NFL Betting – Bookies Primed for Record Setting NFL Season
Sports bookmakers around the globe are waiting with high expectations for Week 1 of the 2014-15 NFL season, believing that the upcoming slate might produce more global action on NFL games than ever before. The first full week’s action takes place on Sunday, Sept. 7th, following the Thursday night kickoff of festivities which saw the defending world champion Seattle Seahawks handily top one of their expected strongest NFC opponents, the Green Bay Packers, by a convincing 36-16 score.
While land-based casino-style betting on NFL games is available within the US only in Nevada, that action represents only a tiny fraction of the total weekly handle that’s wagered on the NFL. While it’s illegal in most US states to accept bets or otherwise act as a bookie, in almost all US jurisdictions it’s perfectly legal for would-be bettors to place a bet, with millions of punters exercising their right to do so by betting online every week.
Then, add in the fact that the NFL has achieved global popularity as a sport: The money bet each week on NFL games outside the US far outstrips that bet by Americans. All told, billions are wagered on NFL games each week. That’s even before adding in the latest wave of interest generating by weekly fantasy sports leagues, which have added yet another layer of participatory excitement to the NFL’s weekly schedule, and by way of increasing interest have resulted in more and more legal action being wagered on each week’s NFL games.
As Brian Jones of NFL sportsbook aggregator OnlineFootballBetting.net correctly notes, “The National Football League has almost become more American than the 4th of July and a hot dog and hamburger. Yes, the gridiron’s effect on the American public is almost religion-like and the NFL shows no sign of slowing down its meteoric rise as it becomes a part of the core of US culture.”
Jones’ quote contains only slight hyperbole: NFL football season is exactly that important. Yet, for those who are new to online sportsbetting, the same questions always remain? How can I make sure that it’s legal? How can I ensure that my funds are safe, and that I’ve chosen a reputable online bookmaker?
As we’ve said, for the most part, betting on games within the US is legal. Only a handful of jurisdictions have specifically outlawed online betting, including the state of Utah, perhaps America’s most conservative state. Internationally, most countries are wide open when it comes to the availability of betting on NFL games.
Then, as one would expect, it becomes a question of identifying a reputable online sports betting site. While some companies don’t provide services to US players, others do. Flushdraw reached out to Kevin Bradley, the sports book manager at www.bovada.lv, who are the top book servicing the US market for his thoughts on the upcoming NFL season. He said:
The NFL remains by far our heaviest bet sport across the board and will always be the bulk of our business but we have been seeing an abnormal amount of bets on our future markets such as Super Bowl odds, Divisional odds and Season Win Totals. If the amount of growth translates into this Season’s individual game lines, totals, live betting and props it will no doubt be our biggest bet NFL season ever which will mean big decisions, big swings, and a lot of sleepless nights for me!”
When betting on the NFL, it is highly advisable to open multiple accounts on two or three or four different sites, even for new online bettors. There are many great reasons for doing so, including the following:
- Allows sports bettors to take advantages of differences in spreads, choosing the most advantageous offering on a given game;
- Provides bettors with plenty of different sign-up offers and bonus deals;
- Gives bettors access to special teasers and other promotions available on multiple sites, instead of just one;
- Spreads the bettor’s money around several sites, adding additional protection against the loss of funds in the highly unlikely event of an unfortunate occurrence (identity theft or stolen password, for example).
Done wisely, betting on NFL games can be both highly enjoyable and financially rewarding, and it certainly adds an extra level of excitement to each week’s slate of games. Choose your sites wisely, stay within your financial limits and practice proper bankroll management. With those general rules to guide you, your NFL viewing will become more exciting than ever before.
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