There was a time when sports leagues made a big show of distancing themselves from gambling. Now sports leagues are eager to attract bettors. And the USFL is reminding bettors that they’ll be able to bet on USFL games, starting next month.
The USFL issued a press release today to say that 15 states have already confirmed that they will have legal, regulated betting on USFL games.
“The new USFL will be an innovator in how fans watch and root for the teams they love, and we believe that the availability of legal sports wagering is another way fans can deepen their engagement with our games,” said Edward Hartman, USFL Executive Vice President, Business Operations. “We look forward to our fans being able to bet responsibly on USFL games in every state where sports wagering is legal.”
According to the USFL, fans will be able to place legal bets on its games in Iowa, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wisconsin. It’s possible that more states will approve USFL games before the season, which begins on April 16 with the New Jersey Generals facing the Birmingham Stallions in a game that will air on both NBC and Fox.
Spring football has been largely unsuccessful, with two recent attempts -- the Alliance of American Football in 2019 and the XFL in 2020 -- failing to last even one full season. But legal sports betting is much more widely available now than it was even two years ago, when the XFL made its abbreviated run. The USFL is banking on the idea that people who like to bet on football will be watching USFL games, whether they care about the teams or not.
