Amidst the chaos, fanfare and a rousing rendition of revving engines, the F1 made its long-awaited debut in Las Vegas last weekend.
The famous Sin City strip was adjusted as Lewis Hamilton and co touched down, in what was a unique sporting spectacle, even for a region that provides a distinctively unique approach to the flamboyant.
Nonetheless, the event was far from smooth sailing, as disruption and turbulence reigned and grabbed the headlines in the opening days of race fans’ descent onto the strip.
Notably, the cancellation of the first practice session was something that aggrieved an abundance of race fans and even led to a class action lawsuit being filed against the F1, following a delay of over two hours where fans that purchased tickets to the practice session only managed to see nine minutes of action.
It was the environment that ended up hindering the progress of the event as Carlos Sainz Jr’s car hit a drain cover and caused damage to his Ferrari.
When the race began and the obstacles were dismissed, the spectacle lived up to the billing – as Max Verstappen fittingly overcame adversity and secured a dramatic victory.
Fallout from the F1’s debut in Vegas and the expansion of sports in the region took centre stage in the latest iGamingDaily, as SBCAmericas Editor Jessica Welman described the disruption caused by the F1 and questioned whether Vegas is becoming saturated in terms of sporting events.
In spite of this, the event did grab the headlines on the back pages as a sporting spectacle that generated drama amidst a glitzy Vegas backdrop.
The panel also explored the impact of further sporting expansions in Vegas – with the Oakland A’s being the latest franchise to venture into the region.
Perhaps, what will most catch the attention of sports fans and Vegas residents is the impending Super Bowl, which Welman touted as an event that could draw in an unprecedented number of tourists – bolstering casino engagement in the region significantly as visitors flock for the spectacle.
