The NFL says it's perfectly fine with ads for Las Vegas on television broadcasts of its games, so long as the ads don't feature casinos, gambling, betting, blackjack, slots, poker, or hookers....well, hookers are ok.

The National Football League has announced it's going to reverse its own policy and make allowance advertisements for the town of Las Vegas to run on television during postseason football games this year. Previously, the town was barred from Super Bowl and other playoff game marketing, because the NFL continues its disingenuous campaign to pretend sports gambling doesn't exist.

However, simply because tourism representatives from Las Vegas may be allowed to spend millions to position ads at the NFL time slots, doesn't suggest that the league is having a Sternian moment of reality as regards gambling. In fact, NFL advertising rules still don't allow specific casinos to shop for ads, nor may town ads contain gambling references or imagery.

Now we all know who it's that goes to Las Vegas to take the tour of Hoover Dam: NFL nerds, who think it an affordable" modification" of existing policy to invite Las Vegas to advertise itself without showing or mentioning gambling. The NFL has released statements that only a few"" of its fans take part in illegal sports betting; perhaps it believes only a few people visit Vegas to gamble.

In 2004, Las Vegas city officials went across the NFL block by buying Super Bowl commercial time from affiliates, instead of CBS, that year's host network.

"We weren't pleased and we let CBS know," said an NFL spokesman.

Still, Vegas tourist industry spokesmen were enthusiastic about the chance of using the enormous stage to draw visitors. Some seemed more in contact with practicality than the NFL might wish.

"NFL fans come to Vegas and Vegas fans are NFL fans," said Howard Lefkowitz, CEO of Vegas.com, to Newsday.

OCA gambling analyst Sherman Bradley suggested a correct ad, refusing to insult the public's intelligence while still obeying the NFL mandate, might show the city's reflection in an eyeball; then have the attention simply wink, because the slogan runs saying, "Las Vegas...you know what's waiting."

Published on December 17, 2009 by PrestonLewis

Read More... [Source: Las Vegas Casinos in the News]