Official betting helps fans better understand the odds of a game. The odds of a game are complex and not always easy to read. In order to improve the betting experience, the NFL signed deals with sportsbooks and gambling operators to integrate their gambling content into the broadcast experience. The league expects to earn $270 million this year from official sports betting. These deals also give other sportsbooks the opportunity to partner with NFL teams and provide betting data to fans.
Since May, seven states have legalized sports betting, with more set to follow suit later this year. In the meantime, the NFL and its league partners are arguing that legalized sports betting threatens the moral thread of sports. The NFL claims it is trying to protect the integrity of sports, but New Orleans Saints fans disagree, saying that the NFL has failed to uphold its integrity after just one season.
While the NFL is wary of alienating casual fans, several media companies have made strides to incorporate betting into their content. For example, Fox has launched Fox Bet, which marks the most aggressive push to include betting content on the NFL’s television network. Other media companies, including ESPN, have partnered with Las Vegas-based gambling sites like Caesars and Betfair. The NFL has taken a cautious approach, but the league has conducted research that showed that fans preferred sportsbook apps to in-stadium betting kiosks.
The NFL has also gotten into the act by allowing sportsbooks to become team sponsors in states where sports betting is legal. However, the NFL has prohibited sportsbooks from constructing true betting windows or kiosks in stadiums. However, it has allowed sportsbook-sponsored betting lounges in some stadiums. Despite the controversy, the NFL has allowed signage of sportsbooks at the stadium, and a sportsbook can be the team’s official betting partner in Arizona.