NFL hires David Highhill as first executive dedicated to sports betting business
The NFL on Tuesday introduced David Highhill as vice chairman, common supervisor of sports activities betting, the league’s first place solely centered on overseeing its enterprise within the authorized sports activities betting business.
Highhill, who has been with the NFL for 10 years, strikes over from the company technique group, the place he led the league’s go-to-market sports activities betting initiatives. In his new position, he’ll be tasked with main efforts to guard the integrity of the sport from gambling-related hurt, advance the league’s model and fame, develop the worth of the NFL’s knowledge and mental property and drive fan engagement globally.
In 2018, america Supreme Court docket overturned the Skilled and Beginner Sports activities Safety Act of 1992, the federal statute that had restricted regulated sports activities betting to primarily Nevada. For the reason that ruling, 30 states and the District of Columbia have launched authorized betting, and 5 further states have handed laws.
“It is a rising market, it is grown lots within the final three or 4 seasons,” Highhill mentioned. “What’s forward is the thrilling a part of the chance.”
Highhill begins his new place within the early levels of the NFL’s pivot on sports activities betting. Ads for sportsbooks aired throughout NFL video games for the primary time this final season. The league has additionally shaped partnerships with a number of sports activities betting operators, and official knowledge is being bought to bookmakers within the U.S.
In 2021, the Washington franchise was granted a sports activities betting license in Maryland.
Nevertheless, Highhill mentioned he doesn’t foresee the league or groups immediately working a sportsbook.
“We’ll give attention to serving followers and the video games moderately than turning into a sportsbook,” Highhill advised ESPN on Tuesday.
On the identical time, the NFL stays cautious of an oversaturation of betting content material in its video games and realizes that elements of its fan base are turned off by playing.
“We all know there’s a profile of followers which might be most and a profile of followers which might be much less ,” Highhill mentioned. “So serving followers the place they’re is essential and that goes proper alongside with supporting our relationship with the Nationwide Council on Drawback Playing and insuring that we take a management place on downside playing.”
