of millions of dollars will start ching-ching chinging into the NRL coffers due to the supposedly huge spike in interest from the American betting markets and TV executives … if you believe the never-ending spin coming out of Rugby League Central.
The reality is the NFL is king in the US, the NBA, Major League Baseball and the NHL come next, while Major League Soccer has made some noteworthy headway over the past couple of decades.
Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Prize fights in boxing are still huge as the UFC eats into its market share while golf, tennis and college sports retain their traditional place on the sporting radar.
Horseracing and motor sport – NASCAR, IndyCar and the recent rise in F1 interest – are relative niche sports by comparison to the main areas of interest even though they are massive in their own right.
As for the rest, you don’t need to be a Metallica fan to know “Nothing Else Matters”.
Cricket is trying to establish a foothold by pouring squillions into the Major League Cricket start-up and staging matches in next year’s T20 World Cup in the US.
Even with the flowing resources of the IPL franchises and the ICC, there is still no guarantee that cricket will make anything more than a minor dent in the US market despite the many millions of fanatical expat South Asian fans who live Stateside.
Which brings us to the NRL’s wishful thinkers – they are under the impression that playing two matches between four of their biggest teams in a double-header at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas is going to be the magic bullet that penetrates the red, white and blue sporting fortress.
Y’all reckon?
Put it this way, let’s say the Gaelic Football bigwigs in Ireland wanted to convert Australian sports fans to their game which is kind of like the AFL but not really, like rugby league is to the NFL.
The plucky Irish bring out four of their finest sides to an Australian stadium and put on as big a spectacle as they can muster to promote their sport.
Will this mean you start watching this far-flung sport that’s on in an inconvenient timezone where you have no skin in the game?
Or if you are a betting desperate and you plonk a few shekels on the outcome of the contests in Australia for a curious flutter, are you then going to start following the Gaelic Football form on a regular basis and add this obscure pastime to your “wagering portfolio”?
No and no.
And that’s what will happen in the US with the NRL (not that the large majority of local journos in Australia will dare say this because they’re all clamouring for a seat on the trans-Pacific junket next pre-season).
There can indeed be a halo effect from playing a sport in a non-traditional market.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Research has shown that the NRL engages casual fans in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne much more so for the rest of the season in the years when each city hosts a State of Origin game.
But that’s a sport with which they already have a decent level of interest and knowledge, in a friendly timezone featuring teams and players they have actually heard of.
The chances of seeing a Vegas local walking down the strip in Manly, Roosters, Broncos or South Sydney paraphernalia after the NRL double-header are pretty slim. (Actually, scratch that part of the theory for the Rabbitohs – a Random Souths Fan can pop up anywhere on the planet).
Over the past few years the NBL has played NBA pre-season games against the world’s best franchises and it’s been a worthwhile exercise for giving the Australian league brief exposure to US basketball fans.
But from the perspective of NBA fans it’s a novelty factor to play against a foreign team that gets forgotten as soon as opening night tips, not something that’s all of a sudden going to trigger an interest in the NBL season itself.
Expectations for the NRL should be modest but the siren song of Las Vegas is sweet to those who can’t resist ignoring it.
The NRL has been enslaved by the gambling monster – or as a wise man once described it, “Gamblor” – and has been snatched by its neon claws.
Like most gamblers in Vegas, the best the NRL can hope for is to break even or perhaps even make a small profit out of this grandiose roll of the dice.
But if anyone thinks they’re going to hit the jackpot in the crowded and virtually impregnable US sporting market, the odds are well and truly not in the NRL’s favour so don’t bet on it.
Alan
Roar Rookie
I mentioned to a friend who lives in Vega$ and he bought tickets. He looked a Youtube clip on the NRL and found it exciting. Theres more too this than just a double header. Will be interesting to see how this goes. Personally i hope it goes okay.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah I don't even watch UFC and I knew who Chuck Liddell was. Remember seeing him on Entourage in the mid-2000s, as he was hugh profile
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Wasn’t it PT Barnum that said “nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public”. emember that market has bought plenty of things that objectively make far less sense than NRL. Now I’m not suggesting that NRL will be guaranteed success but it really gets down to the marketing not the product.. it’s fine and will appeal if, but only if the games are seen.
Albo
Roar Rookie
They have had a few lean seasons of late , but are off to a good start 5-2 this year !
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Now now.. I’m saying PVL is delusional not you. Why so upset? Look it’ll prove itself as a concept or it won’t. To me it’s obviously a loser … it makes no sense long term as afar as I can see. You do recognise that PVL has every reason to believe his own hype? I think there are NRL clubs out there who think that this is a bad idea - a very bad idea and a waste of money. My prediction is this Las Vegas concept lasts two years… quote me on that.
Rosie
Roar Rookie
I’m a long suffering Cowboys fan :unhappy:
Phil Kearns Love Child
Roar Rookie
Hahaha a bit of a stretch there mate lol. It was a Pinnacle though
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
The Govt about to drop the hammer on NRL betting so V'Landys getting desperate - how many times have the RL tried to get a foothaold IN US? How are the Jacksonville Axemen/whatevers going?
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
There’s plenty of room in the US.
Nat
Roar Guru
Ok, you’ve gone full circle now and just talking for the sake of repeating yourself. I really don’t care what Reddit forum you get your info from. There is as purpose and the outcome will be known after the fact. You can carry on with all your ‘it won’t work’ theories all you want because you really don’t want it to work. Delusion is ignoring facts, cherry picking the information you want to believe and deciding what will be the outcome. I will sooner back a bloke runs 2x $billion industries concurrently in this exact space. I’m done here.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Cornhole or cornholing
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Are you betting on next week’s Gaelic games? You can you know. Why not? Look I think most people who gamble on sports gamble on sports they know - they see a team they think could win, or win by a certain margin. People in the US don’t have a clue about NRL, and two games per year isn’t going to change that. If you believe the PVL hype about gambling revenue then you believe the hype - in the end this will pay for itself or it won’t, and if there is a net cost to the NRL don’t expect it to be published in the telegraph. I think NRL clubs will want transparency and accountability for this Vegas exercise - if it is a net loss (and it probably is) then that’s money the NRL could be spending on other things. I think the notion that US citizens starting gambling on NRL in any meaningful way is just a PVL fantasy - he hasn’t even managed to sell the game to the people of Adelaide or Perth and he thinks he’ll conquer Las Vegas. Delusional. I think enjoy it for what it is - an annual exhibition type match, and recoup as much of the running costs as you can. I don’t think there’s a need to start telling porkies about gambling revenue.
Bunkerball
Roar Rookie
Las Vegas is a shallow choice of venue. Anywhere on the East Coast from say Boston down to Jacksonville (where they actually play the game) would have been a better choice. Probably should have involved a couple of the ESL clubs too. I think the game has a future there, even if it's going to be a niche thing for the foreseeable future. Plenty of NFL-calibre players who can't get a start in the NFL, and plenty of NFL fans waking up to the fact that their sport is as fake as wrestling, who are craving something real again. The players already have us on speed and strength, and I've often thought that if they ever get their stamina up to league standard then they would become a huge force internationally. They are the true sleeping giants of the game in my opinion. The Vegas jaunt is just that, as others have pointed out. An extended off-season for four clubs.
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
Wow that's a bit sad thanks for the info
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
It's along the lines of "Very kind of you to share your (tennis, basketball, etc) court with us, but now we want it to ourselves," and they are belligerent in making that happen. Obviously that's not universal, and I am basing that on living in the USA, but it's a real issue. The sport itself is essentially tennis, but with a slower ball and less running around. Think of badminton at amateur level in terms of exertion required. It deserves to explode in popularity, just not at the direct expense of other sports.
criag
Roar Rookie
I'd make a comment, but I'm off to watch the cornhole championships, followed by the stone skimming championships!
steveng
Roar Rookie
Las Vegas gamble a high-risk, low-reward play by NRL … the US couldn’t care less about your funny little game, that's NOT very nice Paul! :laughing:
terrence
Roar Rookie
Rugby union has a decent following in the US with Major League Rugby.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
I’m sure Latrell and his $1m a year salary would agree with you !!!
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
So poor people shouldn’t buy a ticket to watch a game if they can’t pay their rent ? You would agree with that, yes ? And vulnerable people shouldn’t buy the goods and services advertised on the broadcast of the games ? That’s a fair statement, yes ? And addicted people should be legally barred from accessing whichever vice had a grip of them ? You’d be in favour of the removal of personal freedoms, yes ?