As online gambling gains traction in the U.S., casino operators are putting their money where the football is: The USFL and the rest.

Football and gambling have enjoyed a tumultuous love affair from the beginning. But in 2025, it’s not just game wagers that are growing, it’s wagers within the games themselves. While the United States Football League (USFL) continues to pick up speed and pro football dominates the American TV horizon every Saturday afternoon, online casino operators are emerging as prime movers in the football universe, and their wagers are far from innocent pastimes.

From jersey sponsorships to sponsored stadium lounges, lines between online gambling and America’s gridiron game are blurring rapidly.

Online casinos are dressing up

In the last few years fans might have noticed something new around the USFL: Bold-colored signs from online casinos, gambling apps sponsoring half-time shows and even post-game interviews sponsored by gambling companies. As much as the NFL has been squeamish about gambling sponsorships in the past, leagues that strive to define themselves and make ends meet are a different business.

USFL teams have embraced gambling sponsorships in a big way. It’s no longer uncommon to see teams partnered with bookmakers or upstart online casino firms looking to tap the loyal football following. The promotions are more than just slapping a logo onto a sideline banner, however. Some deals introduce embeddable betting odds into broadcasts, in-game promotions and even cross-promotional content featuring the players themselves.

Fan engagement is central to the game plan of the USFL, and online gaming platforms are looking at it as the perfect opportunity to increase their footprint.

The Betway playbook

One of the brands that comes up more than once when discussing sports sponsorships and gambling is Betway. Known globally for its storied history of online casino and sportsbook business, Betway has yet to be expanding in American pro football. While it hasn’t yet placed its name on a USFL squad in an official jersey sponsorship, Betway has been quietly but steadily expanding its reach across the soccer universe.

Betway has sponsored various soccer teams in Europe, making the website and Betway download more visible to the world. Betway is also sponsoring the Premier Soccer League in South Africa. Betway’s smart move is not simply to be a betting service. It’s to be part of the world’s sports culture; an embedded partner, not an advertiser.

A win-win for platforms and players

There has also been a noticeable shift in the way players interact with these sponsorships. Once, being branded with gambling was taboo, especially among sport individuals. But today? Some football players at the professional level, especially in the USFL and lower tiers of leagues, are endorsing online casino sites overtly, either through discreet sponsorships, social media deals or sponsored appearances.

It’s a win-win. Players get financial support and publicity, and gambling sites get visibility in highly engaged users and genuine ambassadors. For the majority of sportsmen who want to make their name or extend their playing career at lower leagues, these arrangements can be a savior.

Some USFL players have even hosted content for sports books, breaking down game strategy, wagering odds and encouraging sound gambling. It’s a new world, and players are not just the face of the game. They’re becoming part of the business end of it.

Gambling goes mainstream

It’s not just the USFL piling on the party, either. Although more structured, the NFL has started to relax as well. There’s a formal betting sponsor now, casinos hang over the stadiums’ lounges and bettors are invited to engage with betting lines on TV in play. It’s all become a very public aspect of it, and although some complain amongst the anointed ones, most fans seem perfectly at ease with it.

One of the explanations? It’s fun. Betting on a game, even in a trivial manner, gives fans an incentive to stay tuned in for four quarters. Be it a $5 wager on the first team to score or a fantasy pick boosted by a betting app promotion, gambling adds a sense of fun that’s hard to avoid.

Online casino website proprietors know this, and they’re taking advantage of that enthusiasm by getting on the football bandwagon in every conceivable way. From social media promotions targeted at football followers to sponsorship agreements with sports podcasters and sports influencers, they’re embedding themselves into the very fabric of football fandom.

What about responsibility though?

Of course, not all of this is as nice. The increased exposure and popularization of gambling via sports brings on real concerns for addiction, especially among young spectators. That’s why many of the big players in the online casino space, including Betway, are promoting responsible gambling technology.

Many of the apps and sites promoting online casinos include age verification, self-exclusion mechanisms and connections to problem-gambling support materials in recent years. These aren’t merely public-relations gestures, increasingly they are becoming legally required in U.S. states.

But critics charge that the infusion of gambling into sporting events is growing too fast, and the leagues are not doing enough to shield their customers from exploitation.

Looking ahead

The link between football and online casinos isn’t dying, if anything, it’s just starting. With the USFL increasing its following, and the NFL’s staggering size and influence, opportunities for collaborations, mergers and sponsorships are endless.

Whether you’re tuning in for the game, the odds or a little bit of both, one thing’s clear: Online casino operators aren’t just betting on football, they’re becoming part of it.