NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reaffirmed the league’s stance against legalized sports betting in the wake of the Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas, but sports books in the city will be expanding their wagering options in advance of the NFL Draft.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board has granted approval for the state’s sports books to begin offering prop bets on the draft, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. You won’t be able to bet on things like who will go No. 1 overall or a given team’s individual selection, but other more obscure wagers on the event will now be legally offered for the very first time.
[Bettors will] be able to wager on the total number of quarterbacks drafted in the first round, whether there will be more offensive players than defensive players drafted in the first round, and the over/under of the draft position for the first kicker taken, to name a few.
Other approved props include the total number of players drafted from a particular college or conference for the first round and for the entire draft.
“I would probably tell you that I think society has probably had a little bit of a change with respect to gambling in general,” Goodell said recently, via USA Today. “I think we still strongly oppose it in that room, and otherwise, legalized sports gambling. The integrity of our game is No. 1. We will not compromise on that.”
