History of Football Betting

NFL football betting is the undisputed king of US sportsbooks and is rivaled internationally only by soccer. The current National Football League dates back to the early 1920s but really came into its own with the advent of television. It began to ascend to its current place at the top of the American sporting hierarchy during the late 1960's and early 1970's. Today it is a multi-billion dollar industry, with 32 teams throughout the United States. The NFL season begins in early September and runs through late December or early January. Six teams from each conference make the playoffs for the right to compete in the Super Bowl championship game.

Betting on football constitutes the largest percentage of action at Nevada sportsbooks, and NFL betting is the single biggest contributor to their bottom line. The Super Bowl, in particular, is a huge moneymaker for bookmakers as it is the single most popular wagering event of the year. During the 1970's, the entire nation learned to bet on NFL football from Jimmy 'The Greek' Snyder, who once ran the Vegas Turf and Sports Club sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas. 'The Greek' became a nationwide celebrity and helped further fuel the boom in sports betting, teaching the country about pro football pointspreads. With the advent of offshore sportsbook betting, the football betting action once available only in Las Vegas is now a mouse click away!

In addition to being the most popular betting sport in the United States, it is also America’s most popular sport among fans. While baseball has traditionally been known as “The National Pastime”, it long ago ceded its position as the most popular sport in the country to NFL football. In fact, most recent studies suggest that American’s identify NFL football over baseball as their favorite sport by more than a two –to-one margin. The primary reasons for its awesome popularity among US sports fans is the fast paced action of the NFL game, its symbiotic relationship with television and its appeal as a gambling and betting opportunity for everyone from casual fans playing pools and parlay cards to professional sports bettors wagering thousands of dollars per game.