First and 10th. Sportsbooks are busy and safes are full. Local casino operators are ready to play soccer, as is Las Vegan, the boss says.

The National Football League, which mocked football enthusiasts with its past two Saturday preseason professional games and dozens of college games, begins the regular season

Thursday night.

Both the university and NFL slate will be full next weekend, and management of the largest local casino operator in Las Vegas is eagerly awaiting the move.

Soccer matches are an important attraction that lures Las Vegan to the dozens of casinos scattered around the valley, local bosses say. It's only natural that local casino sports books generate the bulk of their revenue during the football season, and the public is ready to bet on games and use highly profitable Farage cards.

But soccer is more than just a sportsbook revenue engine, and it's a key factor in getting Las Vegan back in the habit of regular visits to local casinos, the bosses said. "Football revitalizes buildings after (the entire city) has had a summer lull," said Steve Cavallaro, chief operating officer of the station. "The locals are back from vacation, and the football tournament is in full swing."

Casino operations are heating up early Saturday and Sunday morning, local operators agree, as East Coast games draw crowds to sportsbooks early. "When the football season starts, our business is remarkably recovered from sportsbooks and casino floors," Station Casino Chief Financial Officer Glenn Christensen said recently.

Many station casino facilities and Sam's Town have installed flat-panel TV monitors around table game pits, and improvements say they shift the book's interest to the pit. Customers can keep an eye on games they're interested in while continuing to shoot blackjacks or craps, management says.

Icahn Gaming spokesperson Mike Gilmartin said football is critical to the properties of the two Arizona Charlie's. "Football has become a big part of the year," Gilmartin says. "Football has become a part of the culture. Especially in Las Vegas, casinos and football come together. You can support your team, bet on the game, and watch four to five different games (or more) at the same time." Goan and Cavallaro said they can hire some staff after the weekend graveyard shift ends during the football season.

All local big businesses offer paid participation or free football tournaments to encourage players to submit recommended prizes instead of visiting more than once a week to win cash prizes.

The 17-week NFL season and weeks of NFL playoffs and college football games make up nearly 40 percent of weekends. "Football is the only sport that makes money from sportsbooks," says Coastal Casino President Michael Gaughan. "Everybody bets on football."

Gogan tells managers that sports books must accomplish three things. "We need to bring in people to serve our existing customers and make money," Gaughan says. "The only sport that can accomplish this is football."

The station casino sports book Honcho Art Manchesteris said that while his books are making money in other sports, soccer is the undisputed king. "Football makes up about 40 percent of our steering wheel throughout the year," he estimated that gridiron games provide more than 40 percent of the book's revenue. "Sportsbooks should be the focus of interest. They should offer competitive products, be clean, comfortable, and complement casinos. Profits, races, and sports players go where they get the best treatment."

Gogan said: "Football is even more exciting. It's like the excitement at the start of the NCAA Tournament every weekend."

According to 159 sports books in New York State, the amount received from football betting companies increased 33.3% for the fiscal year ending June 30. Football betting companies lost $51.5 million out of a total of $124.4 million in all sports. Basketball betting companies lost $12.2 million, up 12.2% for basketball betting companies and baseball wage workers lost 16% for $12.2 million.

Paray Card, the casino's most profitable sports betting division, received $23 million from gamblers, up 20.1 percent. Almost all of the Paray card bets are made in soccer matches.

"Football is perfect for the public for a number of reasons," says Matteris. "Baseball is complicated by cash-strapped betting. Soccer point spreads are easier for the public to understand. Soccer appeals to people from all walks of life. Everyone bets on the NFL," says Gaughan.