Scenario exists where Raiders in Las Vegas could cause Super Bowl betting to be banned

The Raiders will call Las Vegas their home in 2020, at the latest, but the thought of an NFL team so close to the gambling capital of the country has long worried a league that wants to avoid scandals.

One potential compromise that could make the idea of the Raiders in Las Vegas more palatable would be the request that the team’s games not be available for betting in Nevada casinos. That would seemingly prevent casino owners or other influential gambling executives from potentially trying to influence Raiders players to affect the outcome of a game.

But that request would be a sweeping one, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board:

If that request was made and approved, it would open the possibility that a Super Bowl could be pulled from Las Vegas sportsbooks.

That seems like a scenario so outlandish that it couldn’t possibly happen, but David Purdum, who covers gambling for ESPN, isn’t willing to rule it out. Roger Goodell has pushed against sports gambling and political pressure could be applied that causes Nevada Gaming Control to grant such a request.

Goodell said at the league meetings in Phoenix that there are no current plans to make any such request, but there will be ongoing discussions and evaluation.

There used to be a longstanding ban on betting on college sports in the state, but the Nevada Gaming Commission lifted it in 2001, allowing bets to be placed on UNLV and Nevada football and basketball games. If the NFL is really worried about the possibility of corruption, it could make a request for a similar ban.

It seems like an unlikely development, especially given Goodell’s dismissal Tuesday, but it’s another intricacy in a possible Raiders relocation that isn’t as simple as packing up and leaving Oakland.