Jason Bourne, a professor at the Miami University Institute on Responsible Gaming, said the NRL’s primary motivation was likely the “very lucrative television, advertising and sponsorship markets”. International bets cannot be placed with Australian bookmakers and different time zones may reduce the volume of bets. The overseas expansion is supported by many of Australia’s biggest sports gambling companies, although they would not benefit directly. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup
The closest thing to the NFL would be the NRL.” Americans might be interested in following the NRL and having more games over there. “They could also get exclusive sponsorships as well.” “I can’t say exactly how they’ll sign the deal, but they’ll get a share of the sports betting and have exclusivity options with broadcasters and the gambling companies,” Smith said. He said it was smart business for the NRL to establish a presence in the US. Smith said the US was experiencing “an absolute revolution” in sports betting with the legal market now worth about US$20bn (A$30bn) a year, despite being only five years old. “Like him or loathe him, V’Landys is all about the dollar,” said Colin Smith, of advisory firm Global Media and Sports.
