Gambling in the USA
NFL Sponsorship Revenue Reaches $1.39 Billion for 2018-2019 Season
5.1% Y-O-Y Growth Driven by a Spate of New League-Wide Deals and Emergence of Gaming Category
Total sponsorship spending on the National Football League and its 32 teams rose 5.1% to $1.39 Billion in the 2018-2019 season, according to IEG research released today. This follows a 5.9% gain last year and outperformed the industry, which averaged 4.1% y-o-y gains.
According to the IEG findings, the growth was driven by a spate of new league-wide sponsorships including Intuit, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Sleep Number. Also, contributing was a major spike in casino/gaming including such deal’s as its recently announced deal with Caesar’s Entertainment which became the league’s first-ever “Official Casino Partner.” The deal was reportedly worth $30 million per year. Caesar’s also has deals with seven NFL clubs.
In terms of number of deals, activity in the lottery & gaming category was actually very similar to the 2017-18 season. However, spending in the category greatly increased. While casinos are signing top-tier deals with NFL properties, Daily Fantasy providers are cutting back their spending with NFL teams or dropping deals completely.
“The NFL and its teams have successfully leveraged the increased ability to sign betting and gambling partners. It allowed the league to defy the odds and increase sponsorship revenue by a decent margin coming off a season of declining ratings in 2017-18 and no new stadiums opening in 2018-19.” Peter Laatz – Global Managing Director, IEG
From a category perspective, Beer companies were the biggest NFL investors spending 4.3 times more than any other category. Autos and telecoms spent 4.0 times more while soft drink and technology companies spent 2.9 times as much on football as any other sports category.
Medical companies comprised the most active category averaging 2.4 times more likely to sponsor football. QSR was last year’s most active category fell to second at 2.3 times more likely; autos (2.2) technology and insurance (tied 2.0) rounded out the top five.
The most invested brands were Ticketmaster having sponsorships with 100% of NFL properties, Budweiser/Bud Light at 88% of the league; Gatorade 79% of teams, Microsoft 73%, and Bose 70%.
The story behind the deals will be featured at IEG World 2019 as NFL Senior Vice President, Sponsorship & Partner Management Renie Andersen will be a featured speaker during the March 18-20 event in Chicago. For more information on the conference visit: iegworld2019.com.
About IEG:
IEG is the premier global consultancy in partnership strategy, evaluation, and measurement for leading sponsors and rightsholders. Founded in 1982, IEG pioneered thought leadership in sponsorship and invented the industry’s gold standard for sponsorship valuation. The company’s creative approach, combined with analytics, data and the broad experience of its team, helps clients make informed strategic decisions that maximize return. Only IEG has the strategic insight and objective perspective on the world of sponsorship that is crucial to helping brands build blueprint strategies to exceed long-term goals. IEG’s role as standard-setter and unparalleled information resource through its Annual Conference and IEG Sponsorship Report informs its client relationships and helps ensure partnerships play a pivotal role in executing business strategies.
Source: IEG
Gambling in the USA
Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development

Bitline, the only provider for casino chip access directly from cryptocurrency, has announced its first major collaboration in the U.S. casino market, teaming up with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts through its collaboration with Everi, a premier provider of financial technology and gaming solutions. This collaboration introduces cryptocurrency and digital assets as a new source of liquidity for casino patrons and marks the first time that such a functionality has been enabled within the American gaming industry.
Leveraging Everi’s CashClub’s comprehensive payment infrastructure, Bitline’s solution is able to efficiently board, screen and verify patrons looking to leverage their digital assets whilst also allowing patrons to move screened assets into custody within minutes. Bitline’s integration with Everi Cash Club, the leading financial access services suite for casino payments, will enable the technology for the benefit of Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, and is the first time that such a functionality has been possible in the U.S. regulated casino market.
Catering to the growing demand for greater cryptocurrency and digital asset integration within the casino industry, the collaboration between Bitline and Everi’s forms a transferable blueprint that offers casino operators and their patrons an alternative way to manage funds, access liquidity, and leverage the benefits of cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
This milestone reflects a strategic shift in how casino operators view and manage financial interactions with their guests. The introduction of cryptocurrency as a liquidity solution provides additional options for guests and lays the foundation for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts as it looks to the future of gaming sector finance, setting a new standard in financial accessibility and convenience.
“Working with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts and Everi to make this a reality is a historical moment for both the casino and blockchain industries. Bitline was conceptualized to advance the gaming sector and offer a wider variety of financial options for the casino industry,” said Richard Jones, CEO at Bitline. “We’re entering an era where digital assets can fundamentally enhance the gaming experience, providing casino operators with a future-ready financial framework that can expand and evolve as the industry does. This collaboration is just the beginning of our vision to modernize casino payment capabilities on a global scale.”
Victor Newsom, SVP Product Management, Payments Solutions at Everi comments “This unique integration combines BitLine’s additional payment accessibility options with Everi’s ability to enable seamless, secure, and regulatory compliant financial transactions for casino patrons. Designed from the ground up to exceed the rigorous compliance demands of the industry as well as the discerning expectations of gaming VIPs around the world, Choctaw’s patrons are now no longer limited to the access, times, amount, and speed constraints of the legacy financial systems. This also significantly reduces risk for our casino customers, such as Choctaw.”
“We are excited to be the first casino in North America to offer our guests another way to play,” said Thomas McDonald, Senior Director of Cage and Credit at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts. “Through our long-term relationship with Everi, a leader in fintech solutions, we will continue to invest in innovative offerings that provide the discerning gaming VIP access to funds in a safe and secure manner.”
The Choctaw Casinos & Resorts integration represents only the first phase of Bitline’s broader mission to bring cryptocurrency solutions to casinos and casino patrons worldwide. As cryptocurrency and digital assets continue to gain traction in the gaming sector, Bitline’s easy to integrate and patented payment model stands poised to become a key player in transforming gaming finance. Future plans include expanding services across other major casinos and gaming markets, both domestically and internationally, establishing cryptocurrency as a new standard feature of the gaming experience.
The solution is to be formally rolled out on March 7, 2025, with the first transaction taking place at Choctaw’s Durant, Oklahoma, location.
Compliance Updates
MGCB Continues Crackdown on Unlicensed Online Casinos

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has taken decisive action against five offshore online casinos, sending cease-and-desist letters for violating state gaming laws. These websites offer a variety of casino games, such as slots, poker, blackjack, Keno, bingo, and game show games, in addition to sports betting.
The following unlicensed operators are now under scrutiny following the MGCB’s action:
BetWhale Casino, Curaçao
Black Lotus Casino, owned by TD Investments Ltd., Belize
Coins Game Casino, Curaçao
Love2play Casino, Curaçao and Costa Rica
Orion Stars 777 Players, Sichuan Province, China
“These illegal platforms not only violate Michigan’s gaming regulations but also put consumers at risk by offering unreliable withdrawal options and lacking essential consumer protections. Our top priority is safeguarding Michigan residents by ensuring that all online gaming activities are conducted legally and safely. These operators must stop their activities or face additional legal consequences,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said.
Investigations into these illegal activities have revealed that the operators are in violation of multiple Michigan state laws.
Despite offering various payment options like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin and Ethereum), these illegal operators impose strict withdrawal conditions, often requiring players to wager their initial deposits multiple times before they can access their winnings.
The MGCB has given these operators 14 days from the date of receipt of the cease-and-desist letters to halt their illegal activities.
Cryptocurrency
Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development

Bitline, the only provider for casino chip access directly from cryptocurrency, has announced its first major collaboration in the U.S. casino market, teaming up with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts through its collaboration with Everi’s CashClub, the leading financial access services suit for casino payments. This collaboration introduces cryptocurrency and digital assets as a new source of liquidity for casino patrons and marks the first time that such a functionality has been enabled within the American gaming industry.
Leveraging Everi’s CashClub’s comprehensive payment infrastructure, Bitline’s solution is able to efficiently board, screen and verify patrons looking to leverage their digital assets whilst also allowing patrons to move screened assets into custody within minutes. Bitline’s integration with Everi’s CashClub, will enable the technology for the benefit of Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, and is the first time that such a functionality has been possible in the U.S. regulated casino market.
The collaboration works to cater to the growing demand for greater cryptocurrency and digital asset integration within the casino industry. The collaboration between Bitline and Everi’s CashClub forms a transferable blueprint that offers casino operators and their patrons an alternative way to manage funds, access liquidity, and leverage the benefits of cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
This milestone reflects a strategic shift in how casino operators view and manage financial interactions with their guests. The introduction of cryptocurrency as a liquidity solution provides additional options for guests and lays the foundation for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts as it looks to the future of gaming sector finance, setting a new standard in financial accessibility and convenience.
“Working with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts and Everi’s CashClub to make this a reality is a historical moment for both the casino and blockchain industries. Bitline was conceptualized to advance the gaming sector and offer a wider variety of financial options for the casino industry,” said Richard Jones, CEO at Bitline. “We’re entering an era where digital assets can fundamentally enhance the gaming experience, providing casino operators with a future-ready financial framework that can expand and evolve as the industry does. This collaboration is just the beginning of our vision to modernize casino payment capabilities on a global scale.”
“We are excited to be the first casino in North America to offer our guests another way to play,” said Thomas McDonald, Senior Director of Cage and Credit at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts. “Through our long-term relationship with Everi, a leader in fintech solutions, we will continue to invest in innovative offerings that provide the discerning gaming VIP access to funds in a safe and secure manner.”
The Choctaw Casinos & Resorts integration represents only the first phase of Bitline’s broader mission to bring cryptocurrency solutions to casinos and casino patrons worldwide. As cryptocurrency and digital assets continue to gain traction in the gaming sector, Bitline’s easy to integrate and patented payment model stands poised to become a key player in transforming gaming finance. Future plans include expanding services across other major casinos and gaming markets, both domestically and internationally, establishing cryptocurrency as a new standard feature of the gaming experience.
The solution is to be formally rolled out on March 7, 2025, with the first transaction taking place at Choctaw’s Durant, Oklahoma, location.
-
Latest News7 days ago
Burendo: Why learning from US betting giants could help European operators get the most from legacy platforms
-
Latest News7 days ago
PlayUZU Kicks Off Major TV and Billboard Campaign in Peru
-
Canada7 days ago
GeoComply welcomes Kip Levin as CEO, driving customer-focused innovation and growth
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
Hard Rock Digital joins global sports betting integrity body IBIA
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
Attention: Important Information from the Arizona Department of Gaming Regarding Reporting Gambling Winnings on Taxes
-
Cryptocurrency4 days ago
Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
GoldenRace secures Brazil’s potential with new certification
-
Latest News3 days ago
ACR POKER’S FLAGSHIP ONLINE SUPER SERIES LAUNCHES THIS MARCH WITH $25 MILLION IN GUARANTEED PRIZE POOLS