Leroy’s tests sports betting application for Android

College basketball betting is about to heat up with March Madness, and American Wagering Inc. subsidiary Leroy's sports book has begun extensive field tests for a new way to wager -- a sports betting application for Google's Android OS smart phones.

The application lets people wager on sporting events from anywhere within Nevada on their Android OS phones. The application was developed with Leroy's sister company Computerized Bookmaking Systems Inc.

"We started testing this week to see if there were any flaws in the system," American Wagering Senior Vice President John English said. The company keeps and sends activity logs daily to state regulators during the field trial.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board's approval of the application allows Leroy's to expand into the smart-phone segment, with its second mobile-betting application. Las Vegas-based American Wagering received approval for mobile sports betting within Nevada in September, and in December regulators approved the release of the company's application for BlackBerry users after extensive field trials.

English said the BlackBerry application was "exceeding our expectations and the handle has been phenomenal."

Field trials for the BlackBerry and Android OS included testing with geolocation to verify that bets were placed within state lines, he said.

"The addition of the Android platform ... is a significant step forward in our strategic plan to become the clear leader in the mobile gaming sector," American Wagering Chief Operating Officer Bob Kocienski said in a statement.

The application allows for a fully functioning sports book and offers a menu of sporting events as well as in-game betting, propositions and contests. Customers must open an account with Leroy's before they can start betting.

Nevada law allows gamblers within the state's borders to place bets on sports using cell phone, pagers or home computers by setting up casino accounts and downloading software. Nevada's mobile wagering regulations do not violate the federal prohibitions on online gambling because wagering occurs over a private network rather than the Internet and it does not cross state lines.

Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at
csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.