The new season of the National Football League (NFL) kicks off on the night of 5 to 6 September 2024, and fans and the press are looking forward to an exciting season for which division champions, injury problems, coaching changes, offensive deficits, rising stars and much more are already being hotly debated. But it's not just the sporting side of things that is causing a stir. The fact that the NFL is increasingly open to gambling is also making headlines.

Using the gambling industry as a lucrative source of money for the necessary budget to secure better chances in the often highly competitive tournaments of the major leagues is nothing new in American sport. Just as more and more clubs and events are (primarily) supported by sports betting providers in our part of the world, business with such companies is also booming in the USA. It was only in the spring that we reported on the glaring figures for gambling advertising during NHL and NBA broadcasts. According to a study by the University of Bristol, the logos of gambling companies or related references are displayed for a whopping 21.6 per cent of the broadcast time.

The situation is likely to be very similar in the most popular competition in the United States - the NFL. SponsorUnited, one of the leading global sports and entertainment intelligence companies, which tracks 1.1 million sponsorship and advertising contracts with 250,000 brands and organisations, provided impressive figures on the integration of the gambling industry into the NFL back in 2022: sports betting has been permitted nationwide since 2018 following a Supreme Court ruling and has since slowly but surely become one of the most important sources of revenue for the league. SponsorUnited recorded a 40 per cent increase in cross-team collaborations. The number of sports betting deals has multiplied in recent years. More than 25 NFL teams have at least one sports betting or daily fantasy sports sponsor. The biggest players include FanDuel, BetMGM, Bally's, Betfred and Bet365.

But it doesn't stop at sports betting. Now the NFL is conquering another gambling domain - or vice versa. Casinos and casino games are also increasingly coming into focus. After the slot machine developer Aristocrat 2023 presented six physical slot machines with a football theme featuring NFL teams and the Dallas Cowboys made headlines with the first NFL casino partnership with WinStar World Casino, the doors to the world of casinos seem to be wide open. The next target will be the online market.

Aristocrat Gaming's physical NFL slots mark the start of a new phase in gaming sponsorship

The launch of physical NFL slots by Aristocrat Gaming is a significant turning point in the history of US professional sports and gaming sponsorship. Previously, it was unthinkable for NFL teams to partner with gambling companies, as the league had a strict anti-gambling policy to protect its reputation and avoid any association with illegal betting.

But times have changed: With the legalisation of sports betting by the US Supreme Court in 2018 and the growing acceptance of gambling in society, the legal framework has also evolved. The NFL is strategically capitalising on this change and is now the first major sports league in the United States to allow a gambling company to use its teams and brands for slot machines in casinos.

First NFL slot machines for casinos

Aristocrat Gaming, an Australian game developer, presented the prototypes of its NFL machines for the first time at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2022. At the time, this was still behind closed doors or with restricted access. The gaming machine company and the NFL did not want to show the games to the general public as they were still in the development phase and the technology was still being tested. Guests needed a special invitation to enter the room. A year later, the curtain was lifted and the games were presented on a mini football pitch in the centre of Aristocrat's G2E stand. According to press reports, they quickly became one of the most visited areas of the three-day fair.

And this is how the NFL slots from Aristocrat work:

The machines are currently only available in the USA. There, they can be found in many of the large casinos - especially in Las Vegas. First, the machine must be filled with credit. Then you select your favourite team. A correspondingly branded playing field with 5 reels and 3 rows appears. Finally, you need to set the stake (max bet: 20 US dollars) and get the reels spinning. Depending on the type, there are free spins, expanding reels, a jackpot of 1 million dollars and other features.

Online slot machines follow

The NFL recently expanded this business area once again - namely to the online sector. As reported by various US media outlets, Aristocrat has received approval for the production of a mobile online slot. However, the new slot machine is expected to be a social casino game in which users initially receive free coins to play and can buy more credits after using up their allotment. Real winnings are not possible here. However, it is reasonable to assume that the NFL and Aristocrat will sooner or later aim to launch traditional online slots with real cash prizes.

The sticking point that experts see in the NFL's latest direction and its lucrativeness lies in the fact that, unlike sports betting, casino games are not permitted in all states in the USA. The biggest ones are Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia. This problem can, of course, be circumvented with the social slot idea.

At the same time, the new behavioural guidelines for dealing with gambling were published for NFL professionals

The NFL Gambling Guide 2024 contains six essential rules that all participants must follow:

  1. No NFL betting: Players, as well as coaches, staff and other personnel, are strictly prohibited from betting on NFL games.
  2. No betting through third parties: Participants may not ask anyone - whether family, friends or others - to place bets on their behalf.
  3. Gambling-free zones: NFL professionals are not permitted to place sports bets or use casino games at any of their team's facilities or stadiums, as well as at away games and also at team hotels.
  4. Absolute confidentiality: The disclosure of unannounced team information is strictly prohibited.
  5. Avoidance of sports betting parlours: Players should not enter any betting parlours during the NFL season.
  6. No daily fantasy football: Participation in daily fantasy football is also not permitted.

Conclusion

The increasing cooperation between the NFL and gambling companies not only opens up new sources of revenue for the league, but also symbolises the increased integration of such offers into American sports culture. Aristocrat Gaming's move shows that the synergy between the entertainment industry and the sports sector continues to grow. It represents a significant milestone in the commercialisation of gambling in conjunction with popular sports franchises - including online. On the one hand, in light of this development, it seems sensible to have a clear guide with behavioural guidelines around gambling for NFL professionals. However, the fact that players are almost completely prohibited from placing sports bets or using casino games seems paradoxical - given that such sponsorship is commonplace and so well established in the league.

Image source: Screenshot von https://www.aristocratgaming.com/us/slots/games/nfl-super-bowl-jackpots

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