Nevada Offers $82.7 Million Examples Of How Gambling Drives NFL

The NFL will have a hard time convincing anyone that gambling is not the driving force behind their sport after figures were released from the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Tuesday. Over $82 million was wagered on this past weekend's Super Bowl in Nevada sports books.

For years, the NFL has scoffed at the notion that it is gambling that drives its sports popularity. With figures such as those released Tuesday by the Control Board, the NFL loses instant credibility within its argument.

Added to the numbers that stack up against the league in this argument is the amount of money that was wagered in areas of the world outside of Nevada. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being wagered at offshore sports books, making the Super Bowl one of the most bet on sports events in the world.

"With the way that lawmakers in the US are starting to accept gambling, the NFL will soon be forced to deal with the issue," said Gaming Analyst Brad Dawkins, "Delaware has legalized sports betting and New Jersey may soon do the same, so it is time for the NFL to wise up to this issue."

The NFL fought the legal battle in Delaware and kept single-game betting out of the state. They likely would do the same should New Jersey lawmakers legalize sports wagering. The long-standing company line has been that the NFL will not condone betting on their sport.

Soon, however, they may not have a choice. States all across the country are looking for ways to increase tax revenue at a time when the economy is in the dumps. Gambling has been at the forefront of many of these discussions.

"The NFL will not be able to just yank teams out of states where sports gambling becomes legal," says Dawkins, "legal betting on the NFL and other sports will only grow from here, and these sports leagues need to start preparing themselves for that reality."

One sport, the NBA, has already softened their stance on gambling. They held their All-Star weekend in Las Vegas a couple of years ago, and Commissioner David Stern said in a recent interview that he could see the league embracing legalized gambling on their sport in the future.

Another Super Bowl has come and gone and while people in the US struggle to make ends meet, they somehow found away to bet over $80 million on Sunday's game. It cannot get much clearer than that as to what is the driving force behind America's most popular sport.

February 11, 2010
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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