The sound of cheering fans, the explosion of a pass, and the excitement of last-minute touchdowns have long represented the NFL as America’s game.
But, in recent years, a different story has emerged—one where the National Football League is not only a cultural and entertainment juggernaut but the primary driver of legal sports gambling in the U.S. What once was taboo is now acceptable, and the NFL has become the face of a change in how Americans consume—and bet on similar sites to Bovada.
From Outlawed Play to Regulated Market: The Legal Turning Point
For a long time, sports betting in the United States was virtually a non-issue. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), enacted in 1992, forbade sports betting on a wide-ranging basis at the federal level with some exceptions. The league, along with other professional sports leagues, stayed out of sports betting discussions due to scrutiny and match-fixing concerns, and protecting the integrity of the league. Everything significantly changed in 2018 with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which held PASPA was unconstitutional, allowing states to permit and regulate sports betting at the state level. With the stroke of a pen, the NFL and other leagues could choose to delve into sports betting as participants in the business of sports betting.
Then, states began to authorize regulated sports betting, leading to 38 states (and Washington D.C.) legalizing some form of sports wagering by 2025. In response to this change, instead of resisting it, the NFL began to embrace it. Early on, the league realized that a regulated, focused marketplace for betting had considerable upside, such as more engaged fans and new revenue streams through licensing agreements and sponsorships, including facilitating a space for bets to occur out of the background and facilitating a legal regulatory environment.
The Rise of the NFL as Betting’s Flagship Product
There are several reasons why legal gambling has grown quickly to be a hallmark of the NFL. First, the scheduling is also especially unique. The NFL’s season is short and compressed; there are 17 regular-season games over about four months, and then playoffs and the Super Bowl. The limited timeframe concentrates attention and provides more importance to each game. Since there are fewer games, there is more importance to each result for fan interest, as well as for the interests of gambling. The NFL has even expanded its footprint through primetime games and then through scheduling flexibility to maximize viewership and gambling interest.
Secondly, the NFL is utilizing betting to elevate even games that were of only due interest. Parlays, player propositions, same-game parlays, and futures betting mean that bettors can continue to engage with the NFL when ‘their team’ is not playing or a game is seemingly an unbalanced experience. These micro-bets elevate the experience and provide additional action on every game and every moment of play.
Thirdly, large sportsbooks and bet-related companies are aggressively connected to the NFL. With marketing-related promotions and in-game offers, betting companies see the NFL as their flagship product. This relationship continues to reinforce the perception that if you are betting on American sports, you are betting on the NFL first.
Finally, the scope is staggering. For the 2025 season, the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that Americans will bet legitimately $30 billion on NFL games, which predicts an 8.5% increase over the last season.
It is startling to estimate that on Super Bowl Sunday alone, the legal handle will be $1.39 billion.
Without question, these astounding statistics illustrate how integral the NFL is to the legal sports betting ecosystem.
How the League Has Integrated Gambling Into Its Brand
The NFL’s stance on gambling today is much different from what it was in the past. Instead of considering gambling as an outside threat to its business, the league has accepted regulated betting as a business practice that helps with infrastructure and fan-engagement initiatives.
One of the ways that occurs is by developing compliance models and delineated pathways for wagering that maintain integrity. The league works with sites like Bovada and regulators, monitoring and observing betting patterns in real time, tracking insider access, and penalizing when appropriate.
Another avenue is through sponsorships and media partnerships. Many sportsbooks are now involved in advertising during broadcasts of NFL games. Betting odds have been utilized in stadiums, broadcasts, and team applications. The league’s media partners are also integrating betting content into their broadcasts. The rigid separation of sports media and gambling is starting to fade away.
The NFL has also backed educational campaigns around responsible wagering, and a top theme is “Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly.”
The league believes that legitimizing betting involves putting in place consumer protections, assistance for gambling addiction, and regulatory guardrails.
Perhaps most importantly, the NFL has quietly championed innovations that enhance the betting experience. Expanded betting windows, alternate lines, prop bets (on quarterback stats, rushing totals, etc.), and micro-markets within games are now more likely and profitable opportunities than they were decades ago.
The NFL provides flexibility with its schedule and is willing to engage across new broadcast windows to support these advancements.
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