Do You Approve or Disapprove of the NFL’s Embrace of Gambling Sponsorships?

[NoHuddleKelly12]

“According to a 2023 Washington Post report, the NFL currently takes in $132 million in gambling-related sponsorships. Those sponsors include the sports betting providers Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, and FanDuel. 
 

That could just be the beginning. The American Gaming Association predicted in 2018 that legalized betting could be worth over $2.3 billion a year to the NFL—due in large part to increased TV viewership (and resulting advertising revenues) driven by fans with a financial stake in the games' outcomes.“

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/062515/how-nfl-makes-money.asp
 

So I get it, a lot of fans bet on the games, and the notion that the legalized gambling genie could ever be put back into a pre-2018 straight jacket is naive at best.

 

However, that doesn’t mean it’s all gone swimmingly—as easy as it is to bet from a smartphone, every season it seems that a baker’s dozen or so of players are smacked with punitive sanctions for being caught betting while on the league’s time and dime (in one case even involving that player’s own team on a parley). That’s both an educational issue as well as reflecting the league’s slightly hypocritical pushing of sponsorship dollars from the same industry it spent decades warning against. 
 

“Goodell and others in the NFL universe will tell you they are ‘concerned’ about the real or potential fallout linked to gambling, but not enough to refuse the hundreds of millions of dollars that flow from gambling entities into the pockets of NFL owners. 

So, the NFL is effectively enabling the very behavior that has led to discipline for violations. No, players can’t place bets at team headquarters, but they can play in stadiums where a team’s sponsorship from a casino or sportsbook is on full display. What a mixed message.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2023/06/08/nfls-gambling-problem-is-a-mess-of-leagues-own-making/70299691007/

 

What say you? Is the league’s embrace of corporate gambling dollars a net positive or would you like to see some changes in its approach—and what if any should those be?

[US Egg]

I don’t have to worry about getting my thumbs broke anymore….so, yes.

[Freddie's Dead]

As far as Fantasy Football goes, DraftKings and FanDuel are legalized theft.  The casual fan is at the mercy of the professional sharks using specialized software and big bankrolls to generate thousands of winning entries, while the casual fan just donates.  Disgusting.

[MJS]

I suppose I don't care. I'm against gambling because I think it is just bad for people in general. But it doesn't impact my life or the way I watch football, and I don't think it makes it any easier to fix games.

[Alphadawg7]

I don't think the sponsorship impacts or tempts players to gamble any more than if they didn't exist.  Like I doubt there is any player in the league that walks into a stadium and sees a casinos sponsorship and goes..."Oh, guess it's cool to gamble on my own games now".  Like they either do it or they don't do it.  The ease of access to gambling for players is there regardless if the NFL allows sponsorships or not.  Apps and tech are what make the gambling tempting or easy, not NFL sponsorships.  I mean its not like players only know who FanDuel or DraftKings are because they saw it in an sponsorship within the NFL...those are practically house hold names whether you gamble or don't because the marketing is everywhere.  

 

So the only risk would be if the NFL "looks" hypocritical if a player violates the gambling rules using a platform that has or is spending money as a sponsor in the NFL.  But make no mistake about it, the fact they are a sponsor had nothing to do with the stupidity or gumptions of said player to violate the gambling rules for players.  

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

Here's the thing:

 

I don't hate the idea of legalized sports gambling. It's not as if being illegal ever stopped it and if anything it funded organized crime. And I don't hate the revenue stream from gambling. In my mind it's preferable to the trend of putting games on all of these exclusive platforms.

 

But man, it is really hypocritical for the league to hammer players for using the gambling services that they themselves are promoting. I know I don't want a Pete Rose situation but Im supposed to freak out about a football player betting on baseball while the sports networks and radio shows are putting our parlays?

[Steve Billieve]

I once watched a woman at the checkout counter dispatch items like milk to buy more lottery tickets. She spent around $200 on tickets.

 

Obviously it's horrible and gut wrenching, and obviously it's addictive. I'm sure it's perniciousness does nothing to help. But however you feel about it gambling addition is and will always be a thing. Sports betting is here to stay. Regardless of whether the NFL profits from it, everyone else has their hands out, and for the most part the public embraces its legalization.

 

Every single NFL player is making life changing money. Family changing money. Stars are now likely to become billionaires. The idea that players may throw games for bribes is ludicrous. For stars there's not enough money even on the table to make it worth it. And for scrubs, they see far too few opportunities for anyone to target them for a payout, and far too much risk of ending their careers were they to accept.

 

I don't see much risk to the integrity of the game. Every year replay reduces the influence of refs. The ship has sort of sailed culturally, politicians want the revenue stream and the public's moral objection has significantly faded.

[BarleyNY]

I don’t have any issue with legalized gambling in general, but if the NFL were to ever find a way to destroy itself this feels like a good way. It’ll probably be fine overall, but when there’s this much money at stake basic economics tells us that people will try to find a way to get more than their fair share. 

[HOUSE]

Yes, the NFL is broke, we should help anyway we can

[NoSaint]

Not a huge gambling guy myself but not opposed to it for others 

 

I don’t think a draft kings commercial or sponsored ticker dies anything huge to increase the risk of fixing games. I never understood that argument. 

[boco357]

I just want more time back in my day.  Put ads on helmets, the field, etc.  Don't care anymore the NFL just cares about $.  Take some commercials off and give me 15 min off game time(never will happen though)

[NoSaint]

13 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

I don’t have any issue with legalized gambling in general, but if the NFL were to ever find a way to destroy itself this feels like a good way. It’ll probably be fine overall, but when there’s this much money at stake basic economics tells us that people will try to find a way to get more than their fair share. 

But gambling was happening whether or not sponsor dollars flowed 

[shane nelson]

This new generation of owners are all about the money, not the product.  Really sucks

[Buffalo Boy]

   I lost my Arse as a 21 year old living in LA when the Bills lost to the Giants in the SB. It took me four months to dig out of that and I’ve never placed a bet since. A tough but excellent lesson on not pissing money away on chance.

    NC just opened up to online sports betting in March. In the first three weeks $659 million was wagered?!?!?!

   A ton of these people are the ones moaning and groaning about how broke they are and yet they throw their money into the trash for the thrill of it.

   I HATE that the NFL is in bed with these betting rackets. 
   I also believe it is only a matter of time before games are influenced due to it. To believe otherwise is to ignore the whole of human history where riches are involved.

 

   

[mannc]

6 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

“According to a 2023 Washington Post report, the NFL currently takes in $132 million in gambling-related sponsorships. Those sponsors include the sports betting providers Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, and FanDuel. 
 

That could just be the beginning. The American Gaming Association predicted in 2018 that legalized betting could be worth over $2.3 billion a year to the NFL—due in large part to increased TV viewership (and resulting advertising revenues) driven by fans with a financial stake in the games' outcomes.“

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/062515/how-nfl-makes-money.asp
 

So I get it, a lot of fans bet on the games, and the notion that the legalized gambling genie could ever be put back into a pre-2018 straight jacket is naive at best.

 

However, that doesn’t mean it’s all gone swimmingly—as easy as it is to bet from a smartphone, every season it seems that a baker’s dozen or so of players are smacked with punitive sanctions for being caught betting while on the league’s time and dime (in one case even involving that player’s own team on a parley). That’s both an educational issue as well as reflecting the league’s slightly hypocritical pushing of sponsorship dollars from the same industry it spent decades warning against. 
 

“Goodell and others in the NFL universe will tell you they are ‘concerned’ about the real or potential fallout linked to gambling, but not enough to refuse the hundreds of millions of dollars that flow from gambling entities into the pockets of NFL owners. 

So, the NFL is effectively enabling the very behavior that has led to discipline for violations. No, players can’t place bets at team headquarters, but they can play in stadiums where a team’s sponsorship from a casino or sportsbook is on full display. What a mixed message.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2023/06/08/nfls-gambling-problem-is-a-mess-of-leagues-own-making/70299691007/

 

What say you? Is the league’s embrace of corporate gambling dollars a net positive or would you like to see some changes in its approach—and what if any should those be?

Those numbers seem way low…$2.3 billion a year is chump change for the NFL.  Gotta be much more than that, otherwise, why take the risk?

[Lost]

I embrace gambling on games.  It makes them more exciting when there's money on the line.   I've spent a lot of time watching games last few seasons that I normally wouldn't give a crap about for that reason...but I'm a degenerate so..

[H2o]

Roger Goodell and the rest of the owners be like...

 

And before all of the typicals start saying, "It's a business, of course they're trying to make the most money." There are lines they can cross which compromise the integrity of the game. There has already been talk of things being "predetermined" without their involvement in the gambling scene. Now it just seems like an open season of opportunity with how much $$$ is involved. 

[BarleyNY]

13 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

But gambling was happening whether or not sponsor dollars flowed 

Agreed. It’s a positive that it is legal. I just don’t see how there won’t be people cheating. Just too much “easy” money to be had. Prop bets seem ripe. I’m sure most offenders will get caught though. On a semi-unrelated note, team ownership by institutional groups has the potential for some seriously negative consequences for the NFL. I’m much less a fan of that than the cozy relationship the NFL now has with legalized gambling. 

[mannc]

21 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

Not a huge gambling guy myself but not opposed to it for others 

 

I don’t think a draft kings commercial or sponsored ticker dies anything huge to increase the risk of fixing games. I never understood that argument. 

You could be right…maybe it’s more of a perception problem. The gambling influence just seems to be getting more and more prevalent, whereas just 5 years ago it was totally verboten…

[RiotAct]

20 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:

   I lost my Arse as a 21 year old living in LA when the Bills lost to the Giants in the SB. It took me four months to dig out of that and I’ve never placed a bet since. A tough but excellent lesson on not pissing money away on chance.

 

   

Are you Vincent Gallo’s charater in Buffalo ‘66???