The United States has long held a reputation for being somewhat restrictive when it comes to online casino sites. Both betting activity and casino gaming have been banned in much of the country for many years. As many may have noticed though, there’s been a little bit of a new normal in the last two years. The NBA could certainly capitalize on online wagering.
That doesn’t mean that online casinos are suddenly fully legalized. But they are starting to appear, one state at a time. In some instances, this means both online casino gaming and betting activity are now permitted; in others, it’s limited (for now) to betting. Overall though, there’s clear progress — and we think there are a number of ways the NBA could capitalize on it.
NBA Could Capitalize on Online Wagering
Build An NBA Betting App
A couple of years ago, when online sports betting was first emerging as a reality in America, news broke that the NBA wanted a cut. Commissioner Adam Silver has been a supporter of expanded gambling possibilities. He’s made it know that he wants the NBA to be involved. But he wants them to be entitled to a portion of betting revenue. There are a few ways for this to happen.
The most exciting would be for the league itself to partner with an online casino to introduce an NBA betting app. This would reach fans far more directly. It could allow the league to work with the casino provider to go beyond basic odds and bets and include various mini-games, fantasy options, and so on.
Sponsor Online Slot Games
Where casino games have become legal, in addition to betting activity, sites are marked by a variety of slot games that appeal to all kinds of gamers. Some of those slot games have sports-related themes. It’s not a stretch at all to imagine similar gaming options based on basketball, and the NBA specifically. If the league allowed it, a game developer could even design a slot reel with official team logos and likenesses. Possibly even characters based on league stars.
In large part, this would be a matter of atmosphere and aesthetics. The game would look and feel like an NBA product, making its slot content particularly appealing to basketball fans. However, some online slot games have mini-games as well, which is where a lot of the fun could be. Imagine hitting a slot reel jackpot, for instance, that enabled you to go through an arcade-style shooting exercise with a player of your choice, for extra winnings. There would be all kinds of possibilities of this nature.
Set Up Long-Term Fantasy Drafts
We mentioned that fantasy options could be included in a dedicated NBA betting app. One thing, in particular, that could be a hit would be long-term draft games on which fans could wager. Already, there’s an appetite among NBA fans for revisiting old drafts. We recently posted a 2006 re-draft, and renowned NBA Draft guru Chad Ford has recently established a new podcast doing the same sort of thing. Famed basketball writer Bill Simmons, too, has released a series of “Redraftables” podcasts examining old drafts during the NBA’s 2020 hiatus.
So, since fans already like recapping past drafts, why not turn the interest into a game? An NBA betting app could introduce a whole new kind of fantasy game, allowing participants to draft players, and providing rewards based on those players’ performance for years to come. This, with a wagering component, could be a hit.
Introduce New Casino Games
In addition to the slot games and the possible fantasy options, NBA partnership with an online casino provider could also lead to new casino games altogether. That is to say, brand new gambling games could be designed around NBA concepts.
Some could be arcade-style shooting games like the ones we suggested above as slot machine mini-games. Others could be game simulators in which players could make team management decisions to affect outcomes. One need only look at existing mobile basketball games to see that there are all kinds of ways to create simple but enjoyable basketball arcade games. Whatever the specifics, such games would be a blast for basketball and casino enthusiasts alike.
Given all of the above, we’d hope to see the NBA get in on the budding casino trend as soon as possible.
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