The Current State of Sports Betting in the U.S.

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Among other issues taking the floor in this country, betting has been a subject on many people’s mind. Especially in the sports world. However, with more states legalizing betting, what exactly does that mean for the leagues involved? Is this a positive action, or one that’ll have more unintended repercussions than expected?

Indeed it is an interesting time to be alive. Especially if you’re a sports fan. So many changes and so many moving parts. Yet, we find ourselves in a very peculiar place in the sports world. Much of the country still doesn’t allow sports betting. However, this is a movement that is gaining some steam and momentum. Let’s have a look at some key information and what we know so far from the sports betting movement.

States that offer legal betting

To understand this movement, we must first take a trip back to 2017. For those that are familiar with this movement, the issue was brought to court thanks to the New Jersey betting case. This is an issue that NJ Governor Chris Christie was adamant about. Long legal story short, Christie and New Jersey presented a good case and the Supreme Court ruled in their favor. As a result, the betting scene gained quite the following.

There are currently seven states that have legal, state-regulated betting. These states are as follows:

Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

“Depending on how people view sports betting such baccarat online free deposit code, this can be done in several different ways. For example, New York already has betting laws in place. However, they will implement physical sportsbooks at some of their upstate casinos”.

Oregon, on the other hand, will offer sports betting through their lottery system. This is allowed due to the state’s rules allowing new gaming types for sports betting.

For a better view of how this looks, here is a map to give you a better idea of the betting landscape as it stands.

Sports betting map — Current states that hold legal betting or are months away from being instated.

This already looks like a complicated subjected. However, there is more. While the United States made this a big deal in years past, the option for states to offer gambling services is extended to all 50 states. It is a matter of who wants to legalize it or not. The choice is theirs.

In fact, just this month three other states legalized sports gambling. They are as follows:

2019 states that approved

Montana: May 2019

Indiana: May 2019

Iowa: May 2019

Here is another look at what is going on in the other states.

Updated map of legalized betting — A deeper look into what is occurring in the sports betting movement.

The jury is still out on Tennessee as their betting bill is still pending the governor’s action. Regardless, this is a big step for the gambling business. While all of this is good for business, there remain several questions. How are the pro leagues viewing this? Is this really a good step? Will this have repercussions in the future? One thing is clear, it is a movement with a strong following.

How do the pros view it?

Believe it or not, the pros were opposed to this idea for so long. Now, let’s get something straight here. Betting is not a new idea. In fact, Pete Rose is still banned from Cooperstown because as a player and as a manager he put bets down all the time back in the day. However, things have changed. For example, Super Bowl 53 was the first time since the New Jersey case where betting occurred legally outside of Nevada.

Now it seems all four professional leagues are jumping on board with the idea. Not without caution, however. The simple thing here is that the pros see the potential of great business here. And in the end, sports are in the entertainment business and business equals money. It goes farther than the cash involved. This idea of legal betting offers greater advertising, bigger sponsorship deals, and bigger marketing opportunities drive up fan interest and land the leagues bigger T.V. deals and much more.

In other words, this movement greatly benefits the pros. The potential for such a business venture could net all four leagues over four billion dollars in revenue. I have never heard of a business or business person turn down that kind of profit. So yes, the pros seem to be on board with this now. The question that begs an answer, however, is this a good move?

Business is good. Right?

Like any business, the sports business is no different. You put out a product and expect to make something out of it. It is no different from any business venture. To give you an idea of how much betting could benefit the pro sports leagues financially, take a look at some of the projected revenue numbers.

NFL: Projected $2.3 billion

MLB: Projected: $1.1 billion

NBA: Projected: $585 million

NHL: Projected: $216 million

If I were a commissioner in any of these leagues, especially in the NFL, I would have no problem with these figures. Leagues like the NBA and NHL don’t have to worry about their revenue because hockey and basketball are recognized in plenty of other places worldwide. Advantages that baseball, and certainly football do not possess. So in a sense, yes, business is good. But at what cost? I’ll get to that shortly.

Either way, business wins, and the fans win. More fans get interested, and the businesses themselves profit off of that interest. Perhaps it is a good thing that betting is now being moved in such a progressive way. In reality, people these days have no room to be stiff anymore. In order to succeed in business these days is to venture out and try new things. So far, things are looking up.

However, there is one glaring issue that raises concerns and that is keeping the integrity of the game alive and well. There have been instances in the past where the integrity of the game was in jeopardy. The NFL has had “Spygate” and “Bounty Gate.” Baseball has had issues with betting, as mentioned before with Pete Rose. They also had issues with the steroid era. Also, who could forget the NBA’s issues with transparency between the referees, players, and fans. 2002 Western Conference Finals anyone? Does the name Tim Donaghy ring a bell? Another example of betting leading to bad places. Here is a small snippet of the issue.

Regardless of how many rules and regulations are in place, the integrity of the sports world is always at risk. While there is no easy way to monitor this, all four leagues have to, at least, be aware of what is going on in their respective leagues. Especially with betting gaining so much popularity.

Baseball and basketball are asking for a quarter of the wagered amounts. According to MLB reps, a portion of the 25 percent will be used to ensure both players and umpires are up to date on regulations regarding betting. This is to prevent any scandals from occurring. Will it work? We’ll just have to sit back and wait for the results. At the end of the day, the leagues run the bigger risk of something hampering their revenues, not the casinos.

Despite the questions raised by this issue, no doubt, this is a smart move for all parties involved. The urge to alter events in sports is lessened with betting in place as a legal option for participation. The biggest thing to monitor here is how league executives and respective league referees and umpires treat this move. The fear of something going wrong is always present. However, this is too big of an opportunity to not take.

Only time will tell how this fares in the sports world. Stay tuned to NGSC Sports as we follow this development and monitor how it progresses. Also, stay tuned for the latest on all of your favorite teams and players.

About Post Author

Eric Magana

Hardworking, loyal, and passionate. I love the people that surround me because they allow me to be who I am. A lover of sports, video games, and life itself. I am a son, a brother, an uncle, and a person who holds nothing but love in his heart. I do this for Rosa Maria Magana and Edward Magana. A.k.a my folks in heaven. Music and sports keep me alive and well. Houston, Texas.

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