Arena Football Expands To Atlantic City, Embracing N.J. Sports Betting

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Sports bettors in New Jersey who love to place wagers on NFL games will be pleased to find that opportunities to bet on football don’t end when the Super Bowl ends. 

A new Arena Football League expansion team will be welcomed to Atlantic City this May, where they hope to have local sportsbooks include odds for their games.

This seems very possible since the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has allowed bets on the Arena League since June of last year.

The team’s home games will be played in Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, which is located only a couple of blocks away from the nearest casino sportsbook. 

On top of that, the team plans on introducing its own fantasy football app and will allow its spectators in the arena to also have access to any state-licensed sportsbook. 

Randal Boe, the Arena League Commissioner, sees the new team as a great way to spark interest in the sport and for fans to engage with the team. 

“We think Arena Football and sports betting is a match made in heaven. Watch our games, bet on our games. It’ll make this even more fun,” he said

Why The Expansion Team Makes Sense

Since the activity was legalized in New Jersey last June, the state’s sports betting industry has been on a steady rise. Last month alone, N.J. sportsbooks combined for a total handle of around $385 million.

The bets were mainly put towards NFL playoff games and college football bowl games. This shows how popular betting on football is in the state. However, the NFL off-season lasts about six months which gives a perfect window for a different league to be put on display. 

The AFL season will last throughout the summer, giving sports bettors in N.J. a chance to wager on some type of football before the NFL begins the pre-season. It also creates greater interest in the sport.

Is The Arena League Itself A Safe Bet? 

While some may think the AFL is a relatively new league, the organization has actually been around since 1987. There have been many teams that have been introduced in cities all across the US, but many of them have either suspended operations, gone on to play in different leagues, or simply folded outright. 

At its peak, the AFL had 19 active teams in 2007. However, in 2009 team owners voted to cancel the season in order to come up with a sustainable long-term model since the league was on the verge of bankruptcy.

The AFL has since bounced back and remained alive but the number of teams has dropped dramatically. The new Atlantic City team will be well-received as only one of seven active franchises playing this year. 

Based on the history of the league, the chances of the team staying in N.J. are questionable at best. This means sports bettors may take advantage of the opportunity this year more than ever.