In April, the NFL announced that it had signed partnerships with sportsbooks and betting operators in several markets. The league had been researching how to move forward with legalized sports betting in the U.S. But it didn’t know exactly what to expect.
The NFL began by talking with governing bodies, sports entities and gaming operators. It found that fans wanted to be able to bet on games on mobile devices. Then, it conducted research to find out more about the pitfalls of legalized sports gambling.
During that research, it found that most illegal sports betting takes place on mobile devices. However, it also discovered that people preferred to bet on games through their sportsbooks’ apps. So, the league decided to allow the operators to create betting lounges inside stadiums.
After that, the NFL contacted DraftKings and other betting partners to ask for advice. DraftKings and the UFC have agreed to become official sportsbooks for the two organizations. This allows for in-game promotions, such as free plays and in-broadcast odds generation.
With these deals in place, the NFL expects to generate at least $270 million in revenue this year. That figure is expected to rise as other leagues seek similar deals.
In the meantime, sportsbooks in Kansas have already launched and are showing some initial success. More will launch in the future.
There are currently 12 sportsbooks in the state that are live and ready to take bets. These include Betfair, FanDuel, Bovada, Par-A-Dice Casino, and Rivers Casino Sportsbook.
