The NFL logo and teams already feature on some slot machines at land-based casinos. Players can pick and play with their favorite team. The slot machines are providing an innovative experience for millions of NFL fans. Now, the NFL has struck a second deal with Aristocrat Gaming to license and develop a mobile slot game.
NFL licenses its brands for mobile slot game
The NFL is the first U.S. sports league to make such a move which would have been unheard of not that long ago. Until recently, the NFL didn’t allow Las Vegas to run betting ads at the Super Bowl. A turnaround in the NFL’s attitude to gambling reflects what’s going on in the nation.
The mobile slot being developed is not like the typical mobile slot games that players can play in states where online gambling is legal. In this particular game, players have to pay a small fee to buy digital coins. They win prizes instead of cash and can buy more coins if they run out. Buying virtual currency to play games is typical in what are known as social casinos.
The NFL and sports betting
The NFL opposed legalized sports betting before the 2018 Supreme Court ruling. This ruling made sports betting legal nationwide. Since then, the NFL has changed its position and made deals with various sportsbooks. Some teams have sponsorships with tribal casinos.
The NFL has made a public commitment to responsible gaming. It has experienced some struggles over the years, with players breaking rules about who can engage in sports gambling. Various players have been suspended for violating the league’s sports betting policy.
The NFL is wise to protect its athletes, but it can be a tough sell when it readily partners with sportsbooks. The NFL is not the only sports league navigating a tricky new landscape where players can’t bet but it can partner with sports betting companies. The NBA and MLB are also facing similar issues.
Game developer
The game developer of the mobile game the NFL is licensing is Product Madness. Product Madness is a social casino company that falls under a division of Aristocrat Gaming. Neither the NFL nor Aristocrat Gaming has officially announced the new agreement yet. Product Madness is currently going through the process of evaluating the game which is its normal practice with all the games it develops.
The best online games can be very lucrative, and it will be interesting to see whether this particular NFL game will eventually move to real money. This is a possibility as the NFL seems to want to expand into more forms of gambling.
Prospects
Revenue from online casinos is growing all the time in states where it is legal. The size of the market in the U.S. rose to over $19 billion in 2023, a nearly 30 percent increase from the previous year. The forecast is that the figure will increase to over $33 billion by 2028. Moving into online gambling could accelerate the NFL market growth. Expectations are that the league could gross over $25 billion annually by 2027. The many benefits that come from a tie-in to the gambling industry could help it reach that lofty goal.
