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More will wager on NFL this season as sports betting grows in US, survey says

With sports betting becoming legal in more states, the number of Americans who will wager on NFL games during the 2019 season is projected to grow significantly.

About 7 million Americans are expected to make a bet legally during the pro football league's centennial season, according to a survey conducted in August for the American Gaming Association, the trade group representing the U.S. casino industry. That is up 20.7% from 5.8 million the last season.

The AGA estimates that more than $150 billion is spent on sports betting annually in the U.S., with most of it still transpiring through unregulated local bookmakers and offshore operations.

Results of the survey, conducted by Morning Consult last month and covering 11,001 adults, also found that 24% of American adults indicated they would wager on the NFL if it were legal in their state.

Since the Supreme Court struck down a law in May 2018 that had limited sports betting to Nevada, the practice is now taking place in various forms, including at sports books and casinos and via mobile applications, in a dozen states, with others preparing launches. About $10 billion has been legally wagered on sports since the Supreme Court ruling, according to the AGA.

The NFL, which had long tried to distance itself from the notion that its interest for many is tied to the outcome of games based on point spreads and under/over wagers, recently expanded its partnership with Sportsradar. The sports data company now has the exclusive right to sell official NFL data to casinos and sports around the world.

While NFL game telecasts will not feature references to gambling actions, two of its sports rights holders are stepping up their action.

Fox Bet, a national media and sports wagering partnership between Fox Corp.'s FOX Sports and The Stars Group Inc., has launched its service in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Users can legally place real-money wagers on the outcome of a number of live sports and special events including NFL and college football, baseball, hockey, motorsports, golf, tennis and soccer.

The companies are also expected to launch a nationwide free-to-play game awarding cash prizes to players who correctly predict the outcome of sports games.

NBCUniversal Media LLC's NBC Sports is entering that arena with Sunday Night 7, a weekly predictive contest tied to its "Sunday Night Football" package. The free-to-play contest will feature seven weekly questions around the telecast. The contest will award about $2 million in cash prizes to winners over the course of the 2019-2020 regular and postseason.

NBC Sports Inc. has also been in the predictive vanguard with its regional sports networks, as its NBC Sports Washington has aired alternate game coverage of NBA Wizards and NFL Redskins contests that featured statistics, odds and point spreads on its overflow channel.

The arrangement aims to attract more viewers and increase their tune-in and engagement, while also setting the stage for when actual wagering could emanate from the telecasts themselves. The AGA estimates that the NFL could bag about $2.3 billion annually from sports betting, as greater fan engagement and viewership could lift revenues from media rights, sponsorships, merchandise and ticket sales.

According to the AGA survey, 39% of those who identified themselves as avid NFL fans plan to place a bet during the league's 100th season. Three-quarters of betters say they are more likely to watch a game they wager on, while 28% are more inclined to attend a game they had bet on. Similarly, if they have money on the line, 51% of survey respondents indicated they would be more likely to watch pregame shows with attendant commentary, with 63% more inclined to screen games with friends or family.