Sports bettors in Nevada don’t need a physical ticket to cash a ticket. Mobile betting has grown steadily over the past decade, and virtually all casino sportsbooks have a mobile app to allow. Tips and Tricks on how to gamble at Vegas casinos; ways to increase your winning chances and ways to make sure you don’t lose too much! For part 2, go to the bottom of the page for the link (but you are invited to read part 1 as well as useful introduction). No matter what casino you’re in, you’re bound to walk by a massive wall of television screens donning every imaginable sport from football to UFC to horse racing. Among the rows and rows of chairs, you’ll notice avid sports lovers studying the spread and analyzing brackets for some good ol’ Las Vegas sports.

How to Bet on Hockey

Hockey betting in the United States is far from the most popular sport in the land, but ever since the gambling capital of the country – Las Vegas – got a team in, the Golden Knights, in 2017, interest in hockey betting markets has picked up.

Betting on hockey is similar in concept to that of baseball lines, as hockey is predominantly a money line based sport with standardized point spread prices of -1.5 goals – like baseball is with -1.5 runs. Hockey betting odds are offered at every sportsbook, so finding the game you like is never tough, and if money lines aren't your thing, over-under totals in hockey are offered on every game as well, among other wagering potential.

Understanding Hockey Odds

As a money line based sport with so many similarities to baseball betting, understanding hockey odds follows a similar format. For example, you can have a game between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins where the Penguins would be listed as a -165 favorite on the money line. That means that a bettor would have to put up $165 to win $100 if they were to back Pittsburgh, and the total for that game would be somewhere in the range of 5.5 to 6.5 goals.

One key difference from baseball betting does focus on the point spread – otherwise known as the “puck line” in hockey odds – as the -1.5 number still offers juicy plus-money odds if it connects. That same Pittsburgh line might be +150 range on the -1.5 puck line, but the key difference comes with a fundamental strategical way in which hockey is played. A team that's losing a game late in the 3^rd period will pull their goalie at some point with a minute or two left, giving the team that's leading an easy shot at adding another goal. That suggests that puck line bets do hit more often then run line bets do in baseball as it's not like the fielders come off the field in baseball late in games. Something to definitely consider when you are learning how to understand all the nuances with hockey odds.

Best Hockey Betting Sites

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In order to place bets on these sportsbooks, you must be in a state in which sports betting is regulated and where the corresponding sportsbook has a sports betting license. Welcome offers through VegasInsider are currently available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee and West Virginia. Welcome offers may differ depending on where you register. Please visit the sportsbook using any of our links, change to your location and confirm your welcome bonus offer and requirements before you register.

NHL Future Wagers

Future wagers in NHL betting exist in a similar format to that of other professional sports offered at sportsbooks, as outcomes like who will win it all, who will win their division/conference, and season point totals are offered for hockey. Season point total wagers are essentially what other sports would classify as season wins – over-under props – but with the point system in the standings for hockey being a little different, a point-based system is just an all around better way to do things on the ice.

Stanley Cup futures odds are the ones that are posted the earliest leading up to an upcoming season, and the ones that are discussed frequently. However, with hockey being a sport where numerous upsets happen each year during a playoff campaign, and random luck being more of a factor in the sport then in other professional sports, staying away from the favored teams in the futures market isn't necessarily a bad idea in hockey. It's not like the favorites don't win, but considering the team that wins the President's Trophy – awarded to the team that finishes the regular season with the most points in the league, ie the best team – eight times in a 33-year existence, and only twice from 2002-03 through 2018-19, going a bit down the odds board in the futures market can be lucrative.

How to Bet the Stanley Cup Final

Stanley Cup Finals betting is one where bettors can treat the final series like that of the World Series or NBA Finals whereas they can look towards taking action on the series price – which team will hoist the trophy – and/or a game-by-game approach too. Stanley Cup Finals odds for the series price will change after each game is completed, so bettors should keep that in mind as well should their desired team fall short in Game 1 of the series. More of an underdog price on said team will be posted then, but there is always the fear of said team winning Game 1 and missing out on the pre-series line if you are to wait. It's a delicate balance that gets easier with experience.

NHL playoff odds throughout the spring are ones that offer plenty of wagering opportunities, and ones that culminate in the Stanley Cup Final line getting posted. Bettors with future wagers still live at that point have a question about “hedging or not” at that point – hedging would be to take the St Louis Blues to win the Finals when a bettor already has a previously placed bet on their opponent in the Finals – to assure themselves profit, but again, that's another situation that can be more easily addressed with betting experience.

How to Bet the NHL Playoffs

Betting the NHL playoffs can be done on a game-by-game or series price basis, and there are even prop wagers related to which team will win in how many games, and how many games a series will have.

With a full season of regular season data already in the stable by the time the NHL betting lines are released for the playoffs, bettors have to be aware that these numbers that the oddsmakers put out for their hockey betting lines during the postseason are theoretically as sharp as they've been all year. Sure, there are still things like luck and bounces to consider that seemingly derail at least one of the NHL's best teams early on in the playoffs, but NHL hockey odds during the playoffs need to be dissected thoroughly if success is to be had.

And for those bettors that live for the underdogs pulling off upsets, going for bigger scores on the hockey point spreads in the alternative lines and other variations of hockey odds that are offered during that time of year can prove to be bankroll boosters as well. Below are some of the best betting sites to begin your NHL betting career.

Popular Hockey Wagers

Given that it is the least bet North American professional sports league in the general US betting market, NHL odds tend to have limited popularity outside of the normal money line and total wagers. Puck lines are an extension of money lines in theory, so that's another popular betting option, but in a general sense, hockey bettors prefer to stick the staples of who will win the game (money lines) and how many total goals will be scored (totals) with their wagers on a given night in the NHL schedule.

NHL Money Line

Exactly as it sounds as it's a wager on who a NHL bettor believes will win the game outright. Money line prices are listed in the normal odds range that they are in any other sport where you'll see a team listed as a -140 favorite going up against a team that's listed as a +120 underdog. No spreads are needed to be worried about here as you just want to be backing the team that gets the win in the regular sense of the word.

NHL Over-Under

For years hockey totals were consistently released as a 5.5 number, but as scoring increased league-wide in the latter half of the 2010's, totals numbers have found a more consistent home at 6 and 6.5 for games on a nightly basis. All that means is whether or not you believed the combined score between the two teams will be over or under the posted total, it's as simple as that. For example, a game between Washington and Philadelphia that finishes 4-3 would cash an 'over' ticket on a total of 6.5, while a final score of 4-2 would see 'under' bettors smiling.

NHL Puck Line

The puck line has already been mentioned here, as it's a point spread for a hockey game that is almost always marked as a +/- 1.5 for the game. All that means is whether or not you believe the favorite on the money line will win the game by two goals or more (-1.5), or if the underdog will keep it a one-goal contest or even potentially win (+1.5). With the way goalies get pulled late in games for teams trailing, puck line bets can be a bit tricky to have consistency with – especially if you are backing the underdog at +1.5 – but at the same time, the underdog price (plus money) that's offered on the favorite to win by 2+ goals can be very rewarding.

NHL Grand Salami

The Grand Salami in hockey wagering is really simple and it's a great way to have action on every single game on a given night. Simply put, the “salami” is an over-under number posted on the total goals scored in all the games for a particular day. These numbers are based on how many games are being played that day and what the individual totals are for those contests. On a night where you've got six NHL games going all with individual totals of 6.5, the Grand Salami number would be somewhere around 40 total goals (6.5 X6 is 39).

2020 Grand Salami Betting Results

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Bettors decide whether or not to go over or under that number and individual over-under results for those games don't matter, just the total number of goals scored across the league.

How do I Bet Hockey Parlays

Hockey parlays are the same as parlays in any other sport, as bettors combine at least two selections on the money line, total, puck line, or any combination of that and potentially other wagers, to try and score on a bigger payout. Perhaps there are two huge favorites listed at -265 or higher on the money line and bettors who are confident those particular teams will win but don't want to risk nearly $265 to win just $100 can parlay the two options together to get a price something much closer to even money to mitigate their risk or dollar value put up.

Again, all selections within a parlay have to be graded as winners (or pushes) for a parlay to be considered a winner – ones with pushes are graded at a reduced price as if that game wasn't even there – and that's the trade off with using this form of a wager.

What are NHL Prop Bets

Proposition bets in hockey can include a wide range of topics, from team results in a particular game/season to individual player statistical results in a specific game. For instance, every game will have individual prop bets available for the bigger names on the teams involved for things like goals scored, assists earned, points earned, and even combination bets of statistical categories like that.

Fantasy players that live and die by these individual statistical outputs with their fantasy teams each day/week will likely naturally gravitate towards these plays, but they can be a tough nut to crack long term given the randomness that the game of hockey brings overall.

NHL Live Betting and In-Game Wagering

In-game wagering for hockey is another betting avenue that's gained plenty of traffic in recent years and rightfully so. More and more live betting options are being offered on a wider scale at sportsbooks all across the country no matter what shop you use, and hockey betting is no different. From the first game of the season to the NHL playoffs, and all the way through the Stanley Cup Finals, in-game wagering can be an important tool in the tool box of a hockey bettor.

All sorts of in-game odds are offered for pretty much any particular hockey game, so if it's a Saturday Night with the featured Hockey Night in Canada games on, or those novelty outdoor games like the Winter Classic or Stadium Series rivalry games, there is never a shortage of live betting opportunities for hockey bettors to sink there teeth into. Heck, with the explosion of in-game wagering in the industry on the whole, even big time amateur hockey events like the Frozen Four or IIHF World Junior Championships offer plenty of in-game betting opportunities for hockey fans and bettors alike.

NHL Period Betting

Breaking down an individual hockey game through period betting is another betting avenue in the hockey marketplace that has gained plenty of traction in recent years, especially with the 1^st period betting odds on the money line and total getting more and more time devoted to content pieces.

All those are are individual money line prices for the 1^st period and the first period only, with over-under total numbers for the opening 20 minutes of play typically being set at 1.5 goals. If you believe a particular team is in a great spot to get off to a fast start, looking at backing them on the 1^st period ML and/or 'over' 1.5 1^st period goals is another way to diversify your portfolio on a particular game too.

FAQ - Hockey Betting

In this section, we’ll answer a few common questions from our readers regarding how to bet on NHL and NCAA hockey matches.

Is it legal to bet on hockey in the United States?

That depends on your state. For several decades, the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act effectively banned sports betting everywhere in the US. However, Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware had betting legislation that was grandfathered in.

The Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, following a lawsuit from New Jersey. This decision opened the floodgates for states to introduce their own sports betting legalization.

Since then, several US states have legalized and regulated sports betting, including plenty of hockey betting markets. A handful of states have passed bills to legalize sports betting, but are still designing their regulatory framework. Check your local legislation to find out more.

Can Americans bet on Canadian Hockey League matches?

Yes, absolutely. In states that have legalized sports betting, bookmakers offer action on markets the world over. Hockey fans can bet on NHL matches, Canadian Hockey League matches, and much more. Betting on Canadian hockey is as easy as signing up with an online sportsbook.

The Canadian Hockey League combines three separate Canadian hockey leagues. They’re the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. These leagues host some of the most talented hockey players in the entire world.

Where can I bet on college hockey games?

Betting on college hockey isn’t much different from betting on professional NHL games, in theory. However, owing to lobbying pressure from the NCAA, the law doesn’t always treat college and professional sports betting the same.

Vegas Sports Book

In certain states, like New Jersey, users aren’t allowed to bet on college hockey. However, many other states have no such laws. In these states, you can easily bet on NCAA hockey matches, including the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Can I bet online on live NHL matches?

Yes, of course. Betting on live hockey matches is wildly popular, and for NHL games, even more so. All the major American bookmakers offering NHL betting offer live betting markets. Some sites incorporate live-streaming features, allowing live betting fans to keep up with the action.

That said, not every US state with legal sports betting allows you to bet online. For example, the state of Delaware only allows in-person sports betting at licensed sportsbooks. No online betting sites or mobile betting apps can lawfully offer their services to Delaware state residents.

As it turns out, gambling isn’t the primary reason people visit Las Vegas. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to them.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority commissions a survey of visitors every year to better understand the people who visit Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Visitors Profile for 2018 was recently released and there’s a lot of new information on tourists.

Every month, 300 visitors to Las Vegas were interviewed for this 80-page report. The sample size of 3,600 people is only a fraction of the 42 million visitors in Las Vegas in 2018.

The report is meant as an estimate about people visiting for both work and pleasure. The profile is more of a guide than a definitive report.

Not everyone visits Las Vegas to gamble

Much like every city, Las Vegas isn’t the same place it used to be. Gambling used to be the main reason for tourists to visit Las Vegas. That’s no longer the case. In 2018, 45% of visitors said the main reason to visit Las Vegas was for vacation or pleasure.

A small but dedicated number of people–7%–visit Las Vegas specifically to gamble. The number is actually a slight increase from previous years, however there are casinos in most states, so the small but steady number is not much of a surprise.

Gambling is still a major part of the experience in Las Vegas. It seems like while gambling may not be the primary reason for a Vegas vacation, tourists like having the option should they choose to partake.

In 2018, 74% of all visitors said they gambled while in Las Vegas. That’s the same as 2017 but a sizable increase from 1026 when 69% of visitors gambled.

The average visitor is not a high roller

Nearly three-quarters of visitors to Las Vegas gamble. However, they have a small budget and don’t spend too much time gambling. The average gambling budget per trip in 2018 was $527.05.

How To Gamble On Sports In Vegas Besides

The average length of a visit to Las Vegas in 2018 was 4.4 days and 3.4 nights. That works out to an average of slightly more than $130 to gamble each day.

The average gambling budget in Las Vegas last year is mostly lower than serious gamblers would imagine. Last year, 27% of visitors who gamblers had a budget below $100. A total of 46% of visitors had a gambling budget under $200.

On the other end of the gambling budgets, 22% of visitors had spent $600 or more during their Vegas vacation.

Tourists gamble less than you think

The average visitor who decided to gamble in Las Vegas last year did so for a total of just over two hours per trip. The average time spent gambling in 2018 was 2.2 hours. The vast majority of visitors, 67%, spent two hours or less gambling during their four day Vegas vacation.

Even though only 3% of visitors to Las Vegas gambled for more than eight hours last year, the average overall time spent gambling in Las Vegas increased from the previous two years. Visitors only gambled for an average of 1.6 hours in 2017 and 1.9 hours in 2016.

Visitors to Las Vegas may not all be high rollers gambling all day, but casinos are still crowded. Casino operators have a knack for making sure there’s always a buzz in the casino.

Casino design plays a roll in generating excitement on the floor. Opening and closing tables to ensure there’s always an appearance that the casino is busy plays an important roll in creating excitement on the casino floor. This enticing trick could be the very thing that lures a visitor to make a pit stop at the tables in between other activities.

More people are gambling in downtown Las Vegas

More than half of visitors (73%) stay on the Vegas Strip. It’s no surprise that 89% of gamblers did so on the Vegas Strip the last time this was measured in 2017. While most tourists don’t seem to mind the gambling rules on the Vegas Strip, plenty of visitors are starting to look elsewhere to gamble.

Many gamblers have been making the trip to downtown Las Vegas to gamble. In 2017, 40% of all gamblers visited downtown Las Vegas to gamble. That’s a significant increase from 31% in 2015.

Player friendly gambling rules in downtown Las Vegas are attractive to all gamblers. The lower limits are attractive to new gamblers and budget-conscious ones that might only have a total of around $130 to spend gambling per day.

Vegas is changing, but gamblers remain the same

Las Vegas is constantly changing. The shift away from gambling in Las Vegas started in the early 1990s. Non-gaming revenue surpassed gambling for the first time in 1999.

The trend, which has been incrementally small, has continued to the point where gambling only accounts for 75% of revenue for MGM Resorts in Las Vegas.

There are a lot of different preferences for visitors in Las Vegas according to the Las Vegas Visitor Profile. However, not much has changed for gamblers over the past five years. Similar numbers of people are gambling with budgets that haven’t changed much.

Looking forward, it will be interesting to see if gamblers continue to move elsewhere to play their favorite casino games. The trend to find value in Las Vegas is taking many guests away from the Vegas Strip.

The location of where tourists gamble is surveyed every other year. This will be recorded for the next profile and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more visitors gambling away from the Vegas Strip.