Official sports betting partnerships provide a platform for industry movers and shakers to come together. While partnerships are often straightforward, they can also have deeper ramifications. The NFL, NASCAR, and PGA TOUR are just a few of the leagues that have formed official partnerships.

These partnerships involve companies that agree to a range of deals, including advertising, sponsorships, and marketing. A mutually beneficial partnership occurs when companies are aligned on a common vision. Typically, these partnerships are structured as a comprehensive portfolio.

Official sports betting partnerships have emerged rapidly in the past three years. In this time, sportsbooks have opened up locations in nearly two dozen state markets. And the NFL has begun to explore the possibility of legalized sports betting.

When the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was repealed, the NFL began to research how to best approach the development of legalized sports gambling. The organization spoke with leagues, teams, governing bodies, and gaming operators. It was in this period of research that the NFL found that fans wanted a betting experience in stadiums, but they didn’t like the in-stadium betting kiosks that were previously available.

The NFL decided to license official data, and infuse its broadcasts with gambling content. It added betting lines and spreads to the bottom of its screens, and offered free-play games.

As part of this research, the NFL uncovered the fact that fans were betting illegally on their smartphones. It found that most of the illegal betting took place through the use of apps. To combat this, the NFL set out to make sure that its players were properly trained on gambling-related laws.