Good morning, Broncos Country!
Until very recently, sports betting and the NFL had a contentious relationship.
In fact, Roger Goodell and the owners wanted no part of it. As the commissioner said at the 2017 league meetings in Phoenix:
“I think we still strongly oppose (among ownership) legalized sports gambling. The integrity of our game is No. 1. We will not compromise on that.”
Fast-forward five years and the NFL has sponsorship deals with seven legal sportsbooks. Guess money was enough for Goodell and the owners to “compromise.”
Sports betting is also now connected to the Denver Broncos. The franchise was the NFL's first team to get a sportsbook sponsorship when it announced its deal with FanDuel in 2020. It also has deals with Betfred and BetMGM. In fact, there are Broncos betting lounges with Betfred and BetMGM at Mile High Stadium.
How times have changed.
TV commercials.
Social media posts.
And now even a sports betting podcast, Broncos Odds & Endzones.
All of this is to say, practice responsible gambling. It’s an added way to enjoy a little wagertainment. It’s meant to be fun. But in a responsible manner.
Sports betting also is not for everyone.
The good news is the NFL teamed up with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to launch comprehensive responsible betting education and awareness initiatives last October. The point is to educate fans who choose to bet on sports to do so responsibly.
As the story from the NFL points out, the key message encourages people to play responsibly by sticking to a game plan, including setting a budget to know your limits, using licensed, regulated operators and asking for help when warranted.
In other words, bet with your head, not over it.
While Adam Malnati and I reimagined our podcast to focus on sports betting, we also want to preach responsible gambling. We’ll offer tips on what we like, but it’s nothing more than that. We’ll be wrong more than we’re right. And what fans choose to bet, if they do, is their choice.
Having been in the industry for over two years, I am certain this is only the beginning of legalized gambling in the US. Responsible gambling must be part of that and remain a major priority for all involved.
Broncos Blast
I joined Klahr and Kompany on Saturday morning for my weekly Broncos Blast segment on ESPN 1600 AM. We discuss how the Broncos roster matches up with the AFC West, and what GM George Paton did right/wrong with his roster construction.
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