With nearly every sportsbook ramping up spending for the NFL season, PointsBet is doing the opposite.
It was just last year when the Australian company announced an integration with NBC and Sunday Night Football. Fast forward a year, and it was reported that PointsBet will pivot from its current agreement to focus on regional advertising, which would not include the SNF pregame show, "Football Night in America."
PointsBet pulled back as an authorized sportsbook partner with the NFL, meaning they would need to reengage with the league before they could advertise during football games or similar shows, although NBC betting shows can still post PointsBet odds in their analysis.
MGM fills the gap
The PointsBet decision took effect for last night's Sunday Night Football broadcast, meaning NBC Sports had to look for a new partner for the pre-game show — and tabbed BetMGM as the new betting sponsor, showcasing the sportsbook's odds on yesterday's broadcast.
This partnership is the latest move by BetMGM to gain market share in the NFL betting space.
It recently announced a partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs to be an official sports betting partner, and while Missouri doesn’t allow legal sports betting —across the border in Kansas, betting just went live this month.
BetMGM also just opened a retail sportsbook just outside of the Arizona Cardinals' State Farm Stadium — bypassing the NFL's rule on operating a sportsbook inside a stadium during gamedays — and last month it extended its agreement to be an official sportsbook partner of NFL Canada.
SNF also debuts new responsible gambling ad
With more states legalizing sports betting, there is a push to let bettors know how to do so safely. September is Responsible Gaming Education Month, which is fitting as football season brings an end to the summer slump of bet-able content.
The NFL also used last night's broadcast to unveil its new responsible gambling awareness ad, running with the motto "Stick to Your Gameplan."
Having September be a month dedicated to gambling awareness is well-timed, considering football season brings about a massive increase in sports betting volume. Canadian-based GeoComply reported that 103.1 million transactions were made in Week 1 of the NFL (Thursday through Sunday) — which was a 71.5% increase over Week 1 of the 2021 season.
"Clearly an unbelievable start to the NFL season," said CEO Anna Sainsbury.
New York, the king of sports betting, reported that in the week ending September 11 — covering the majority of Week 1 — saw $330 million in wagers, a 35.8% jump compared to the week prior.
Bettors want to be responsible
The American Gaming Association (AGA) reported earlier this month that 92% of bettors know about responsible gaming tools and, on top of that, 82% consider these programs effective.
"Consumers clearly want legal sports betting options and understand the regulated industry’s foundational commitments to responsibility," said AGA President Bill Miller.
The AGA’s "Have a Game Plan" campaign promotes responsible sports betting and has a large list of partners, including the NFL's Washington Commanders and New York Jets, plus the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights. The association also urges anyone who does bet to set a budget, gamble socially, know your odds, and bet with a legal sportsbook.
As betting expands, the willingness for bettors to use an unregulated operator drops. In the AGA report, the amount of NFL bettors using a bookie has fallen over the past three years, down to an expected 13% this season, compared to 18% in 2020.
