Monday, March 3, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Expect to see almost every legion of UNLV basketball fan at the Thomas & Mack Center this week.
Construction workers, cooks, casino dealers, insurance salesmen, even sports betting columnists -- practically every field in the Southern Nevada work force will be out in full force when the Rebels play in the Western Athletic Conference tournament.
But what about sports book directors?
It's not that local sports books have anything against the local team, its coach or the community. But if the Rebels win the WAC tourney, and with it an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament field of 64 (or even if UNLV is rewarded with an at-large bid) it will limit betting options for the championship tournament. The brackets will be released Sunday.
Does the prospect of not being allowed to take future wagers or bets on games in a region mean that sports houses will root against the Rebels?
No way, says Tony Paonessa, sports book director at Sam's Town.
"I laugh when I read that," Paonessa said. "The Rebels making the tournament isn't going to hurt anybody. Just because we can't put up a future bet that's only up for a few days -- that's not going to hurt a book. Whatever action we take on that is very small."
Paonessa said he and former co-worker Robert Walker, sports book director at the Mirage, are huge Rebels fans and would like nothing more than to see UNLV return to glory.
"We were talking the other day and I know he wants to see them make the tournament and I'm right there with him. It would be great for UNLV and great for the community. We are big-time Rebel fans and we've agonized together over many tough losses when they were in their heyday."
The Rebels haven't qualified for the big dance since 1991, when they lost to Duke in the semifinals under Jerry Tarkanian. In 1990, UNLV won the national title, beating Duke in the finals.
"It's a joke to hear that the books will be devastated. It's a misrepresentation of the truth," Paonessa said.
Not everyone shares that opinion. The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook is hoping to offer its March Mania College Basketball Tournament Contest, which was a popular attraction last year.
Bettors will pick every game in the tournament against the spread, using a Superbook contest line. Correct choices will be worth one point in the first round, two points in the second round, etc., until the tournament is completed. Entry fee is $50 and the Hilton is guaranteeing at least $20,000 in cash prizes.
But if the Rebels, 19-8 entering the WAC tourney, or Nevada-Reno qualifies, the contest is void. UNR (17-8) can qualify by winning the Big West tournament this week.
"It's a great contest and we had a lot of positive feedback last year, and it could be even bigger this year," said Chuck Esposito, assistant sports book director at the Superbook. "We're rooting for UNLV, but we're not. If they win the tournament, that's fine -- I went to UNLV and I'm a Rebel fan -- but from a business perspective for us, it's not helpful."
John Avello, sports book director at Bally's, offers a similar contest. For $30, players will pick each game against the spread, with each round weighted in point value. All money taken on Bally's Basketball Bonanza will be returned to players, with a $500 bonus offered should the overall winner also correctly pick, before the tournament starts, the NCAA champion.
"I'd like to see UNLV in it because it's good for the community and I am glad they are doing well. But from a bookmaker's point of view it's out of our hands," Avello said.
"The futures are huge, at least at this property, and it would mean a loss of handle, but I'm not going to root against them. If they get in, it saves me some work. And if they make the final, I can just stay home and watch the game on TV. There are a lot of positives."
Closing lines
* NOT MUCH ON CAMACHO: Sports books fared well when Hector "Macho" Camacho beat Sugar Ray Leonard with a fifth-round technical knockout for the International Boxing Council middleweight title Saturday. "We did very, very well. All the money was all Leonard and nothing at all on Camacho," said Tony Paonessa of Sam's Town. Leonard, 40, opened at --120 in most books, and closed as better than a 2-to-1 favorite. "Normally we get killed on fights, but this one we did really well on."
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