The Sports Business Daily reports that the NFL will let specific stadiums partner with sportsbooks sponsors to build betting lounges in their stadiums. The move is motivated by the sports betting industry’s rapid rise in the US.

However, the league will not let the punters place any bets on them. Since casinos allow bettors to place 24/7 bets online betting, punters can place their sports bets online. The news broke through the Sports Business Journal. 

NFL Warms Up To Betting

For a long time, the NFL was not accommodative of the sports gambling industry. They regarded betting on football as a direct threat to the honor of the game. Lately, the league has changed its position on sports betting and has begun embracing it. They no longer view sports casinos, as threats to the game but as a way of enhancing fan engagement.

NFL teams are at liberty to choose a casino to partner with from their locality. Caesars is the NFL’s official casino partner, while DraftKings is the official fantasy sports partner. The league will also let teams have sportsbooks sponsorship because as state legalization spreads, more organizations will not be hindered by legislation issues. 

How Will The Betting Lounges Look Like?

The league will allow only teams in states that have legalized sports betting to sign sponsorship deals. In the US, 14 states allow sports betting, and more are expected to join the bandwagon. Teams are also restricted to strike deals with sportsbooks that are accredited in the state. 

A casino sponsor can use the official logo of the team they’re sponsoring in their promotion and marketing. You should not be surprised when you see a casino branding itself as the official sportsbook sponsor of an NFL team. 

The league has not yet allowed betting windows or real betting in the physical lounges. Sportsbooks can only put their signage and odds and bets. They are also entitled to register new customers from the lounges. The stadiums will use a restricted area called the upper bowl to set up the lounges. Punters will use these designated places for mobile betting on online casinos, using their smartphones. 

According to Chris Halpin, the VP of strategy and growth for the NFL, the focal point of the deliberations by the committee of owners is the lack of physical betting windows. According to Chris, the consensus was that such windows would expose underage fans and overwhelm those not interested in betting. As a result, it was agreed that confined lounges would work best. 

The Future Is Bright for Sports Betting

As more states legalize sports betting, top sports companies will spread into new jurisdictions. You’ll also witness sportsbook startups coming up and apps and web-based platforms making sports betting more efficient. 

NFL teams will benefit from substantial sponsorship deals from sportsbooks. Their fans will also have an enhanced experience from the betting lounges. The newfound partnership between the NFL and sportsbooks will flourish even more as the stakeholders continue deliberating and coming up with more innovative products and services.