The NFL announced some significant sports gambling news on Monday morning.
There are now four approved sportsbooks for the National Football League. After brushing off gambling for years, the NFL is finally jumping headfirst into the gambling waters.
As ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter notes, it’s a “sign of the times.”
Sign of the times: NFL has reached agreements with FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBET to become Approved Sportsbook Operators for the 2021 NFL season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2021
Here’s the official announcement from the NFL:
The National Football League (NFL) today announced it has reached agreements with FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBET to become Approved Sportsbook Operators for the 2021 NFL season. These agreements make all four operators eligible to purchase NFL in-game commercial units and other select NFL media inventory.
This past April, the NFL announced its first-ever U.S. sportsbook partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel. As part of those deals, in addition to having the exclusive right to leverage NFL marks within the sports betting category, integrate into NFL O&O properties, and activate around retail and online sports betting, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel may also leverage their Approved Sportsbook Operator status to secure premium NFL advertising inventory during games and around ancillary programming. No sportsbooks outside of these seven operators will be permitted to purchase this select NFL advertising and media inventory.
The league is excited.
“We are pleased to announce this select group as Approved Sportsbook Operators,” said Nana-Yaw Asamoah, Vice President of Business Development for the NFL. “Along with our three Official Sports Betting Partners, this group of operators will help the League to engage fans in responsible and innovative ways this season as the sports betting landscape continues to evolve.”
Things have changed in a big way over the past couple of years. Back in 2015, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league opposed legalized sports gambling.
“We’ve been very open about our position that we oppose legalized sports gambling. We haven’t changed our position on that. I don’t anticipate us changing that going forward at all,” he said then.
Now, the league has official sportsbook partners.
Roger Goodell in 2015: “We’ve been very open about our position that we oppose legalized sports gambling. We haven’t changed our position on that. I don’t anticipate us changing that going forward at all.”
Today, the NFL announced deals with Fox Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet & WynnBet.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 30, 2021
The NFL is set to open the 2021 regular season in a little more than a week.
The Buccaneers will host the Cowboys in the first game of the season on Thursday, Sept. 9 in Tampa Bay.
The post NFL World Reacts To The League’s Monday Announcement appeared first on The Spun.
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