Hoops fans line up to bet (legally) on March Madness tourney

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — College basketball fans are lining up at casinos and racetracks and furiously tapping smartphone screens to get down bets on March Madness, in many states where it is legal for the first time.

Joe Palumbo of West Babylon, New York, traveled Thursday to the Borgata casino in Atlantic City to bet on Duke to win it all.

He says the NCAA Tournament is the most exciting sporting event of the year, far surpassing the Super Bowl, because having 16 games a day represents an opportunity for continuous betting action.

Casino industry executives and gambling regulators say the 67-game tournament should produce more bets than the Super Bowl.

Tom Gable, head of the Borgata’s sports book, says advance action has been predictably heavy.