Online Gambling and Football: So Happy Together
August 9, 2009
The National Football League wants online gambling to be illegal. They want all online gambling as it pertains to the game of football stopped. They say that it jeopardizes the outcome of the game and that it sullies the sport. Really?
Isn’t the NFL aware that they would not be anything without online gambling? It is true – for online gambling and football go hand in hand whether the NFL wants it to be so or not. Online gambling is another way for sports fans to get involved in the game, and it gives them a vested stake in the game which makes it all that much more appealing to the spectators.
Now, obviously without online gambling football would continue to exist – and without football online gambling would exist – but they certainly complement each other nicely. It makes it more fun to watch if you have something riding on it and makes the victory all that much sweeter because they know that in addition to their favorite team winning they are getting some sort of cash bonus.
But the NFL is dead set against online gambling having any part of it. They support the UIGEA and have hired a full time lobbyist to keep online gambling illegal. They say that football is bound to be influenced by the online gambling industry and that if it is allowed to continue than teams will throw games if it turns out to be in their best interest.
The online gambling industry says that this point of view is ridiculous as it would be almost impossible for an entire team to throw a game just on a bet.
