How Will Sports Gambling Legalisation Affect US Sports?

It’s official. Sony Michel scores the first touchdown of this Super Bowl https://t.co/GklQOqMG24 pic.twitter.com/1A6jVtn5xw

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) February 4, 2019

The taboo of sports gambling has been lifted in the United States. In 2018, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which prevented gambling on the outcome of a single sporting event. Previously, only the state of Nevada allowed a person to bet on the result of a game, although others, including Montana, Oregon and Delaware, had already relaxed laws on sports gambling. However, the ruling has opened up the path for the remaining states in the country to legalize sports betting, which will have a huge effect on the bookmakers around the globe.

For instance, there will be a groundswell of betting companies attempting to dominate the States’ landscape. Gambling in the United Kingdom is widespread and the bookmakers that list odds on every sport will be determined to entrench themselves in the US market. Bettors outside of the States are allowed to bet on the NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL, along with NCAA events. In terms of the existing legal US betting market, there are estimates that players wager up to $150bn. There is a huge market there to exploit and not all of it will be related to sports gambling.

Premier League clubs, among others around the world, utilize bookmakers for sponsorships on their shirts, along with commercial partnerships in which the operator becomes their official betting partner. The success of the league and the audience it generates has witnessed the clubs receive huge sums of money from interested companies in return for being affiliated with them. Traditional businesses still hold a place at the top of the market, as Chevrolet, Fly Emirates and Standard Chartered have managed to lock down Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, respectively. However, it may not be too long before interested betting companies are able to secure one of the elite six sides in the Premier League as a primary sponsor.

Liverpool’s £30m shirt deal with Standard Chartered revealedhttp://t.co/77frcBc2QY pic.twitter.com/GyFd8bK38f

— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) April 21, 2015

Online casinos have also delved into the market and secured branding on the shirts of two of the teams in the lower reaches of the league. Due to the amount of money that could be pouring into the US gambling market, it remains to be seen how long it would take before NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams begin demanding a share of the spoils or else seek it through jersey sponsorships or team partnerships.

Casinos have been relatively subtle in their approach to building an audience through football in the United Kingdom, utilizing the global broadcasting of soccer games to reach out to a new customer base through their brand visibility. The industry is extremely competitive, evidenced by the wealth of welcome bonuses on offer to entice new players. If a casino bonus exists, you are likely to find it at newcasinos.com, demonstrating the scope for these companies to capitalize on the new audience they could have at their disposal.

There could be games based on American Football, Basketball, Hockey or Baseball to entice new customers into the fold. The move to legalize sports betting across the United States is a watershed moment for the country, but it could be one that intrigues owners of the elite games and their teams to make their already lucrative sports to the next level. The Premier League, along with soccer across Europe has shown the way, but the States and their capacity for marketability could take it to the next level.