Punxsutawney residents who head to Philly to cheer on the Eagles can now place bets right at the stadium. Sports bettors who want to bypass Pennsylvania's online sports betting industry can place their bets right at the Lincoln Financial Field home stadium and collect winnings instantaneously. In-stadium betting amenities are extended to Fair Go Casino Australia patrons and other Keystone State locals who wish to combine a day at the game with some wagering excitement.
As gamers become accustomed to the convenience of playing and betting in instantaneous formats, the demand for such amenities increases. For over 20 years, online gaming platforms have extended the opportunity to play table games, slots and other types of betting games online via a simple log-in that opens the door to on-the-spot real money action.
Since 2018, the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States has meant that sportsbooks can offer the same type of on-the-sport betting action to sports bettors. Across America, sportsbooks are partnering with sports teams, sports leagues and sports stadiums to provide an immediate online casino type betting experience to sports bettors.
Currently there are nine venues with in-house sportsbooks in the United States, spread out over four professional sports markets.
Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field sports betting operation was one of the nation's first and remains one of it's most extensive in-stadium betting operations. It is operated by Genius Sports, the NFL's exclusive distributor of official, real-time, play-by-play proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) data, statistics and sports betting data.
At the stadium there are branded screens that have been placed inside sports betting lounges so that fans in attendance can keep updated with individual player statistics and real-time betting odds.
Eagles fans and other visitors receive unique betting offers via QR codes that display on screens before and during games.
In addition to the Philly stadium, there are in-venue retail sportsbooks at other locations. Some of the most expansive include:
William Hill U.S. has been operating a sportsbook at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. Capital One hosts the Washington Capitals (NFL), Washington Mystics (WNBA), Washington Mystics and the Washington Wizards (NBA). William Hill U.S. is partnered with Monumental Sports and Entertainment which owns the Capitals, Mystics and Wizards.
The sportsbook at the Capital One Arena spans 2 floors and features a Jumbotron that hands down from the ceiling plus more than 100 television screens. A 1,500-square-foot LED wraps around the facility where there are 17 betting windows and 12 self-service betting kiosks.
The are also two VIP areas, a broadcast studio and a full-service dining area. During games, the area is open to fans who are attending the game as well as people from outside who come in just to watch the game on the screen and, if they wish, to wager.
DC's Nationals Park, home to Washington DC's Nationals baseball team, has partnered with BetMGM to open an in-stadium sportsbook. The National Park sportsbook features 40 TV screens, 6 betting windows, self-service kiosks and live odds boards. There's full-service dining and drinks and a mobile app that serves the MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Audi Field's sportsbook serves the United and Spirit pro soccer teams of Washington DC. The in-stadium sportsbook is operated by FanDuel and has 3 wagering stations, 18 self-service kiosks, 2 walls of videos and 47 televisions. There's a full kitchen and bar.
The Footprint Center in Phoenix is managed by FanDuel which is in partnership with the Phoenix Suns (NBA) as the Suns' official sportsbook partner. FanDuel also partners with the Suns as the Sun's Daily Fantasy Sports partner.
There are 40 HD televisions, a 35-foot video wall, and 26 self-service betting kiosks in the Center plus an outdoor terrace where fans can watch the games. There's a full-service ticket window and fans can also place bets via the FanDuel app.
Chase Field, the Phoenix Diamondbacks MLB team, opened its in-stadium sportsbook in June 2022. The sportsbook is adjacent to Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. It's the nation's largest retail sportsbook to operate in partnership with a major sports stadium. The Chase Field sportsbook has 9 betting windows and 13 self-service betting kiosks. There's a wall-to-wall flat-screen TV, patio space, lounge-style seating and Guy Fieri's DTPHX Kitchen and Bar.
State Farm Stadium is home to Arizona's NFL Cardinals where BetMGM is preparing to operate a 2-story sportsbook which opened in time to take bets for the 2023 NFL season. There's a 265-square-foot video wall for viewing, indoor and outdoor eateries and trading windows and self-service kiosks.
Additional sportsbooks are being planned for Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) in Chicago and the United Center in Chicago (Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks) and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland (Cleveland Cavaliers).
Offering in-stadium betting isn't as easy as it sounds. Washington DC's experiences highlight the issues involved. Many critics say that in-stadium betting, with the options to bet during the game itself (in-play wagering), are alluring to bettors who are struggling with addictive gambling behaviors.
The in-stadium wagering options is detrimental to local businesses which, in DC, have been struggling to compete with the new stadium sportsbooks. Brick-and-mortar tribal casino operators in states like Florida and California are acutely aware of this issue and have been fighting to prevent the legalization of sports betting in those states.
This is especially true regarding mobile apps which the in-stadium sportsbooks support. Since 2018 wagers made using mobile apps have surged as mobile betting overtakes retail. According to a report by Bloomberg, mobile betting now makes up more than 80% of all sports bets. "The way of the world is mobile apps," said D.C. Councilwoman Elissa Silverman. "Advertisements from FanDuel and DraftKings is much more about betting on your phone than going to a bar or restaurant to bet."
If Silverman is successful, the city will soon pass legislation to expand the city's mobile betting offerings because, according to her, people have told her that "the D.C. GamBet [app] is so bad that they will travel to Virginia to place bets on their phone. Silverman has introduced a bill that requests that the Council of the District of Columbia allow additional betting apps besides GamBetDC to operate in the city. This would help DC compete with Virginia and Maryland, both of which allow for a wider variety of online sports betting options.
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