Sgt. Largent":29lz4f5d said:
JGfromtheNW":29lz4f5d said:
Honest question: Do you guys think the NFL really cares about spreads, lines and gambling? I assume gambling actually helps viewership because you have more people with vested interests, but does it have a large enough economical effect for them to worry about what gamblers in Vegas are doing? .
Goodell and the league aren't naive, they know what drives the large majority of their success and ratings is gambling.
It's why we're all glued to a terrible MNF game between the Bears and Jets, cause we need 15 more fantasy points........or in Vegas's case, sportsbooks full of gamblers trying to break even with the last game of the week.
IMO the only reason it took this long for a team to relocate to Vegas is image. Up until 10-15 years ago Vegas was still viewed as a town of degenerates and seedy activity. That attitude has changed, so I think the owners and league finally realized Vegas provides a big opportunity to make a LOT of money for everyone............especially when they got taxpayers to pony up most of the cost of the new stadium.
I definitely think the viewership/success in the past might have been a bit more hand-in-hand, but in 2017 with the amount of money the league generates now I just don't see gambling in Vegas as "driving the large majority of their success and ratings." It's one city, last I checked the "large majority" of the NFL's ratings don't come from Vegas and at this point the NFL might look at the economic effect that Vegas has on their overall bottom-line as marginal. I'm not saying you're wrong by any means, I just think you're overestimating the effect and really how much the NFL cares about it at this point.
Edit: I just realized you said gambling in general. I'm still not sure sports gambling in a few states and abroad is a large driving factor for the NFL's success.
I do completely agree with you, though, that they're letting this go through now because of image. The attitude has changed about Vegas, as mikeak pointed out players and coaches are making enough money where taking bribes/throwing games isn't even worth it and you have an NHL already moving into town.
I think the problem for the NFL relating to Vegas, and sports gambling in general, is not tarnishing the "integrity of the game."