NFL Poll Data Reveals Fans Waiting to Wager
NFL fans are more likely to wager if their state approves legal sports betting. A recent poll, conducted by Morning Consult, asked more than 40,000 NFL fans about sports betting and how it would affect them.
A majority support changing federal gaming laws to allow states to regulate legal sports betting.
Many of the fans polled stated they would like to bet on the NFL games if their state legalized and regulated the games. Fans also indicated they were not bettors but would consider small bets if it were legal. Most fans felt comfortable with a legalized structure in place to use occasionally.
The poll data implied that NFL fans are more likely to watch, follow and enjoy the game when betting. An obvious reference to connect the sports world to the underlining popularity of sports betting around the world. This information should make the NFL more open to the concept of sports betting and move forward on the subject and put the unsavory elements from the past behind them.
The NFL always worried about their image, their integrity and the rise of sports betting on football. the biggest betting draw of any sport. Over the years the team has downplayed the hype of Las Vegas and their legalized sports betting structure. But news of an NFL franchise being approved by NFL owners to relocate to Las Vegas is a game changer. The Oakland Raiders are moving to the city of Las Vegas with a new stadium and a sports betting culture and a party town.
The NFL cannot ignore the white elephant in the room anymore and need to adapt to changing times.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league has always opposed legalized sports betting but noted the league and regulatory agency in Nevada “could be beneficial” to game integrity. It helps to have a model operation in place like Nevada sports betting to copy their structure and operation some day if it becomes legal outside Nevada.
The NFL is the top betting game around but other sports leagues are moving ahead to the possibility of a legal sports betting platform law passed by other states. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was the first out spoken head of a major sports league to acknowledge sports betting and to open a dialogue about it. He was talking about the subject a few years ago to the surprise of most executives who were afraid to mention the topic. But now others have come forward including Goodell and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to acknowledge the concept of legalized sports betting and open a dialogue on sports betting in the future.
The most overlooked of the major sports is the National Hockey League. The Las Vegas Golden Knights NHL team will start next year in the new T-Mobile Arena built by the city operators. The Knights were the first to put a new franchise in Las Vegas way ahead of the Raiders. They will probably set the standards on how to deal with the sports betting environment of Vegas and what agreements will be necessary to satisfy both entities.
The sports gaming officials will adjust to the NHL regulations against gambling and reach an agreement on casino advertising, prohibiting kiosk betting at the arena, mobile betting and other sports betting related conflict of interest appearances. Both sides should be flexible enough to realize they have a good thing going and the Vegas sports books will not miss betting on one game if they decide to remove the Knights from the betting board.
The agreements will be an important prelude to other major sports operating in the Vegas environment. It will set the stage for what the Raiders will be able to negotiate with the city without butting heads. What is applied to the NHL regulations should help the Raiders have a smooth transition in a few years.
