The tedious NFL sports betting relationship is one with a checkered history. Placing bets on a football game in America was only something that happened between friends, at a local bar, or maybe in an office pool. Then the US Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports gambling in 2018 and everything changed.
Since that time, several states have regulated and made a healthy profit from the activity. NFL sports betting partnerships have blossomed as the League relaxed years of strict anti-gambling policies. So where are we now? And which teams are leasing the way into the new sports gambling mindset?
How do, players! Thanks so much for joining me for another stroll through this week’s gambling news from all across America. And as a bonus, we’re releasing this video on Election Day which means that now we are officially past having to watch all those damn, pandering political ads that have been running 24/7 for the past two months! They’re over… for a while.
Hey! Remember how for decades sports betting was villainized as the bane of society? An ‘unethical activity’ associated only with organized crime like the Mafia (not that i’m saying or even implying that at this time or at any time in the past any such organization existed)? But then in 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down the law that prevented states from regulating the activity… and suddenly sports betting was cool!
Since that time we’ve seen 22 states and the District of Columbia regulate the activity, with more on the way! And professional sports leagues in this country have done an abrupt about face and are now embracing their fans betting on their games! We’re now halfway through the American football season and we’re seeing more and more and more NFL teams partnering with sports betting operators to promote their brands right alongside gambling!
First, the Indianapolis Colts have a gambling partnership with William Hill and Caesar’s Entertainment that will place a new Pick 6 game on the team’s mobile app where players can enter to win weekly prizes… maybe even a trip to Las Vegas! Next Philadelphia went in a whole different direction: They struck a deal with Unibet that will brand online casino games with the Eagles logo… like blackjack and slots!
And these aren’t the first two teams to play the NFL sports betting game with gambling operators The Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Jets Giants… all of those teams already have deals in place with gambling operators to promote their brands right alongside their fans placing sports bets! Also, Tennessee sports betting was approved last year but just went live a few days ago. DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM are all live right now in the state, and BetMGM has a partnership with the Titans football team to promote their betting app during titans games!
Plus we haven’t even touched on the agreements already in place between gambling operators and the professional hockey (NHL), baseball (MLB), and basketball (NBA) leagues! Isn’t it funny how a few million dollars in extra profits can take an otherwise villainized activity… supposedly associated with organized crime… and turn it into everyone’s Golden Goose? And all in just two years!
Since we’re already discussing NFL sports betting I thought you might like to know that one of the newest states to regulate sports betting, Colorado, just reported a massive increase in revenue! Up 60% just from August to September! You might think that spike in activity was a direct result of September being the kickoff of the NFL season… and you’d be wrong! Nearly 80% of that revenue came from people betting on the baseball playoffs, with football being a distant second.
And finally this week, since we’ve devoted this entire show to sports betting it’s only appropriate that we mention the grand opening of the Circa Resort and Casino in downtown Las Vegas which took place just a few days ago. The site is amazing, and it’s devoted to sports betting and the sports better!
Located down on Fremont Street with their new rooftop “Stadium Swim” and 777 rooms, this is an adults only resort! So you know I want to go! I just have to find a way to get them to comp my room for me… and my meals. My airfare. A taxi to and from the airport would help. Maybe take care of my luggage fees. Pay my parking… etc.