IAGA SUMMIT FOCUS: ROUNDTABLE MAJOR LEAGUE INSIGHTS
What message will you be conveying to betting industry leaders at IAGA?
Joe: While the topic of the panel is quite broad, all panelists are coming from a league perspective which should convey not too dissimilar themes in our remarks. All three of us have overseen our leagues through legalisation in states that have done so in myriad of ways.
Given North Carolina’s preponderance towards NASCAR, I am looking forward to sharing our involvement in the legislation process, outlook in selecting a partner in the state, and encouraging early results since the March 11 launch. I think it’s also important to address concerns around integrity of sport and what our respective leagues are doing to mitigate any risks that arise from the legalisation of sports betting.
David: Te International Association of Gaming Advisors Summit should be a fantastic opportunity to meet with leaders in the gaming space - from operators, to Leagues, to lawmakers and other experts. Our Major Leagues panel will focus on issues pertinent to sports properties given the expansion of regulated sports betting.
We’ll likely focus on issues related to integrity of sport, and how our fans are engaging with sports betting. It will be a fantastic opportunity to learn from authorities across all domains of gaming.
How do you assess the current state of sports betting in North America?
David: Te industry has expanded rapidly since PASPA was overturned in May 2018. Over the past few years, operators have increasingly shifted their advertising from a state-by-state to a national basis. Smaller operators have exited, while larger operators are benefitting from their greater scale.
In the next phase of the market, we may see more product evolution as operators better understand how fans engage with sports betting. We may also see further development of casual sports betting products to engage less avid or novice bettors.
Joe: I’ve been of the somewhat contrarian mindset that the industry has moved forward rather quickly in the last six years. In that span of time we’ve gone from a non-existent industry to one that has dozens of competitive options for consumers, sportsbooks in stadiums, seemingly consistent M&A, and integration into the most mainstream of media outlets.
Tere’s no doubt been low points as it relates to integrity concerns, match-fixing, and other related scandals, but it’s worth noting how situations like these can and have been addressed due to the regulated industry that has been created.
What has the rollout of regulated sports betting meant for interest in sports content and intellectual property?
P42 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
David Highhill General Manager of Sports Betting, National Football League (NFL)
David Highhill, Vice President and General Manager of Sports Betting, is responsible for protecting the NFL’s integrity from gambling-related harm, building the league’s brand and reputation, increasing the league’s data and intellectual property value, and improving fan engagement
“Our teams have benefited from sportsbooks
sponsorships and NASCAR itself has been promoted by our five Authorised Gaming Operators for the last few years leading to increased attention from the betting audience. As sports betting continues to legalise in jurisdictions with NASCAR-
heavy following such as North Carolina and Florida, we anticipate an exponential
growth in betting which will trickle down to our core mission of having more engaged fans.”
Joe Sokolsky
Joe Solosky Managing Director of Sports Betting, NASCAR
Joe Solosky is the Managing Director of Sports Betting for NASCAR, where he’s been serving for over three years. In his role Joe oversees partnerships with sports betting operators, data suppliers and integrity services. In all sports betting partnerships and endeavours Joe leads NASCAR into, his focus is increasing fan engagement alongside the legalisation of this evolving category.
Joe: It has no doubt been a net positive for NASCAR; from broadcast tune-in, attendance, sponsorships and betting volume – all have increased at a steady rate since sports betting legalisation. Our teams have benefited from sportsbooks sponsorships and NASCAR itself has been promoted by our five Authorized Gaming Operators for the last few years leading to increased attention from the betting audience.
As sports betting continues to legalise in jurisdictions with NASCAR-heavy following such as North Carolina and Florida, we anticipate an exponential growth in betting which will trickle down to our core mission of having more engaged fans.
David:We are fortunate to have a large and passionate fanbase, which can enjoy their own customised NFL experiences. Te rollout of regulated sports betting has allowed for new and incremental ways for fans that are interested in sports betting to do so. Tis includes partnering with best-in-class operators like Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel, who can serve our fans with custom content, highlights, and world-class NFL experiences.
Last season, our partnership with Genius Sports also allowed registered bettors to watch and bet alongside live game video streams within the digital sportsbook apps of several operators. Our focus on fan engagement leads to digital-first incremental content and betting opportunities for our betting-interested fans. We have seen interest rise in these new experiences, and fans who use them have provided positive feedback.
What are the opportunities and challenges that the rapidly growing and evolving betting landscape poses to a major sports league?
David: Sports betting provides a host of new opportunities for fans who are interested in betting. Tis includes new media content, second screen experiences during live games, new ways to watch live games, and potential interest in watching more of a favourite sport (either longer duration, or additional games). We strive to serve our fans with NFL content that is relevant to them and is additive to their passion for our sport. Tat includes providing content for betting-interested fans, while trying to limit sports betting content for fans who are not interested.
With all of the fan engagement opportunities, it is incumbent upon all parties in a regulated sports betting landscape to serve fans, and to do so responsibly. We are proud to be leaders in two critical areas: responsible betting and responsible advertising. We announced a multi- year partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (“NCPG”) in 2021. We have worked with the NCPG and our teams to increase awareness and resourcing for responsible betting.
We also drove the creation of the cross-League and media “Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising” to ensure that sports betting advertising does not over-proliferate the experience, is made in good taste, and doesn’t target minors (among other impactful and common sense commitments).
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