The NFL regular season is about to start in early September, but all eyes are on Super Bowl LX, the end of the journey. It will kick off on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the San Francisco 49ers play their home games. And that’s pretty much all we know about it, for now. Who’s going to play at the halftime show? (Taylor Swift?) What epic TV commercials will be aired (and how much will 30 seconds of airtime cost?) are all unknown.

Another Super Bowl question that has sparked debate as the NFL season is about to kick off is how millions of US fans who want a piece of the action will back their favorite to win. Will they do it through sports betting, which is now legal in most US states, or will they buy event contracts, a new product that is exploding on the internet nowadays, with regulation and legality causing heated debates in courts across the country?

The partnership US betting powerhouse FanDuel announced with event-contract giant CME shows how the industry is trying to navigate an entirely different regulatory universe. The Super Bowl, being one of the largest betting events on the planet, will also determine how these two universes will collide or coexist.

Although many people think sports betting and events contracts are similar, they are two very different beasts.

A traditional sports bet is speculative and meant for entertainment, based on a zero-sum wager between the sportsbook and bettor. Although some bettors apply knowledge and strategy, it is considered gambling, with results being purely up to chance. At the same time, event contracts companies argue that their product has a legitimate hedging function that, although it bears risk, is considered investment risk undertaken for economic purposes.

When placing a bet with a sportsbook, the bettor’s relationship and risk are solely with the sportsbook, which manages the risks, sets up the betting lines, adjusts the odds, and pays out large wins or collects losses. Event contracts are traded between members of a community, facilitated by a centralized exchange platform that doesn’t take part in the trade but rather facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers. Whereas a bookmaker determines odds in traditional betting, event contracts on an exchange platform are priced by market demand.

A bet will typically be binary and held until it expires (or cashed out early). For example, you can bet on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win against the New York Jets in the first gameday of these two teams this season. You will then win or lose based on the odds that were offered when you locked the bet. Event contracts are tradable, and their pricing will fluctuate depending on market conditions. For example, you can buy a contract for “Joe Burrow to win season MVP” and sell it months later at a profit if his odds improve, or alternatively, offload it at a loss if Burrow gets injured and his odds diminish.

Another huge difference is how event contracts are regulated compared to traditional NFL betting. Since the US Supreme Court annulled PASPA (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992), each US state can regulate its own sports betting market. The regulators’ primary focus is to ensure operator integrity, protect customers from fraud, and put in place mechanisms to prevent and treat problem gambling.

Event contracts are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a federal agency that is more focused on ensuring market integrity, preventing market manipulation, and protecting investors from a seismic market shift. It is rarely concerned with protecting individual investors from addiction and the prevention of loss from excessive trading.

Advertisement

The introduction of event contracts isn’t an evolution of sports betting. It is a big bang, representing the creation of an entirely new marketplace that operates under a different legal framework and a different set of values. Traditional betting lives in the sphere of entertainment and individual player protection, whereas event contracts exist in the world of investment and financial-market transparency and integrity.

The outcome of this regulatory debate will determine whether betting on the NFL and other major league sports will stay within the sportsbook space or expand into financial trading markets.

Cryptocurrencies are not just a way to pay for goods and services or even store your wealth and safeguard it against inflation. As it turns out, cryptocurrencies are also widely used in gaming platforms, and many developers and publishers these days allow you to make in-game purchases.

Crypto Payments Offer Swift and Easy Banking for Gamers

While crypto naturally requires a little more knowledge to operate successfully, the good news is that many people are cottoning on to this trend quickly. Crypto payments may have sounded a little outlandish five years ago, but they are steadily becoming the norm. Whether it has to do with Bitcoin VIP casinos or some popular mobile games, crypto payments are quickly becoming the norm. There are many reasons why this is the case.

It doesn’t matter whether you are playing Bitcoin roulette or seeking to purchase some in-game cosmetics leveraging your crypto war chest. The process is simple, as straightforward as it gets, and indeed, very safe!

Roulette77, for example, is a website that specializes in testing crypto roulette. Over extensive testing, the website has been able to establish that these days, placing a crypto deposit is quite easy, and there are numerous helpful resources to make the onboarding process as frictionless as it can get!

But why is the world of gamers suddenly focusing on crypto payments? Well, the reasons for this are quite simple and self-explanatory. Crypto banking offers you swift and easy payments, which will ensure that you get what you asked for in a matter of seconds.

Crypto payments are instant – both deposits and withdrawals will happen in a matter of seconds and without the need for an intermediary that charges hefty fees to service your payment!

What Games Can You Play If You Choose Crypto?

There is virtually no limit to the games you can play if you go down the crypto road. Players are very welcome to explore the full variety of titles available to them by choosing a different gaming platform every time.

This could be a social gaming platform or a sweepstakes casino, or even a real casino. Then again, there are numerous mobile games out there that allow you to actually deposit and cash out with crypto as well! They all come together to present you with the opportunities to bank with ease.

So, to sum up, there is no restriction on what you can do with crypto! Care to enjoy some popular slot games? This is a given. Feel a little more competitive and want to test one of the hundreds of strategies that Roulette77 has reviewed? Done deal! There is a crypto casino for you to do just that!

Do you feel like you would much rather be playing online poker games of Texas Hold’em and Omaha – what about crypto then? Well, you can use crypto just as well! There is virtually no limit on cryptocurrencies when it comes to gaming.

What Is the Best Cryptocurrency to Use for Gaming?

This is a great question and one that doesn’t have a single answer – it depends on what you currently have. While crypto is easy to buy, you will probably lean towards one cryptocurrency or another.

Advertisement

The simple truth of the matter is that you do not have to buy a specific cryptocurrency in order to enjoy safe and reliable gaming. Rather, you can pick the cryptocurrency that you currently have and use it to sustain your gaming habits.

If we had to choose, however, this would come down to a choice between several mainstream currencies:

• Ethereum,
• Bitcoin,
• and USD Tether.

These three currencies offer huge trading volumes, which means that you can sustain your gaming habits without any issues and have a blast while at it.

Players are welcome to, of course, adjust and shift between currencies as they see fit, but ultimately, cryptocurrencies are a great way to boost their satisfaction when gaming and the joy you get out of gaming. Why? Because they are safe and quick to use, and despite their volatility, they offer fantastic value!

Crypto in Gaming: Is the Future Crypto?

We do not think that everyone will settle for cryptocurrencies when they game, but the fact is that when gaming, people like to use virtual and alternative currencies. Yes, the idea of cashing those in for fiat money is always very high on people’s list of priorities, but the available evidence suggests that we all crave better gamification, which is usually achieved through digital currencies.

While the time when cryptocurrencies will be the preferred option to fund your gaming is still far – and may never come – we are bound to see a lot more people using cryptocurrencies, whether out of habit or curiosity. Crypto will be a lasting part of gaming.