Eight States to Legalize Sports Wagering by 2019 NFL Season

Sports betting is being legalized by the US states with more and more states ing this trend. Ever since the PASPA got repealed by the US Supreme Court in May this year, many have used this opportunity to acquire the license that allows sports betting.

Some of the first to do it are New Jersey, West Virginia, Delaware and Mississippi whereas Pennsylvania is currently in the process. Prior to this expansion, Nevada was the only state which allowed this form of gambling…

…but now eight additional US states are estimated to legalize sports betting before the NFL seasons starts.

Reuters spoke to Sportradar’s Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Jake Williams about this topic and he said that at least four and up to eight states would “probably be accepting bets” by the time the new football seasons commences.

Spreading Like Wildfire

The number of states which offer sports betting is going to increase drastically. Williams believes that within two years, a total of 24 US states will have this type of betting regulated and there isn’t any doubt that players are looking forward to it!

One of the states expected to offer such benefit to gamblers is Michigan. Recently, Michigan State Representative Brandt Iden has spoken on the subject. He believes a bill will be ed in the near future that allows mobile gaming.

Reuters also reported that Michigan might even introduce integrity fees after “spending significant time with the leagues”. This might sound great, but also far-fetched at this point. Namely, they have not yet been implemented by any other regulators.

Teams Are Getting Involved

National Football League is the most popular professional sport outlet in America. Without NFL wagers, the total sports betting revenue would be significantly lower.

With the implementation of sports betting as a legal form of gambling, casinos will lurk for the opportunity to pen deals with NFL franchises. 888 is the first major operator that partnered up with the New York Jets. It is an understatement to say that this will be fruitful for both signatory parties.

Everybody Benefits

The profit that will be accumulated by the NFL thanks to the legalization of sports betting is gigantic. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA) the revenue rise of the NFL on a yearly level can reach up to $2.3 billion, which is an extraordinary figure!

Furthermore, considering that up to eight additional states will allow sports betting by the start of the new season, fans from these states will be able to place wagering on NFL games for the first time ever. Consequently, the casinos will collect their share of the profit.

In the meantime, the league isn’t too keen on the idea. The fear is that such form of gambling could affect the fairness of the games and therefore smash the integrity and the identity they have been building for decades.

Source:

“Eight more states could legalise sports betting before next NFL season”, Tim Poole, gamblinginsider.com, November 19th 2018