NFL Bends on Gambling Advertisement Ban

Sports betting is finally making its way to America, and it is going to have some far-reaching effects that extend beyond the gambling industry. Big changes are afoot, one of the biggest that we’ve seen is the NFL preparing to break its ban on gambling advertisements.

Casino Operators Can Now Advertise

The NFL has recently announced that casinos will be able to show advertisements during its matches during the 2018/2019 season. This will also allow gaming operators to sponsor teams. The decision comes after franchise owners pushed for a loosening of regulations that would allow them to earn more from lucrative sponsorships from casino and betting firms.

A number of safeguards will be put in place, however. All of the NFL’s casino partners will be banned from advertising their actual sports betting products. Additionally, franchises will not be permitted to engage in revenue sharing or any type of betting-based agreement with gambling operators.

This news follows closely after CBS stated that its announcers would not be allowed to reference gambling during NFL broadcasts. This decision was made due to the NFL’s anti-gambling stance but, now that the league has permitted gambling ads and sponsorships, we wonder if announcers will now be able to mention betting and match odds.

A Very Lucrative Market

There is impressive potential for NFL franchises to earn plenty of money from sports betting sponsorships. In other countries around the world, where sports teams are backed by gaming operators, some very lucrative deals have been made. For example, Betclic signed a deal with Juventus for $21.4 million – which would display the operator’s logo on the team’s shirts. Bwin’s deal with Manchester United was worth $24 million per year while Mansion Casino sponsored Tottenham Hotspur for a total of $64 million over four years.

As such, there is plenty of money to be made for NFL teams if they choose to engage with online gambling brands. Limitations are sure to be placed on the actual advertisements that are shown before, during and after games but there are plenty of examples set by countries like the UK and Australia that the leagues will have to consider. In Australia, for example, a law has recently passed that prohibits gambling ads between all sports broadcasts between 5am and 8:30pm but the UK has more lax restrictions.

There is definitely plenty of considerations that will be need to be made before the leagues can decide on fair and responsible advertising rules. We are sure to hear much more from the NFL and other sports leagues about their rules for gambling advertisements as more and more states begin to open up their betting markets.