In early 2020, the NFL and NFL Players’ Association agreed about the future of sports betting in NFL stadiums. Though the NBA helped lead the charge in 2018 to repeal the Supreme Court’s 1992 PASPA ruling against oddsmakers, the NFL became the first US major league to open up retail betting experiences inside stadiums.
The bargaining agreement defines revenue sharing models (to be split between players and owners), the nature of the bets taken (with a possibility of slots also factored into the CBA), and offseason wagering programs. After the NFL’s CBA went live, other major leagues followed suit.
The strange addition of allowing slots indicates the partnership between many casinos and sportsbooks. In some states, like Pennsylvania, for example, sportsbooks must be sponsored by a casino partner.
There, brick-and-mortar casinos are also looking to set up stadium-like features to attract punters to their retail sportsbook. Given Pennsylvania’s success opening to both online and in-person betting options, trends that unite sportsbooks and stadiums will continue.
However, it’s also likely that major stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (and in other states with regulated markets) will look to build their Wi-Fi connection to help foster the mobile sports odds boom that other oddsmakers are successfully bringing about.
Rather than an in-person retail sportsbook, there are lounges designed for an optimal mobile betting experience. The decision is up to owners, who seem to be split so far. In Washington DC, Capital One Arena has its own retail sportsbook. Farther west, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas has an extravagant betting lounge instead.
Both are solid starts to uniting major league sports with leading oddsmakers—but which has staying power?
Retail Sportsbooks at Stadiums
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