USFL Bets Allowed in 15 States, Football League Launches in April

Posted on: March 28, 2022, 08:30h. 

Last updated on: March 28, 2022, 01:24h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Legal wagers can be bet in 15 states on upcoming United States Football League (USFL) games. Its inaugural football season starts on April 16.

The first USFL draft took place last month
Shea Patterson, pictured above. The former University of Michigan quarterback will be playing for the USFL’s Michigan Panthers. (Image: MLive.com)

So far, the states which will permit bets on USFL games include Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. More states may follow.

There are eight teams in the revived USFL. The inaugural game features the New Jersey Generals playing the Birmingham Stallions in Birmingham, Alabama’s Protective Stadium. The first game will launch with a 7:30 pm kickoff.

Beyond the Stallions and Generals, other USFL teams include the Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, Tampa Bay Bandits, Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, and Philadelphia Stars.

The league is not affiliated with the National Football League or the old USFL league from the 1980s league known as the USFL, which had its New Jersey team owned by Donald Trump. Instead, Fox Sports, which will televise the games, holds a stake. NBC will also televise some games.

During this year, all USFL games will be played at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium over the 10-week season.

USFL Draft

The first USFL draft took place last month. Some 280 players were chosen by the teams. Earlier this month, a second draft took place.

Among the players signed for the USFL is Shea Patterson, who played quarterback for the University of Michigan. Later, he was signed by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Also drafted is Jordan Taalolo Ta’amu-Perifanos. He played quarterback at the University of Mississippi. He signed with the Houston Texans and other pro football teams.

Sportradar is the USFL’s sports data partner. The firm will provide data to wagering operators who advertise on USFL games. Also, Sportradar will monitor and report data through a fraud detection system.

Swiss-based Sportradar AG is a global corporation that provides sportsbooks and media with data and statistical streams of live sports. But unlike many other global corporations, Sportradar has not yet suspended doing business in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine last month.

In addition, FoxBet Sportsbook and Australian-based PointsBet are sportsbooks affiliated with the USFL.

USFL games are scheduled to be broadcast on NBC and Fox TV networks. The first game will be broadcast on both networks.

For USFL games this season, adult general admission tickets are $10. Each adult with a ticket can get as many as three free tickets for children under 15 years of age.

NFL Sponsorships

The USFL may benefit from sponsorships, which the rival NFL has parlayed into a lucrative item.

When it comes to the much larger NFL, the league received $1.8 billion in sponsorship money, a 12% jump from 2020, IEG reported. The gaming industry — specifically sports betting — greatly contributed.

Verizon and Microsoft have deals in place with the NFL respectively worth $300 million and $100 million per year.

But after the tech giants, casinos and interactive iGaming firms accounted for the second-most NFL sponsorship dollars. 2021 was the first year the gaming industry was permitted to partner with the league.

Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and FanDuel are the three big advertisers and sponsors of the NFL. In part of their official sports betting partner designations, the trio last year committed to directing $1 billion to the NFL over a three-year period.