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Opening Lines: A Sports Betting Scrapbook

Arizona Sports News online

AP Photo/Wayne Parry

AP Photo/Wayne Parry

Story by Brandon Bonaparte

Ever since the federal ban was lifted in May 2018, sports betting is becoming an integral part of high-level athletics. States like Tennessee and Colorado were the most recent to join the party, officially legalizing sports betting within the past year.

With rapid changes in the sports gambling industry, teams are trying to explore the boundaries. The Washington Nationals announced in early January their plans to open a sportsbook within their stadium, allowing fans to bet on the game they are currently attending.

The Nationals gaming partner, BetMGM, also made headlines in November when they announced a partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, when fans are watching the Steelers Kickoff pregame show (now presented by BetMGM), they will be promptly reminded of sports wagering.

This coincides with the news back in February 2020, when the NFL made waves allowing gambling lounges to be built in each teams’ stadium. Of course, to do this, the state the team is located in has to have legalized wagering on sports. 

Rumors even circulated earlier this week of a potential casino being built inside of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. 

However, to the disappointment of many, these rumors were later rejected, as reported by Forbes.

Outside of the NFL, many other leagues are cashing in on the newfound legalization. Much like the Steelers, the WWE announced Monday its partnership with DraftKings. Once again, the term “official gaming partner” was used.

While already gaining a partnership this week, DraftKings stayed on the front page of papers. The day after the WWE news broke, DraftKings announced its’ acquisition of VSiN, a sports gambling-based network headed by longtime ESPN commentator Brent Musburger.

As more time passes and more partnerships come to fruition, the country-wide legalization of sports betting will continue to fall into place. As for Arizona, the possibility of legalized sports wagering remains up in the air. However, for sources such as the Action Network, it is believed to occur sooner rather than later.

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