Wednesday September 27, 2023

Las Vegas Super Bowl to Complete NFL’s Betting Turnaround

  • In less than five years, the NFL has completely changed its tenor toward sports betting.
  • The NFL is currently partnered with several betting companies.
Super Bowl in Phoenix.
A.J. Perez-FOS
Front Office Sports Today

Taylor Swift Takes NFL to New Heights

Taylor Swift and her rumored relationship have brought in a new, more female-heavy audience.
Listen Now
September 27, 2023 | Podcast
Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

PHOENIX — Caesars has a setup outside the family-friendly NFL Experience. The Footprint Center, where Monday’s Super Bowl opening night houses a FanDuel sportsbook. BetMGM has a sportsbook on the same grounds as where Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII will be played.

The NFL’s consternation over sports betting has turned into a full-fledged embrace since a Supreme Court decision allowed all states to offer sports betting. The one city known worldwide as the gambling mecca has benefited as well. 

“It was taboo for years,” said Sam Joffray, the president and CEO of the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee. “If you worked for the league, you couldn’t walk through the casino floor. You couldn’t speak about it.

“Then all of a sudden, there’s this explosion, and now it’s like Vegas and the Super Bowl officially come together. It’s almost like the Marvel Universe and the DC Universe finally colliding.”

It wasn’t just the Supreme Court’s decision in May 2018 that declared the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional. Roughly two-thirds of states (and the District of Columbia) now have some form of state-sanctioned sports betting. 

But it wasn’t just the decision by the nation’s high court that has boosted Las Vegas’ status as a pro sports destination. It really started two years prior when the NHL awarded Las Vegas an expansion team that became the Golden Knights. 

The Golden Knights had immediate success both in terms of fan support and a historic start that ended with an entry into the Stanley Cup Final days after the PASPA decision. 

The Raiders’ move to Las Vegas before the start of the 2020 season to play at state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium pretty much made a Super Bowl a lock for the city.

“I’ve worked 26 Super Bowl straight, and as soon as I heard  ‘stadium’ and ‘Vegas,’ I knew they were getting a Super Bowl,” Joffray said. “Then, lo and behold, we put in the bid and then got awarded a Super Bowl. The whole [quick] time frame was just amazing.”

Las Vegas was chosen in December 2021 as the host of the 2024 Super Bowl. The city also hosted last year’s NFL Draft and last week’s Pro Bowl festivities, both of which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talked glowingly about at his Wednesday news conference. 

“I think I’d be making a mistake to underestimate anything that happens in Vegas and how big [next year’s Super Bowl] can be,” he said. 

In 2009, Goodell — and pro sports as a whole — viewed gambling differently. 

“The NFL’s position on such lotteries that involve our games is that they are an additional threat to the integrity of our league and contrary to the public good,” Goodell wrote in a letter to then-Delaware Gov. Jack Markell who backed an effort to offer parlay betting through the state lottery. “We strongly urge you to reject any proposal to permit a sports lottery in Delaware.”

That was before PASPA was struck down, and, of course, the hundreds of millions the NFL stands to make through its partnerships with several betting companies. 

Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Taylor Swift at Chiefs vs. Bears game.

Taylor Swift NFL Hype Likely To Continue Another Week

Swift could drive blockbuster TV ratings for NBC's "Sunday Night Football."

Lillard And Giannis Pairing Could Be Big For The NBA, Too

Bucks to be featured on national TV 19 times this season

Magic Johnson Open To Knicks Minority Ownership Stake

Basketball Hall of Famer only interested in specific NBA franchise
Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob walks alone the baseline during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center.

Warriors Owner Reportedly Adding A Bay Area WNBA Franchise

An official announcement could come as soon as early October.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Taylor Swift Takes NFL to New Heights (w/ Andrew Brandt)

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

NFL concussions

The NFL’s $1B Battle Over Concussion Settlement Heats Up

The NFL is seeking at least $1.2 billion from its risk carriers.
September 26, 2023

NFL's Swift Mania Starting To Show Impact Through Merch Sales, Viewership

Taylor Swift stole the NFL's spotlight by attending Sunday's Chiefs game.
First Take vs. FS1
September 26, 2023

Sharpe: 'First Take' Would Still Beat 'Undisputed' Without Stephen A.

Even if Smith leaves, Sharpe said he will still beat Skip Bayless in the ratings.
Rob-Manfred-MLB
September 25, 2023

Oakland-MLB Relationship Devolves Into Next-Level Toxicity

Commissioner, mayor have very different accounts of July meeting

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Chicago Cubs
Chicago
Fanatics
New York
Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Inc.
USA - Multiple Locations
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throws a pass in the first quarter of the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams at Paycor Stadium.

NFL Fans Can Now Bet On Games While Streaming

BetVision will allow users to bet while watching NFL games.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson fumbles the ball out of bounds in the end zone while being tackled by Philadelphia Eagles safety Terrell Edmunds during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 17, 2023

NFL Survivor Pools Remain Relevant in the Legal Sports Betting Era

Survivor’s appeal comes from its uncomplicated premise.
September 16, 2023

The Newcomers That Want To Upend Sports Betting’s Duopoly

Fanatics Sportsbook, ESPN Bet eye major market impact during NFL season
Colorado Buffaloes running back Dylan Edwards reaches for the ball past Nebraska Cornhuskers cornerback Deshon Singleton in the third quarter at Folsom Field.
September 14, 2023

Sportsbooks Are Content With Bettors ‘Embracing’ Colorado Hype

Heading into Week 3 and longer-term, the books aren’t sweating it.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
September 8, 2023

Deion Sanders’ Colorado Is the ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ for Sportsbooks

The Buffaloes are darlings for the sports betting public.
DraftKings
September 7, 2023

NFL Season Start Heightens Sportsbook Battle For Customers

Sportsbooks get aggressive with promotions to attract new bettors
Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers throws the ball during the Cy-Hawk Series football game against Iowa.
September 7, 2023

Five Plead Guilty in State Betting Probe Ahead of Iowa-Iowa State Game

The current and former players pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
College students can buy Sunday Ticket for $109, a decrease from DirectTV’s $120 student package from last season.
September 6, 2023

Expansive NFL Betting Presents Opportunity, Concerns For League

Latest data shows massive surge in projected NFL bettors