With legalized gambling on the front end of a possible nationwide expansion, gamblers will need games on which to bet. Which will create even more of a demand for sporting events. Which could help turn around the Arena Football League.
AFL Commissioner Randall Boe told Philly.com that the indoor league, which currently has a paltry four teams, has received interest from 12 to 15 cities for expansion franchises. Boe believes that sports betting could provide the impetus for major expansion.
For now, the league has teams only in Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and Albany.
“We’ve lasted 31 years and to a certain degree, ownership has tried to screw the game up,” said Philadelphia Soul co-owner Ron Jaworski. “I’m being blatantly honest with you. There have been some owners in this league that should not have been Arena Football League owners.”
Just three years ago, the league had 12 teams. And betting (especially real-time, in-game wagering) could be the thing that kick starts a league that has lingered but never really thrived. With the Alliance of American Football starting next year and the XFL returning in 2020, there could be plenty of opportunities for young players to get opportunities to develop, especially if the AFL begins adding teams.