While the NFL is still fumbling with the best way to handle betting on its product after nearly 100 years, the Alliance league appears to have a firm grasp immediately…
Some of the most influential bookmakers in Las Vegas roamed the sidelines of a professional football game freely as invited guests of the league.
The scene would have been pure fantasy up until recently. It became reality when the Alliance of American Football hosted a contingent of local sports book luminaries in San Antonio for its preseason rehearsal games three weeks ago.
“‘Surprising’ would be a good word for it,” said John Murray, director of Westgate Las Vegas Superbook who was part of the trip. “But I think it was smart.”
Many are surprised by the AAF, which is riding high as the latest attempt at a secondary pro football league heading into its second regular-season week, with a pair of games scheduled for both today and Sunday. Week 1 drew surprisingly impressive television ratings and positive social-media engagement.
Long-term success has been rare, if not nonexistent, for similar leagues over the last several decades, but a forward-thinking perspective on gambling could help the AAF break the pattern.
While the NFL is still fumbling with the best way to handle betting on its product after nearly 100 years, the AAF appears to have a firm grasp immediately.
“Sports betting, and really all real-time games and activities during professional sports increase engagement and create a significant new cashflow for both the league and the athletes,” AAF co-founder Charlie Ebersol explained in an e-mail late Friday night after criss-crossing the country on flights throughout the day to prepare for week 2.
Ebersol said he wanted include oddsmakers in AAF preparations not only to foster transparency but also to hear their insights, which he took to heart.
