I plopped into a cushy seat in the front row, next to a man wearing an Arizona Wildcats cap. I was surrounded by a sports fan’s paradise: 32 big-screen TVs, including four super-sized screens that seemed to put you courtside at the Arizona-Illinois game.
“Who you got?” the man in an Arizona cap asked.
“Haven’t bet,” I said. “Who you got?”
“I put a buck on Arizona,” he said.
“A dollar? You can bet a dollar?”
“No. A buck is $100. I used to manage a sports book at the Tahoe Hilton. I really like Arizona. Final Four, baby.”
We shook hands. The man named Frankie wasn’t buying what I was selling.
“I like Illinois,” I said. “Hostile environment. Illinois is waiting to see if Arizona can respond to adversity. Dominant big guy. Plus, they’re getting 2½ points. I like the Illini.”
Frankie just laughed.
He didn’t call me a rookie, but probably should’ve. I didn’t even know the procedure to place a bet.
I was as wide-eyed Saturday afternoon as I thought the Wildcats would be in Illinois. The newly opened sportsbook at Casino del Sol went beyond my expectations. This is Tucson? It came off as Little Las Vegas. The 18 bar-side seats were already occupied.
Smoke did not fill the air and isn’t permitted inside SolSports. Instead, it had the new-car smell. Put that down as a plus-plus. The cushy, single-seat sofas? Oh my. Where can I buy one to take home?
I stood and turned 360 degrees to absorb the just-big-enough-but-not-too-big sports mecca.
BYU-Creighton was on one screen. The Army-Navy football game on another. The Kentucky-Notre Dame game was just starting on another. An NBA game, Clippers vs. Magic, was in its final moments.
About 100 people, almost all wearing Arizona gear, filled the room. It could’ve been the MGM Grand on the Vegas strip during the Pac-12 Tournament. It had that vibe. I kept thinking: “This is Tucson?”
How times change.
At the entry to the Sol Sports are eight self-serve betting kiosks. As I examined the screen, a warning flashed:
THINK. BE RESPONSIBLE.
National Problem Gambling Helpline.
Call 1-800-522-4700.
True confession: I witnessed someone going big on a sporting event before the Oregon-Arizona football game in October 2001.
My brother, Ron, a cement contractor who lived in Las Vegas, phoned that afternoon. He and his friend were at the Mirage Sportsbook, considering betting on the Ducks-Wildcats game.
“Oregon’s giving 5,” Ron said. “What do you think?”
I told him the Ducks would crush John Mackovic’s first Arizona team. No problem.
When Arizona rallied to tie the Ducks, 14-14, in the second quarter, I feared for my reputation. My brother thought I knew something about sports.
After another hour of stress, the Ducks crushed Arizona 63-28. I had been scared straight.
On Saturday afternoon, I thought about my brother as I stood at the self-serve betting kiosk. Think. Be Responsible. Then screen changed. Now it said:
WIN BIG
BET LOCAL
I thought about how the sports world has changed. It wasn’t long ago that the Pac-12 forbade its basketball tournament from being staged in Las Vegas. Gambling was viewed as too sinister for college sports.
But now sports betting ads pop up on your TV screen 24/7. DraftKings. BetMGM. FanDuel. The Pac-12 seems likely to move its headquarters to Las Vegas. College football game-day hosts on ESPN and Fox discuss the spread — which no longer applies only to coaching strategy.
I went back to my cushy sofa seat and watched as Illinois went on a 19-0 run. The crowd grew edgy.
“Pass the ball!” a man behind me blared as Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin was called for charging. “Didn’t you learn that in high school?”
And then everything changed. As Arizona burst to a 57-50 lead, everyone in SolSports stood and began chanting “U of A … U of A!” It had the feel of an NCAA Tournament game.
A woman carrying a tray of beer walked through the room. “Cocktail service,” she said. You could barely hear above the din. “AR-I-ZONA … AR-I-ZONA!”
The cocktail lady returned with a tray of beer for five UA fans sitting on two big couches, each with a “RESERVED” sign. There are perks at SolSports, too. Sort of like the front-row seats at McKale Center.
The final two minutes of Saturday’s game at Casino del Sol felt like the finish of a big game at McKale Center. Arizona rallied and won. It was one of the most enjoyable game-watching experiences I have had.
“Final Four!” Frankie shouted as he got in line to collect his buck.
