Sports betting is something that has always been popular. As long as there have been sports games and horse racing for people to watch, there have been opportunities to put a wager on who you think will be the winner.
It’s a popular way of gaming that has been around for centuries – but hasn’t always been considered a form of actual gambling. It almost flies under the radar because of its link to the sporting world.
But as online casino games have become more and more popular, sports betting has joined in on the fun as well. There are plenty of places that you can find to place a bet on the game, including online casinos. They have gotten in on the popularity of sports betting, so alongside all of the casino games and bonuses that are published, you can also find somewhere to put a bet on a sports game.
History of sports betting
Sports betting has been a minefield to contend with in the US. There have been so many back and forths with the government deciding what should and should not be allowed that it can be difficult to follow.
Sports betting was not allowed for a very long time. In fact, you could play casino games in a lot more places than you could place a bet on a sports game. This might come as a surprise as you’d think that sports betting would be a more popular way for people to game.
The Supreme Court came down hard on sports betting and introduced a federal ban on it in 2018. This was after years of back and forth on whether or not sports betting should be legal or not. This big crackdown was then overturned again and it was made legal in 38 states once again. This is when we saw a huge rise in popularity in sports betting as people could once again place their bets.
But don’t get too excited – it looks like that is set to change once again as there has been more federal legislation preparing to be put in place. This is in the form of the SAFE Bet act that would prohibit adverts for sports betting sites for most of the day and well into the night. This would still be in place when there are sporting events happening.
What are the NFL’s partnerships with sportsbooks?
Despite all of this, the NFL have decided to partner up with a few of the online sports betting websites in a collaborative deal. As sports betting is now legal in most states, it makes it easier for the NFL to have certain sites that they deem safe and legit.
This makes sure that people who are going to place wagers on games know which websites are safe to do so. It’s a benefit for both the NFL and the sports betting websites as everyone gets something out of the deal. The NFL are safe in the knowledge that people are betting on sites that uphold the rules and regulations laid out by the federal government, and the sports betting websites know they’re going to be chosen by the gamers.
They have partnered up with some of the most popular sports betting sites such as Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings. They are all official partners and have agreements with the league just like any of their other sponsors would. They even went so far as to have an official casino sponsor for the whole league which went to Caesars Entertainment.
Even though the NFL doesn’t get a cut of any of the money that has been placed on games, they still make their money through these partnerships. Most of the money comes from advertising – something that has always been the case with the NFL. The halftime slot at the Super Bowl is notoriously one of the most expensive advertising slots in the world.
How are these partnerships impacting the sport?
Even if someone has only put a small bet on the game, they’re far more likely to watch until the end if they have a bet on the game than if they don’t. This means that the NFL will see their viewership increase, and see them be more likely to watch until the very end. In turn, this will mean that more people want to advertise as they know that they’re adverts are more likely to be seen.
Streaming has meant that there is a lot more competition these days to get viewers, so even the NFL has had to make these changes. The idea of having partnerships between betting sites and the NFL might be controversial to some, but to most, it seems like a smart business decision.
What do you think of these NFL partnerships and how do you think they’ll change in the future?