But the mob doesn't rule sports gambling as it once did. In its place is a seamless, quasi-national industry, a blend of legal and illegal activities that feed on each other. Every day the legal betting lines are set by sports books in Las Vegas, and legal and illegal bookies around the world track the movements of the lines by computer, much like Wall Street traders tracking stock quotes. Serious bettors shop around for the best line, but most will take what their bookie gives them, usually a half-hour before game time. How you play the game.
Bookies like to have equal action on both sides.
In Las Vegas, the lines are constantly adjusted to try to keep the action evenly distributed. Sports books used to be tucked in the nether regions of casinos, but by investing millions, casino owners have turned these areas into glitzy sports bars, with TV screens the size of stadium scoreboards. During events like the Super Bowl and the NCAA tournament, hotels are booked solid, and the sports books are full of fans cheering wildly for every point. Every morning in Las Vegas, a complicated dance between the bettors and the sports books begins. Roxborough's line is based on a computer ranking of teams, injuries, recent play, and home-court advantage.