Vegas Sportsbooks Putting Winter Olympics Oddsmakers to the Test

^{Vegas Golden Knight star center Jack Eichel is ready to represent Team USA at Milano-Cortina. Betting on ice hockey is the biggest draw for wagers on the Winter Olympics. (Photo: courtesy of USA Hockey)}

The 2026 Winter Olympics are already underway in Italy, but you wouldn't know it at Las Vegas casinos, where sportsbooks have been inundated with Super Bowl LX betting.  While viewing interest for the Winter Olympics in the United States will undoubtedly rise after the Super Bowl, wagering on them may not tick up much according to one Vegas book.

When asked about whether or not his book will set lines on most of the Olympic events, Circa Sports Director of Operations Jeff Benson responded by simply saying “probably not.” Benson also said the main reason is there is “little to no interest” in Winter Olympic betting at Circa Resort & Casino, so it not really worth the time involved to properly book them.

That is not the case at all Vegas casino sportsbooks, especially some of the bigger brands which do not necessarily make their own numbers and instead rely on technology to do it for them. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook is one of the very few with a dedicated Olympic expert in-house who is focused on making unique odds on many of the events.

SuperBook Risk Manager Joe Tatka has been called “Mr. Olympian” by VP of Risk Jeff Sherman, tasked with being their resident oddsmaker for the Winter Olympics. Tatka admitted the SuperBook’s offerings might pale in comparison to other books around town, but there is a good reason for that. He is solely responsible for setting their lines.

“We probably have less (betting offerings) for the sole fact that it's me doing it, as opposed to an algorithm or a computer putting it up,” Tatka said. “A lot of (sportsbooks) that you'll go to, they'll have all the same options, all the same people, and it's all basically run by one of the algorithms.

“I personally put all these up, monitor them, move them, and so on and so on. All this stuff falls on me, as opposed to one of the computers.”

Westgate Taking Special Requests for Olympic Betting Lines

Tatka has been a big fan of the Olympics since 1992, and he has been fortunate enough to turn his passion into a temporary side job at the SuperBook, something his co-workers really appreciate. Sherman is one of the world’s leading golf oddsmakers, so he knows exactly how valuable it is to have someone around like Tatka who like him is a specialist.

“(Tatka) has a few interests that are very niche,” Sherman said. “Track and field and Olympics – (he) follows them closer than most in the industry.”

Due in part to specialized oddsmakers like Tatka and Sherman, the SuperBook has been well-known as one of the best Vegas sportsbooks for decades. Bettors know they can wager on a variety of sporting events there, with the numbers devised by true experts.

Tatka himself enjoys listening to bettors and what they are looking for in terms of offerings. He said he will listen to anybody who has requests too and do his best to oblige them.

“People do like the niche sports,” Tatka told Casinos.com. “I take a look at what's out there, put my personal opinion in it, and put it up. (And) if somebody comes up and asks for (something) – as long as it’s allowed in the state of Nevada – I’ll gladly put it up for them.”

It is worth noting that Nevada sportsbooks are only allowed to post betting lines on Olympic events in which judges do not determine the results. In other words, you could not wager on figure skating at Vegas casinos because judges give out scores that may or may not be challenged at some point, potentially putting the books in a tough position.

Bad Timing Impacts Olympic Betting Interest

Tatka said the nine-hour time difference between Las Vegas and Italy will play a role in how much action the SuperBook ends up getting. He mentioned that men’s ice hockey will likely schedule medal round games closer to U.S.-friendly times in an effort to increase viewership and allow more fans to watch their countries play.

“You start seeing a few bets trickle in from (the Olympics),” he said. “It's unfortunately, not as big as I would like it to be, where I just see (bets) coming in all day.”

Still, that has not stopped Tatka from tuning in early on. After all, he needs to do his job.

“I’m kind of crazy enough to watch (the Olympics),” Tatka said. “But the average person isn't going to be up at 2:30 a.m. to watch a hockey game. I work at four in the morning, that fits right into my time frame. I go in and put the games on TV, so I could at least get a glance at it while I'm doing everything else.”

Ice Hockey Biggest Betting Draw at Winter Olympics

The SuperBook puts up betting lines on Winter Olympic events such as bobsledding, curling, downhill skiing and speed skating.  But the Super Bowl of the games is definitely the men’s hockey tournament, which starts Feb. 11 with two preliminary-round games. Twelve countries will battle it out for the gold medal in 30 games over a 12-day period.

Even Circa Sports books men’s hockey futures to win the tourney, with Canada and the U.S. listed as the two consensus favorites to win the gold medal in the title game on Feb. 22. The same can be said for the women’s hockey tournament, as the Americans and Canadians are overwhelming chalk to meet for gold as well on Feb. 19.

The NHL is obviously taking some time off during the Winter Olympics, 19 days to be exact, as many of their players participate in the games and others get a break. That brief hiatus will not stop hockey bettors from wagering on the Olympic brand of the sport they love.

Tatka expects Winter Olympic betting interest to grow post-Super Bowl, especially since that coincides with the beginning of the men’s hockey tourney. How much is the question, as people may be wagering on smaller events like curling now, but that should change in the coming days with events becoming more meaningful and medal rounds approaching.

“That's what's getting the most push and the most acknowledgement,” Tatka said about Olympic hockey. “Though you're starting to see a lot of commercials, so people are betting.”