While football has always been huge in the USA, you would be changing channels consistently in the past. You would always come back, but you would also spend a few minutes keeping yourself up to date on the latest game show since the final score would be on the news anyway. However, as soon as gamblers could effortlessly place bets on their favorite NFL teams that could result in monetary gain, they were hooked.

Football in the Past

Before the internet was readily available in most American households, the only way you could find out the result of a football game was by waiting for the news or buying the newspaper in the morning. Along with the internet came online casinos and sports bookies that were quick to accommodate the influx of football fans. Gone were the days when you had to travel to your local bookmaker only to check if the odds were decent. You would not have to spend money on travel and lodging, allowing you to increase your gambling budget.

Football has been on a meteoric rise, with each Super Bowl being more prominent, better, and more entertaining than the last one. Having the option of easily betting on your favorite NFL team has only contributed to this rise. Combining the emotional investment that comes from placing wagers on your favorite team with the possibility of financial gain results in the perfect receipt for growth. A recent study has concluded that 75% of gamblers will pay more attention the sports events if they have placed a wager on the outcome. Given that only in January of 2022, $8.2 billion were wagered on sports events, it becomes evident that the time spent watching football is steadily increasing thanks to online sports bets.

Online Betting USA and Canada Legalization 

Simultaneously, the legal situation regarding sports betting was only slowly improving. More and more states were shifting from an in-person sportsbook only to online and mobile. Currently, giant online gambling platforms like 888 Casino offer their online mobile sportsbook to more than 20 states. During the NFL 2021 season alone, more than 45 million Americans planned to place wagers, up more than 35% compared to the 2020 season. And the NFL was taking its share of the wagers, given that they have officially partnered with multiple sportsbooks operators, and they cashed in more than $300 million in revenue.

The NFL teams also jumped on the opportunity to grow alongside the booming sportsbook industry. The New Orleans saints inked a 20-year deal worth close to $140 million for changing the name of their stadium. Arizona Cardinals and the New York Jets struck highly lucrative deals that allowed betting loungers to be established around their stadiums. The substantial influx of capital has allowed most NFL teams to quickly recover after the devastating pandemic that caused all sports events to take a break.

The 103rd NFL season, expected to kick off on the 8th of September 2022, will have the most online wagers placed, given that more than 20 million will place online bets. That can be viewed as a 75% improvement over the previous year. In-person sports wagers will also rise, with close to 11 million people expected to place bets, a 60% yearly improvement. That is all the more reason for gamblers to find the most trusted online casino so that they are ready for NFL’s 103rd season.

Across the border, in Canada, online sports betting on a single game has become legal after the passing of Bill C-218. Ontario is the first Canadian province to open its market to betting operators, and they are expected to generate more than $900 million in revenue by 2026. Quebec and British Columbia, the second and third largest Canadian provinces, are also in talks with significant sportsbook operators.

 

Conclusion

The internet and legalized online sports betting have had an immense impact on the growth of football. The cooperation between online casinos and football stars has reached new heights that are helping both entities grow further and promote their agenda. With more and more states and provinces considering online sports betting legalizations, football will undoubtedly continue to reach new heights.