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The NFL is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, and certainly in the US. The commercial appeal of this kind of tournament is absolutely huge, and this means that there is an opportunity for sponsorship and potential benefits for companies that align themselves with the brand. This has proved to be true, and if you watch the coverage of an NFL game, you will notice the significant part that sponsorship plays in the sport.
Changes to the law have allowed NFL teams to align with casino brands offering live casino experiences, and even fantasy football and other gambling sites. This was not originally allowed in the NFL, but recent federal law changes have seen a variety of different teams take advantage of the considerable financing muscle of gambling companies.
How sponsorship works in the NFL
Sponsorship is simply another way for NFL teams to boost their revenue. It makes sense that such a widely-viewed spectacle opens itself up to sponsors and allows brands to put their name on jerseys and in the stadiums, and even use the NFL logo to boost their credibility.
Obviously, there are a lot of different ways for sponsors to get involved, and teams look for more innovative ways to include logos and sponsors in the matchday experience. NFL teams are gradually starting to add some of the sponsorships to sportswear and other equipment, though this is not as common as it is in some other sports. You only have to look at soccer and see the sponsorships on the front of jerseys to see how other sports approach things. This is something that has been widely criticized in the NFL, as people don’t really want shirt space given up to sponsors.
The complications of gambling sponsorship
Gambling brands and casino brands sponsoring sports teams is something of a hot topic and it is one that has been debated in great detail. One of the complications comes from the fact that the NFL operates across the whole of America, while individual states set their own laws on whether or not gambling is legal. There are some states where gambling is not allowed at all, so it seems rather counterintuitive to allow the teams in these states to have gambling sponsors.
In 2018, the NFL team owners approved a deal that permits franchises in the league to work closely with sports betting companies as well as betting companies, which includes casinos and live casino brands. This is a serious relaxation of the rules that previously prevented teams from working with casino brands.
The casinos are not permitted to directly advertise any sportsbook gambling, but they can promote their casino or live casino via partnerships with the NFL brand.
Ads can be broadcast during the matches and advertising can appear at the stadium, but the franchises cannot take revenue shares as part of the deal, for fear this might encourage gambling activities.
The move followed soon after the Supreme Court voted to allow sports betting in the country, bringing an end to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that previously prevented sports betting in most US states.
The NBA led the way in some respects, starting to allow sponsorships as a way to raise more money for their teams. Some basketball tournaments do not see this kind of sponsorship – the NCAA tournament, for example, tends to partner with companies in other niches and doesn’t currently have gambling sponsors.
David Highhill, the NFL’s vice president and manager of sports betting, spoke about the differences in the rules and the impact they were having: “We’re happy with the growth and the structures that we’re seeing across most places,” said Highhill. “It’s hard to call anything smooth when you’re dealing with a state-by-state structure. But overall we’ve been happy with the partnerships we’ve built.”
The future of sponsorships
It certainly seems that gambling and casino sponsorships will play a bigger part in the NFL as time goes on. As it stands, there are still limited options, but as many states relax their gambling laws, it is possible that sponsorships may become more mainstream and potentially lucrative.
There are huge sums of money involved in the NFL and any potential to bring more revenue into the league is bound to be investigated, but there are legal issues to consider. Responsible gambling and making sure that gambling remains a fun accompaniment to enjoying football will be at the forefront of everybody’s minds when it comes to sponsorships.