As we gear up for the 2024/25 NFL season, fans across the United States and elsewhere around the globe will be placing wagers at on various markets, whether it’s the Super Bowl LIX winner, team win under/overs, season-long player props, or individual division winners.
However, alongside future bets, the NFL offers one of the most in-depth gameday betting experiences with each and every game that’s played across the season. A total of 272 games over a four-month span, culminating in the big game, which is more often than not the most bet-on sporting event of the year.
The gameday betting experience is an important one for fans, but some have it better than others and Casinos.com wanted to find out which fanbase in the NFL has the best wagering opportunities. To do this, we created a weighted index across a variety of different metrics, including:
Topping the charts in our index was the Baltimore Ravens, with an index score of 95 points out of a possible 140. Baltimore is home to six casinos, including the massive 122,000-square-foot Horseshoe Casino on Russel St. Online sports betting is also legal in the state, but unfortunately, as of yet, casino sites have not been legalized in Maryland.
However, M&T Bank Stadium features Caesars Sportsbook naming rights after inking a 5-year partnership three years ago alongside signature animated displays all around the club level. A healthy 61.7% win rate over the last ten campaigns means fans who like to bet on their home team will have had plenty of success in recent years.
Next up were the Cincinnati Bengals, with Paycor Stadium ranking second on the list. Betting on-site, four casinos in the city, legalized sports betting in the state, and a solid 50.2% win percentage in the last 10 seasons mean Bengals fans have a better betting experience than most. The Bengals scored an impressive 85 on our index.
The Philadelphia Eagles were in joint second, also with 85 points. Although there are only two casinos of note in the city, one of them is the third luckiest in the entire state. However, Lincoln Financial Field made up points on the index by having sports betting and online casinos legal in the state, with a 55.3% win percentage over the last 10 years adding the cherry on top.
Unsurprisingly, the Last Vegas Raiders (with 80 points on our index) had to feature high up on this list, given that there are around 175 casinos in and around Vegas, making it the casino capital of not only the United States but also the world. While online casino play has yet to pass legislation, mobile sports betting is allowed in the state. Allegiant Stadium also has betting available on-site. If you’re a Raiders fan, you won’t have any issues placing a bet on gameday. However, if you like backing your own team, a 41.9% win percentage over the last ten years means you’ll have lost more than you’ve won.
The Indianapolis Colts and Lucas Oil Stadium also scored 80 points. Three casinos in the city, betting on site, legalized sports betting, and a 50.9% win percentage contributed to this top-five score.
With the good must come the bad, and that is where the Houston Texans come in. While things are looking up for Texans fans regarding on-field performances, their betting experience is still lagging behind the index revealed, with NRG Stadium scoring a measly 10 points out of a possible 140.
With no discernible casinos in the city, no legal online sports betting or casino play in the state, and no betting options available at NRG Stadium, the Texans' only points came from their semi-respectable 45.6% win percentage over the past ten campaigns.
The second-worst fan-betting experience belongs to the Minnesota Vikings and U.S. Bank Stadium, which just marginally beat out the Texans with an index score of 15. All of the same issues plaguing Texans betting fans afflict Vikings fans, too, but the Purple and Gold can at least boast a higher win percentage of 53.3%, meaning at least the Vikes fans who CAN bet on their home team during games have a better chance of seeing some returns.
The Cowboys (20), Seahawks (25), Rams (30), Chargers (30), Jaguars (30), Bears (30), and Falcons (30) were all near the bottom of the pile, too. Any update in online regulations, be it for sports betting or casinos, would boost any of these poor-performing franchises significantly (in terms of fan betting experiences, not on-field results!).
We used weighted scoring to measure several metrics to create an index of the best NFL fan betting experiences. Below is the scoring matrix used to create this index.
Category | Scoring |
---|---|
Nearby Casinos | 25+ Casinos in/around the city: 40 points |
9+ Casinos in/around the city: 25 points | |
3-8 Casinos in/around the city: 20 points | |
2-3 Casinos in/around the city: 15 points | |
1 Casinos in/around the city: 5 points | |
Betting at Stadium | |
Betting available at the stadium: 25 points | |
No betting: 0 points | |
Team Win Percentage | |
Win percentage > 60% (last 10 seasons): 25 points | |
Win percentage 55%-59% (last 10 seasons): 20 points | |
Win percentage 50%-54% (last 10 seasons): 15 points | |
Win percentage 45%-49% (last 10 seasons): 10 points | |
Win percentage 40%-44% (last 10 seasons): 5 points | |
Win percentage <40% (last 10 seasons): 0 points | |
Online Sportsbetting Allowed in the State | Yes - 25 Points |
Online Casino Play Allowed in the State | Yes - 25 Points |
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Colm Phelan has spent several years working in the iGaming industry and has plenty of experience when it comes to writing, researching and rigorously testing online casinos and sportsbooks. While Colm has invested a lot of his time into the digital marketing world but his other passions include poker and a variety of sports including golf, NFL and football.
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