The NFL season may have ended for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there’s always the road to the Super Bowl in 2025 to begin looking forward to. Betting companies will be busy setting odds and providing bet promos for the next NFL season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike (left) and quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) on the sidelines.
It’s all different from the situation a few years ago when sports betting was nowhere near as widespread in the US as it is at present.
For many years, gamblers in America had to use offshore sites to place their bets. Unlicensed sites were also used, but these don’t offer the levels of customer protection that are seen at licensed and regulated gambling sites.
The relationship between the NFL and gambling has not always been a good one. US states were unable to make the final decision on whether to make sports betting legal. That was down to the Federal Government and they were unwilling to do so.
States such as New Jersey led a campaign to change the law that was causing so many problems. They wanted a situation created that changed it to the individual state to make the all-important final decision on legalization.
The campaign was a long and hard one, but it wasn’t just the Federal Government that they had to try and convince. Sporting bodies such as the NFL were against such a move. They feared that if sports betting became legal, then it would affect the integrity of their sport.
No sports body wants a situation where there’s a possibility that players may be tempted to try and influence the results of matches so that bets could be won.
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Former Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver (now with the Jacksonville Jaguars), Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season by the NFL for gambling on league games.
There had even been a situation when an advertisement due to be shown during the Super Bowl was turned down by the NFL. It was to advertise Las Vegas and of course that included the many betting attractions available on the Las Vegas strip. Little did they imagine that in 2024 the Super Bowl would be held in Las Vegas.
2018 was a major year for the American gambling industry. A Supreme Judge made a ruling that declared that it would now be possible for the individual state to have the final say on whether or not sports betting should be legalized in their state.
It wasn’t long before states such as Delaware and New Jersey took the plunge and did just that. Fast forward to 2024 and over 30 states have now followed suit. But why has there been such a clamor to do so?
It’s not that US states are all of a sudden madly keen on gambling, particularly on sport. The gambling industry is a very lucrative one and that doesn’t just help companies such as BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment and DraftKings.
US states had for a long time seen that its residents were making plenty of bets with those unlicensed and offshore accounts they opened. All that gambling revenue, but not a cent being received in tax revenue. That’s all changed now that US states have made sports betting legal.
It’s not just a case of receiving gambling tax revenue. Companies are charged for the licenses that are given to them. There’s a strict application process and strong regulation of those that are granted licenses.
The Steelers and Sponsorship Deals
Back to the NFL and their attitude towards sports betting. They too haven’t just fallen in love with betting on their sport. What they do love though is the prospect of signing sponsorship deals with betting companies. This has proved to be very lucrative for teams and that includes the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers have forged links with BetMGM and Unibet since the US gambling industry began to expand. 2023 saw the Steelers partner with BetPARX for the Ultimate Steelers Fan Sweepstakes with great prizes being made available.
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Signing such deals is an important source of revenue for the Steelers and can add to the enjoyment of being a fan. It’s also good news for a company such as BetPARX as the gambling industry is a highly competitive one. The more awareness that they can receive, the better deals such as the one they have with the Steelers is a great help.
Pennsylvania has made sports betting legal and it almost seems hard to believe there were times when it wasn’t possible to do so. Betting on the Steelers may not have always been profitable in recent months, but hopefully that will change next season. A visit to the futures market may well be a profitable one if the Steelers can show some improvement next season.
