NRL Pushes Ahead with US Betting Market Plans

Ben Harris

14 March 2022

The National Rugby League (NRL) is the latest competition looking to tap into the lucrative US betting market. And it plans to do that by the end of the year. It is estimated that it could pocket as much as A$27 million if the move is successful.

Peter V’landys, the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, reportedly sees the US betting market as an excellent opportunity to cash in on proceeds from sports betting, especially as bookies and their advertisements have become a matter of open debate in Australia.

Wagering Plays a Big Role in NRL’s Profits

Revenue from sports betting has been a very important source of income for the NRL for quite some time and it represented a huge chunk of the A$58 million profit the governing body reported in 2021.

Gary Weis, a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission, is one of the people said to be pushing for NRL games to be featured across US betting shops, casinos, and online betting sites.

The reason why Weis is doing that is simple. Unlike previous years, as many as 100 million punters were able to bet on the Super Bowl this year. Moreover, over a million new betting accounts have been opened in New York alone since the state declared sports betting legal in January.

The Move Has to Be Done Intelligently

V’Landys said that the US sports betting market had the potential to be a really big “new revenue generator” for the NRL. He added that if they did everything right, American bettors would love the game, and the NRL could even stage a game in America.

The chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission was keen to stress that the whole thing had to be done right and “intelligently” and to be in line with the ARLC’s vision.

V’Landys went on to say that they were planning to start “sometime this year,” and added that they had a lot of partners that were interested to be involved.

The chairman of Melbourne Storm, Matt Tripp, likes the idea of the NRL exploring the US market. He said that the betting market in America is growing so rapidly that it wouldn’t be outlandish to claim that, in the next five years, the NRL “could add 50 to 60 percent” to what they were generating from betting now.

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Author Ben Harris

Ben's been analysing footy betting markets for over a decade - breaking down team form, player stats, and where the bookies have got it wrong. He leads KRUZEY's weekly AFL and NRL tips and writes our betting app reviews, testing everything from multi-builders to odds competitiveness. A lifelong Essendon supporter (yes, he's used to disappointment), Ben combines statistical analysis with genuine footy obsession. He watches more game tape than is probably healthy. Connect on LinkedIn Email Contact