2019 NFL Draft: No Props At Pennsylvania Sportsbooks

• The NFL Draft took place from April 25 to April 27 in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Only “sporting events” can be bet on in Pennsylvania.
• Per regulations, the NFL Draft is not a “sporting event.”

HARRISBURG, Pa. – As the NFL Draft kicked off in Nashville on Thursday of last week, many bettors were doing their research in preparation for various prop bets.

A few of the legal sports betting states offered betting lines on dozens of questions such as “Will Dwayne Haskins be drafted in the top 5?”, “How many defensive players will be drafted in the first round?”, or even “Will a kicker be taken before the 4th round?” to name a few.

However, Pennsylvania sports fans were not able to visit local sportsbooks and find these types of Draft Day proposition bets.

As a clarification, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) made sure to inform the bettors of the state that betting lines only go hand in hand with “sporting events.”

While many may consider the NFL Draft a “sporting event”, the PGCB does not. According to the approved sports betting regulations for Pennsylvania, “sporting events” are defined as professional or collegiate athletic events.

Being able to wager on “sporting events” must be a contest, where a game (or motor race event) is held.

The PGCB doubled-down, stating that the regulations adhered to are exactly what was permitted under state law.

Sportsbooks around the state were aware of this situation, though many sports bettors did not appear to be. This will, unfortunately, serve as a learning experience when Pennsylvania players want to wager on political or entertainment events in the future.

On a positive note, the books in Pennsylvania have already released the projected win totals for all 32 NFL teams for this upcoming season. Additionally, there are futures betting options for who will win Super Bowl LIV (where the Eagles’ line has already moved drastically).

Into the summer we go, but only 129 more days until the 2019 NFL kickoff game.

News tags: NFL Draft | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania sports betting