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As recent as 20 years ago, sports betting was something generally seen as taboo. Until very recently, professional sports leagues distanced themselves from gambling of any kind. This year, betting on the is at an all-time high with an this season, a 30 percent increase from last year, according to the

The NFL鈥檚 embrace of sports betting was sudden but not unexpected. Jim Strode, an expert in sports betting, says a 2018 Supreme Court decision is one factor that opened the floodgates for the NFL to go all in on gambling. Strode is an associate professor of Sport Management in 51社区鈥檚 College of Business and has recently .

鈥淭he NFL, like all professional sports leagues, is a business looking for ways to generate revenue,鈥� said Strode. 鈥淢any professional sports leagues kept sports betting an arm's length away due to the history of corruption [and organized crime] involved in sports gambling. When the , states were able to not only legalize [sports betting], but also regulate it.鈥�

Strode went on to explain that the NFL could now point to the fact that sports betting is a legal activity when further integrating it into their brand and culture. Because it is now legally accessible and something their consumers want, it's ultimately a way for the league to generate more interest which translates to more revenue.

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Strode says in terms of advertising and business, professional sports leagues have additional sponsorship opportunities with sports betting organizations. For the NFL, it鈥檚 a matter if having more organizations available to sponsor teams, sponsor stadiums and advertise.

鈥淚t's hard to escape the fact that when you watch any of these games, you're going to get a DraftKings commercial that's going to incentivize you to download their app and get your foot in the door,鈥� emphasized Strode. 鈥淚t鈥檚 another business partner that's going to help fund the operations.鈥�

Indirectly, the increase in sports wagers may have led to the and a . More games equal more money, and also more opportunities for bets.

鈥淲e've seen the NFL has found ways to be able to buck the traditional Sunday 1:00, 4:00 model, [then came] Monday Night Football, later, Sunday Night Football, now, Thursday Night Football, now, doubleheaders on Monday Night Football,鈥� Strode said. 鈥淭he league has expanded beyond its traditional time slots which also gives people more opportunities not only to watch but certainly to bet.鈥�

Strode says the NFL is also doing a good job leveraging sports betting to market games that may not necessarily be marquee. Gaming, sports betting and gambling provide an increase in interest for games that otherwise would not get as much attention. This also puts more eyes on games that don鈥檛 include fans鈥� hometown teams.

Anytime people begin to put money on something, the intensity increases. Sports betting is no exception, and Strode says it has certainly added an additional level of pressure associated with performance that can affect players. He also thinks modern communication tools oftentimes allow fans to negatively interact with players based on their performance, especially when those performances hinge on a big wager.

鈥淚 think that it has increased the level of acrimony from players to fans,鈥� explained Strode. 鈥淲e're looking at a world of social media where we have unfettered access to athletes compared to what we've had in the past. There's a lot of different ways that, we can express our displeasure at athletes.鈥�

Strode believes the most vulnerable athletes in this regard are college athletes. While athletes in college could potentially make money in the name, image and likeness space, it is not their day job. Strode thinks this should be definitely be addressed, but noted that many states do already regulate this by not allowing at the college level.

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Strode says sports gambling can be an addictive behavior that can certainly be damaging to finances, as well as mental health, but it is regulated and the vast majority of bettors start betting responsibly. Additionally, many states require sports betting organizations support addiction helplines and addiction services.

鈥淵ou probably can't escape public service announcements that indicate 鈥榠f you feel like you have a gambling problem, call this particular number,鈥欌�� said Strode. 鈥淭hose are oftentimes supported by the same organizations that are trying to get you to gamble on those games.鈥�

Sports betting apps have certainly increased the accessibility of gambling on games, according to Strode. Bettors can sit on their couch, download the app and pump some dollars into an app all without having to leave the comfort of their home.

鈥淭he technology is pretty savvy,鈥� emphasized Strode. 鈥淲hen developing these apps, whether it's push notifications or other strategies these platforms are using, they鈥檙e certainly incentivized as a business to get you to bet consistently and bet more so, it's pretty hard to escape.鈥�

While sports betting apps contribute to the ease of betting, states can regulate betting using geofencing technology. For example, a bettor in the state of Ohio can鈥檛 cross over to another state to make a wager, their app will likely not work. Bettors must be physically in their home state to place bets.

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Although state and federal law does not define fantasy sports as gambling, Strode says if there鈥檚 money on it, it鈥檚 sports gambling.

鈥淭he biggest difference between fantasy and a traditional line or a prop bet is skill versus chance,鈥� said Strode. 鈥淸In fantasy] you get to select your own players and there is a certain level of skill that's involved in understanding who to draft, who to play to, who to start鈥攖he people that are really doing it well are the ones that have the algorithm loaded up on their spreadsheets, and that's certainly not a game of chance, like a roulette wheel or pulling, pulling a handle on a slot machine.鈥�

As of April 2020, 21 states have enacted laws to confirm that fantasy sports are legal games of skill, according to the

If sports betting does anything for the NFL and other professional sports leagues, it puts more eyes on games. Strode thinks there will be additional opportunities for sports betting to grow in the coming years as it becomes more mainstream. He also believes sports betting will fall into the same domain as other behaviors society may have not necessarily approved of in the past especially since the Supreme Court gave it more credibility. Additionally, Strode thinks sports betting organizations will continue to invent ways to get people to continue watching games鈥攁 prospect the NFL certainly enjoys.

鈥淭hese sports gambling organizations are going to find ways to be able to adjust the line, take new bets at halftime, or there might be some other prop bets associated with a player throwing 鈥榵鈥� number of touchdowns, or a particular thing happening during a game,鈥� said Strode. 鈥淭hey're going to continually try to make it interesting and get the consumer to put more and more money on a game beyond the traditional betting against the spread.鈥�