March Madness tips off at Betfred Sports
LARCHWOOD, Iowa (Dakota News Now) - The next couple of days are some of the busiest in all of sports with March Madness tipping off. It may not be the most ideal weather for the middle of March, but still, plenty of people made their way to Betfred Sports at Grand Falls Casino and Resort for the start of non-stop college basketball.
As soon as the college basketball season gets into the thick of it, Betfred Sports starts planning for the first couple of days of the national tournaments. Sportsbook manager Joee Ektnitphong said when they open up the option to reserve seats and booths, they go quick.
“I think about three days later, we sold out Thursday and Friday right away as you can see behind me here.” Ektnitphong said.
Even with a winter storm moving through the region Thursday, Ektnitphong said that doesn’t have much of an impact on those showing up to bet and watch the first games of the NCAA Division I Basketball Championships. Most of those showing for the first few days are from Sioux Falls, but plenty of others reserving seats and booths come from other areas of Iowa, Minnesota or North Dakota.
“It’s not really an issue. People come early, they come and stay with us at Grand Falls Casino on Tuesday and Wednesday already,” Ektnitphong said. “I would say that 70 percent are our regular people here, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota here. But people that buy seats online are mostly from Minnesota and North Dakota.”
Those that make a day out of it every year say it gets better every year meeting up with friends and others to watch the opening rounds, like Dan Ngandali.
“The last couple years I’ve been doing this, coming out here on the Thursday for the first couple of games to kickoff. It’s always a good time out here, really busy and it’s a really good time.” Ngandali said.
Ektnitphong said while there’s plenty of house rules at Betfred, the main one they ask folks to remember is to be smart with their bets.
“We have good entertainment, good games today all day. And then good food. People like to come here because they like to have fun. The only thing we ask them to do is just be responsible for it.” Ektnitphong said.
