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According to recent articles by Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, it doesn't appear that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is willing to open up much about the league's stance on gambling being legalized.
“Goodell declined to discuss specifically what the league would do if sports betting is legalized. One owner, speaking anonymously, suggested the league will have to seek some sort of deal: ‘Why would we let other people have all the benefit of something we’re creating?' And despite its public stance, the league has shown signs of a change in position. The Oakland Raiders, after all, are readying to move to Las Vegas,” Beaton said.
When pressed on the issue of legalizing sports betting, Goodell would only say that the NFL has to be prepared for any alternatives in the future.
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However, Florio believes that the NFL may try to eventually make a move to get a one-percent piece of the money from the various states when sports betting is legalized across the United States.
“The NFL’s benefit will come from enhanced interest in its product, once gambling becomes legitimized, accepted, and mainstream. Decades of illegal gambling have fueled the growth of the sport; legalizing it necessarily will make it more prevalent, getting more people interested in watching specific games they otherwise wouldn’t care about, simply because they put $10 on the home team giving 5.5 points,” Florio said.
With that being said, Florio also thinks there really is no reason for various states that legalize gambling to give the NFL money for nothing in return, especially since the league will benefit greatly from the indirect cash flow with increased interest by people who bet on games.
