The Growth Of The Steelers And NFL Betting In The U.S. For 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of America's favorite team's across any sport. The National Football League (NFL) is one of the top leagues as well, even around the world. This major U.S. professional football organization was founded in Canton, Ohio back in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, whereas the Steelers were officially established in 1933.

Originally there were only five teams in the NFL including the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, Akron Pros, Columbus Panhandlers and Dayton Triangles. Having survived years of instability and competition from other professional football organizations (especially the rise of the American Football League in the 1960's), it has gone on to become the top league.

The team now comprises 32 teams, including the Steelers, with its penultimate game being the annual Super Bowl. Not only does the Super Bowl attract viewers from around the world, it attracts them in large numbers. In the 2023 edition, there were 113 million viewers in the U.S. alone to watch the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl’s halftime show has become one of the most exciting performances of the year, attracting artists including Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, Emniem, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and more. 

But fan’s engagement with the game goes beyond watching it on TV or attending the games in person. These days, many people are choosing to place bets on NFL games to increase their excitement and entertainment value. And maybe even win some real money when doing so. 

In this section-by-section break down, we’ll explore the popularity of the Steelers and NFL betting in the U.S., where it’s legalized and its future. 

Steelers and NFL betting

One of the top professional sports franchises to bet on in the U.S. has to be the NFL. In 2022, 47 million Americans placed at least one bet on the NFL that year. With the total betting revenue for America’s four biggest sports generating $4.29 billion on $57.22 billion wagered. 

These are some pretty staggering numbers and go to show the popularity of betting on the NFL across the country. 

But when it comes to the NFL, what are fans betting on exactly?

There are a few different ways that you can bet on the NFL, depending on what you find most interesting or exciting. Or if you want to switch things up and have multiple betting strategies. 

One of the simplest ways to bet on the NFL, specifically the Steelers – and a great place to start for beginners – is to do a match bet. This is quite simply a bet on which of the two teams will win a game. It’s unlikely to have a draw in the NFL unlike other sports including soccer, which means in most chances you will decide to either bet on the home team or the away team for which will win. It’s important to note the match bets include overtime, even if the chances of going into overtime are pretty slim. 

Another type of betting you might want to consider if you’re getting a bit more confident (or are just tired of match bets) is handicap betting. Like many other sports including rugby, NFL football involves a huge number of points won. With a handicap betting, you’re balancing out the odds to make things more even. There’s also over/under betting, where you can bet on the amount of points scored over or under a certain amount. 

Another way to bet in the NFL is not on games, but on players. Like other professional athletes, NFL football players can become something like celebrities in the U.S. and around the world which makes them so popular to bet on as people become more invested in their careers. One of the ways to bet on a player concerns the first touchdown and who might get it. 

But where is NFL betting legal in the United States?

It’s not legal to bet on sports everywhere in the United States due to its historically strict betting and gambling laws. But thankfully, things are changing as more states begin to recognize some of the benefits of legalizing sports betting online and how it can actually make things safer for those who bet due to regulations. If you want to bet on the NFL in the U.S., the states to do so are New Jersey, West Virginia, Illinois State and West Virginia – alongside several other states like Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan and New York.