NFL Betting in the London England Sports Betting Market
The NFL season is back in the London England sports betting market. All NFL bettors are aware of the early Sunday game in England which starts at 9:30 AM eastern time. Is the NFL thinking of an international franchise.
Betting NFL games in the United Kingdom
NFL betting is legal in the UK. I suppose betting on NFL games is different in London. How does the NFL justify this location when they always have their anti-gambling platform in place.
The last two games were sold out at Wembley stadium with 83,765 fans at each game. There are betting kiosks in and around the stadium. Of course they have their regular legal betting shops throughout London and the countryside to accommodate those who watch for free on the BBC. How convenient for the general betting public who can bet a few quid just like walking into a pub to buy a drink. I wish we had it that easy in the States. No way our government would allow that for their citizens. They have to make our lives difficult. But all that has changed in the New Jersey Meadowlands with other locations to follow. Legalized betting on the East coast is a work in progress but the results are positive with more states getting their sports betting operations up and running.
The NFL has scheduled a game in London for the past 10 years to a sold out capacity. The English enjoy a good show and they like to bet. Records show they were evenly divided on the Jags and Eagles and it was a close game. NFL bettors in London are called punters. Their NFL picks are usually in the form of a spread betting format which is very popular in Europe but not available in the States, not even Nevada where sports betting has been legal for decades.
The NFL claims this London production is very costly as they lose money to build a fan base. So I guess they are saying they have a loss leader to get fans into the store — like a supermarket. But they sell out all the time. I think they created a fan base long ago. This fan base popularity is based on something called sports betting, a favorite pastime the English do freely at their own convenience.
The US bettor has to go underground to place a bet online or call their local bookie and hope to get paid or move to Nevada. Even Vegas shut down local betting kiosks in sports bars through legislation with heavy casino influence. The sports betting kiosks were booking less than one-tenth of one percent of the sportsbook handle but that was considered invasive and was prohibited. Another blow to the local bettor. Besides, the many sportsbook operations in Vegas are getting too crowded with reserved seating and long lines. Most eliminated any perks like free drinks with a bet ticket. The betting kiosks were very convenient for bettors outside the city area but that was soon declared unlawful. Just more stupid legislation.
Sports Betting across the pond
Is the NFL showcasing the London market to a potential expansion team. The Jags have a multi-year deal to play in London. The Wembley scene is more lucrative than their own game in Florida. They average sixty-thousand fans in Florida at lower ticket prices than London. The Wembley stadium averages eighty-thousand fans spending $130 compared to $85 per ticket in Florida.
Something to think about. Does anybody have a flat to rent in London. Vegas is hot and dry while London is wet and cold. I need to fly across “the pond” someday and check out this London thing — betting made easy and convenient. What a cool idea whose time has come.
What is spread betting
Most sports bettors refer to an NFL or college game handicap as the spread. But that word is very different in other world betting markets. The UK uses a betting platform called “spread betting” and is not the same as the US format.
US bettors analyze the spread on an upcoming game. Does it matter if we say spread or line. The real definition of the US spread is called “fixed odds” in the European sports betting markets. Their format of spread betting is very different from a “fixed number” used in the States. Spread betting on your NFL picks in European markets is a more dynamic betting platform than our rather simple format using a fixed number. This is not a case of semantics but a highly more sophisticated betting platform. The spread is not a fixed number but a spread of two number usually one number below and one number above the fixed number.
Betting spreads in worldwide markets
When an NFL game has the favorite listed at minus 3, it is a fixed number. The fixed number can move to up or down a little —maybe 1/2 point — but it is stationary when game starts. If it stays at minus 3, the same game spread bet in say London would be 2 to 4. You would either buy the favorite (lay minus 4) or sell the dog (take the plus 2). It is still NFL betting and doing your homework. With spread betting, you are betting on the outcome of various sporting events (NFL) in the form of 2 spread numbers. The payout is based on the accuracy of the wager. The amount you win or lose is based on how right or how wrong you are compared to their post prediction or spread.
Unlike fixed odds in US (even money minus vig), the more right you are the more you win. The more wrong you are the more you lose. The risk-reward outcome is in multiples of your bet amount or stake (spread bet term). The profit or loss is determined by the difference between the final score and the spread you took (buy or sell) multiplied by your money stake or bet amount.
It may seem a little confusing at first, but I did mention it was a highly sophisticated betting platform. If you bet the favorite (buy at minus 4) and then win by 10 points, your profit is 6 times your money bet (10 minus 4 = 6). If they lost by 10 points your loss is 12 times your money bet (plus 2 plus 10 = 12). This is a simple example of this betting platform.
The whole spread betting platform can take a few months to get used to but is worth a look. One of the best companies in the UK is SportingIndex.com. They do not accept US customers but their site is very stimulating for any sports bettor to follow. This spread betting style of action is not really known to American bettors. Can it be incorporated into US betting markets. Million of bettors outside the US use spread betting on American sports and even the stock market (spread betting on stocks in the Dow is another story).
Any of the larger, more progressive sports books in Vegas could incorporate spread betting into their operation in conjunction with their fixed odds betting section. They do it with their horse racing section as part of the sports book environment. Why not add an extra dimension and become the most innovative sports book in Vegas. The state gaming commission has to approve any new wagering format like European style spread betting.
The future of spread bets
When online sports betting becomes legal and regulated in the US, then spread betting will catch on in the US. Now is a good time to become familiar with real spread betting along with the fixed odds betting the US bettor is so accustomed to using. It is far more stimulating than our boring even money payout but you must have that special tolerance for the high risk-reward mentality associated with spread betting. Some have it and most do not. It is an evolutionary extension of the standard fixed betting system that needs refreshment. Check it out and see if you can increase your knowledge and expertise.
NFL betting, NBA betting and your NCAA betting picks happen in a fixed betting market that has opportunity but difficult challenges to beat the book. The punters in London will embrace the NFL game popularity that the US enjoys. London bettors already enjoy all that happens in the US sports betting markets. They have access to all US sports betting lines including the NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, Soccer, boxing, tennis and other sports.
The European sports betting companies have access to American sports betting spreads and incorporate them everyday into their spread betting format and the exchange betting formats. This access provides their betting operations much more content to offer their betting public. NFL betting is number one in the US and a big draw in the London betting markets. However, the differences in betting formats (spread betting versus fixed odds) is significant when comparing payouts in the US market and London.
An NFL franchise in London is probably a 50/50 proposition within the next five years. Putting an NFL team (Raiders) in Las Vegas in 2020 was inconceivable a few years back but an NFL team in London would be an experiment but money talks and revenue growth and expansion is an investment in the future. The big sports betting popularity of the NFL in a large bettors living area will be a big success but the logistics and traveling could be a clog in the design schedule for NFL players.
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