First NFL Stadium Sportsbook: A Game Changer
posted in Community by
ashleyknight
Live from Landover, Maryland
Man, you should've seen it—the sportsbook at FedEx Field was buzzing before the Commanders even hit the field for their season opener. The place was a haven from the sticky heat outside, with cool air welcoming fans on the concourse. Snag a twenty-dollar bet and they'd toss you a free Commanders cap. And yeah, you had to be 21, no exceptions—ID checks at the door to keep it strictly legit (https://footballbettingchampion.com/).
By game time, a good few hundred bets were in, and that's when I spotted Lawrence Harrod, 37, cruising in with his bro. Lawrence was already hooked into the betting scene, with four NFL wagers on his phone app. He might've just been ducking the mugginess outside, but the wheels were turning as he checked out the setup: 21 kiosks just waiting for your pick, and screens everywhere blasting the latest odds and plays. It was clear as day—the NFL and the Commanders are on to something big.
This place at FedEx Field, managed by the gaming division of Fanatics, it's not just the first—it's the only sportsbook lounging in an NFL stadium right now. It's like a walking, talking billboard for how the NFL's playing both sides—getting tight with sports betting, while keeping an eye on keeping things clean.
"I get the NFL's tightrope act, but let's call it what it is—it's all business," said Harrod, eyes lighting up. "Betting's the wave, and it's just getting started."
Ever since the Supreme Court threw the doors wide open for sports gambling in 2018, the NFL's been all-in on betting as its next gold mine. We're talking nearly a billion bucks over five years with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Entertainment. And the Commanders? Just look around and you'll see the FanDuel branding and the MGM casino stamp all over the place (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/nfl-suspends-broncos-eyioma-uwazurike-indefinitely-gambling-games-rcna96098).
But let's not kid ourselves—this betting bonanza's not all high-fives and easy cash. The NFL just dropped its heaviest gambling penalties yet, with ten players riding the bench with suspensions (https://gridironheroics.com/breaking-nfl-nflpa-crack-down-gambling-policy/), including seven out for the season for betting on NFL games. And for all the free hats and bet bonuses waving in fans' faces, there's not much chat about what all this gambling glam could do to the fans getting bombarded every game.
When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sat down with NBC before the Chiefs and Lions kicked things off, he laid it out. The NFL wasn't about that betting life at first—too risky for the game's rep. But post-Supreme Court, it's adapt or get left behind. Goodell talks up the league's role in teaching fans about gambling, but the fine print's a bit fuzzy.
As for the players, the NFL's not messing around—if you're caught betting on NFL games, you're out. In the last four years, nine guys, including one from the Commanders, got slapped with season-long timeouts. But it's a different story for bets on other sports or for coaches and other staff, which seems a bit off-kilter compared to other leagues like MLB that ban betting on their own sport or anything shady.
Commanders' left tackle Charles Leno Jr. isn't one to gab about the gambling rules—he's not about to trip up and get himself a fine. But as the team's player rep, he's straight-up: "Just stick to the rules, no matter how much they might suck. That's the best advice I've got."
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Man, that sports book—they tucked it just above where the Commanders suit up. It's not huge, can pack in 241 folks at most, and it's a blip compared to the ocean of online betters. You got fans betting from their seats (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK7fK6yWIJw)! But hey, it's not all about size; this spot's a solid gold ad for Fanatics, those new kids on the betting block.
Last year, the Commanders snagged themselves a betting license for FedEx Field right from Maryland's big shots, and now Fanatics is forking over fees to run their book under that license. It's been a hangout for anyone and everyone since January, but two months in, the big wigs said "yes" to live sports book action during home games.
Now, the N.F.L. isn't about grabbing a cut from the bets directly, but what Fanatics pays goes into the league's pot, which the players get a slice of, a league spokesman clued us in.
Ari Borod, who's the top dog over at Fanatics' betting division, says the N.F.L.'s got this "let's be real" attitude towards sports betting these days. They've clocked that it's a huge fan draw.
"They're clued in on how big a deal betting is for the sport, and, flip the script, the betting industry's all over how football is its cash cow," Borod, who's been in the game for nearly ten years, told me. "Back in the day, there were folks who thought setting up a sports book in the stadium was off-limits. But now? Betting's all grown up, and everyone's doing it on their phones anyway."
On game days, that sports book is VIP only, for ticket holders, with no view of the field. So, by the time the Commanders and Cardinals kicked off, only a handful of folks were chilling on the leather couches or by the bar. Come halftime, though, there was a little hustle with peeps coming in to bet based on the game's vibes or just to grab a bite and a cold one away from the heat.
"Betting on Washington again, eh?" shouted a fan rocking a Kamren Curl jersey to a dude at the next betting station. The Commanders were down by 3, but he figured they had enough mojo to not drop the ball thrice more. Another diehard, parked under a screen with all the N.F.L. odds, grudgingly dropped some cash on the Cardinals (https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-cracks-down-on-use-of-electronic-devices-during-games).
Joe D. and Jason B., a pair of lifelong buds, hit up the game for a double birthday bash. They'd already bet on their phones, but couldn't resist the lure of the free hat sign outside the sports book. Inside, they each threw in $20, which was cheaper than any cap next door at the Fanatics store.
"We only bet what we can afford to lose," Jason B. said, snubbing his last name 'cause, you know, gambling's got its rep. "Not everyone's got that self-check though."
Joe D. told me he's tossed around $9,000 into bets on all kinds of sports via a betting app over four years. He waved his hand at the sports book and those flashy ads for the N.F.L.'s betting mates and was like, "Look around—there's serious dough being made here."
Big Hit to the Roster: N.F.L. Hands Down Suspensions for Betting Scandals
Man, talk about a tough break for the Colts and these other fellas caught up in the betting scene. Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry, both from the Colts squad, plus free agent Demetrius Taylor are out for a whole year. And get this, Nicholas Petit-Frere from the Titans is sitting out six games for betting too, just not on football.
By Elena Bergeron and Emmanuel Morgan
So the N.F.L. dropped the hammer this Thursday, dishing out punishments to four guys who totally crossed the line with the league's betting rules.
Isaiah Rodgers, who's been owning it as cornerback with nine starts last year, and Rashod Berry, who's been on the grind as a tight end, plus Demetrius Taylor who's been hustling as a defensive tackle, are benched for at least a year for throwing down bets on N.F.L. games back in the 2022 season.
Nicholas Petit-Frere, holding down the fort as an offensive tackle with the Titans, got slammed with a six-game timeout for betting (https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-cracks-down-on-use-of-electronic-devices-during-games) on other sports while chilling at the team's pad. But hey, the guy can still hit up the training camp and preseason fun.
The N.F.L. peeps kept mum about how they sniffed out these bets, not saying a word about the investigation's deets.
Right after the league went public with the suspensions, the Colts were like "Nope," and showed Rodgers and Berry the exit.
Chris Ballard, the GM for the Colts, was all about keeping the game clean, saying, "The integrity of the game is no joke. We're all about schooling our crew on the rules and the serious heat they'll face if they mess up."
Meanwhile, the Titans threw out a statement saying they knew Petit-Frere was in the hot seat but didn't slap him with anything more.
"We're rooting for Nick and we know he's got mad respect for keeping the game legit and backing our team," they said.
Rodgers' rep zipped it and didn't say a peep. Taylor, Berry, and Petit-Frere's peeps didn't jump on the comment train either.
These penalties are like a déjà vu, with the league already putting seven players on ice for a full season in just the last two years. And all this is going down while pro sports, including football, are getting cozy with legal bets and all that comes with it.
Back in April, the N.F.L. benched Lions' Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore and Commanders' Shaka Toney for an indefinite time after finding out they were betting on games during the last season. Just like this latest batch of suspensions, they can try to get back in the game after the 2023 season wraps up.
A couple more Lions, Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams, got the hook for six games for betting shenanigans, which included laying down bets at an N.F.L. spot on other sports.
Calvin Ridley, that receiver from the Falcons, got parked for a season in March 2022 for betting on games while he was on a break for his mental health. One year later, he's back and gearing up to hit the field with the Jaguars this coming September.
So the N.F.L. has some strict no-go zones, like you can't bet on any N.F.L. game, practice, or event, draft included. Players can bet on other sports, but not while they're on the job, traveling to games, or doing any promo work for the league.
On a conference call with reporters in June, Jeff Miller, the N.F.L.'s VP for communications, public affairs, and policy, broke down how they're schooling players on the gambling policies. Newbies got to go to these sessions to learn the ropes, and N.F.L. bigwigs have been dropping by teams to hammer home the betting rules.
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