A report made waves in the Washington D.C. area on Wednesday morning when it came out that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has been pushing for a new stadium to be built with the ability for sports gambling to be present.
According to the report from The Washington Post, Snyder went as far as to condition his intent on rebuilding a new stadium in Landover, MD, on his ability to include sports betting as a staple feature. For some who were present in the meeting with Snyder, this came as a shock.
One senator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss one of the private meetings, said he was slightly caught off guard by Snyder’s proposal to include sports betting at the stadium facility, especially since the NFL has been slow to embrace sports gambling.
“It was the first time it crossed my mind that the stadiums would have any interest,” the senator said. “I was surprised to think, given the history of professional sports and gambling, they would do it within the same venue.”
For some, this plan from Snyder may seem like a pipe-dream, and it could very well give him an easy excuse to move the team out of Landover, and back to Washington where he’s reportedly wanted to relocate recently. However, we see it as something else; this feels like Snyder is ahead of the curve, and it could be a major win for the Redskins in the future.
The hard truth of it all is that sports betting is a legitimate part of sports now. For years, those who frequent Las Vegas, as well as the many ‘degenerates’ who are proficient with navigating the internet, have been able to put some money down on games and experience the benefits of sports gambling. Most have also experienced the downsides of it as well. Now that some progressive states are leading the way in legalizing sports betting nationwide, it’s only right that the NFL starts to follow, and Snyder is one of the few owners who has expressed open support of it. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt discussed this shift on SportsCenter Tuesday night.
One Big Thing
The NFL Draft in Vegas pic.twitter.com/Rfoz3pnFjK— Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) January 22, 2020
Aside from the wild spectacle that the 2020 NFL Draft will end up being, it’s location is the real storyline. The NFL is starting to accept the fact that sports betting is going to be a part of its future, and their willingness to move a franchise to the city only cements their intent on growing with the shifting culture.
Now, it feels like Snyder’s intent on opening a sportsbook in his new stadium is a signal that he’s jumping on board. He may have a long past of being the last to the party, but he might be one of the few owners leading the charge into a new future in the NFL, and it could mean big things for the Redskins.
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