LSB Feature: How Legal Sports Betting Changed Since Mahomes’ Time In NFL

• Patrick Mahomes was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017.
• The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA 1992) was repealed in August 2018.
• Almost two dozen states have regulated sports betting since Mahomes has been in the league.

TAMPA, Fla. – With Super Bowl 55 incoming, many sports bettors will be placing action on the play of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

Legal sports betting has drastically changed since the young QB has been in the league. During his rookie season, most states were not allowed to launch their own regulated sports betting markets. Now just four years in, almost two dozen states will be hosting betting lines for his Super Bowl 55 play.

Looking back on the history of the legal sports betting market since Mahomes entered the league, we can see the drastic change across the country.

2017: Mahomes Rookie Season/New Jersey’s Lawsuit Against PASPA

As stated before, Mahomes was drafted to the Kansas City Cheifs in 2017. During his rookie season, the young QB did not start in a single game, sitting out the entire season.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA 1992) was still active that year. This law prevented most states from launching their own regulated markets (exceptions like Nevada had regulated sportsbooks).

What is an interesting parallel, is that while Mahomes was working towards gaining his first start in the NFL, states were beginning to add legal sports betting within their lawbooks in anticipation of PASPA’s repeal.

New Jersey brought forth a lawsuit against PASPA to the Supreme Court, where the state argued that PASPA was against the constitution.

On July 24, 2017, the US Supreme Court agreed to take on New Jersey’s claim against PASPA. This was a major step in the fight to repeal the law that was first put in place in 1992.

Just five months following the Supreme Court’s decision to accept the Garden State’s lawsuit, Patrick Mahomes would be afforded his first start in the NFL. Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 27-24 victory over the Denver Broncos, throwing for 284 years on 22/35 completions.

“I went into that game feeling like we could score anytime,” said Andy Reid, Chiefs Head Coach on Patrick Mahomes first start. “Once I got into the game, I felt the same thing.”

Mahomes first start showed something to Head Coach Andy Reid, and allowed him to comfortably part ways with then veteran QB Alex Smith, as a new era in Chiefs Football was incoming.

2018: Mahomes Start/PASPA Is Repealed

On May 14, 2018, the SCOTUS and a 6-3 majority vote overturned PASPA, finally putting an end to the federal ban against legal sports betting. Many states immediately jumped to launch their own legal sports betting markets, with Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania leading the charge.

The 2018 NFL season would start in September and become the first-ever football season where multiple states were allowed to bet on the NFL.

This was also the first full season QB Patrick Mahomes was able to start for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes would go on to score 50 TD’s to 12 interceptions, throw for 5097 yards, and finish with a QB rating of 113.8. This all accumulated to a league MVP award.

With the first season for sports bettors to wager on him outside of Nevada, Mahomes established himself as one of the best players in the league.

2019: Super Bowl And Sports Betting Expansions

2019 was a big year for both Patrick Mahomes and the legal sports betting world. Even more states legalized sports betting and the Chiefs had one of their most successful seasons in franchise history, ending with the team’s first Super Bowl Championship in 50 years.

Patrick Mahomes made it to the Super Bowl while many states were allowing Super Bowl betting for the first time.

Notable markets that launched in 2019 include New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Montana. New York in particular was a major market from the jump.

New York being a strong sports betting presence, saw a lot of sports betting revenue. In addition, the Super Bowl, where Patrick Mahomes ended up winning Super Bowl MVP, became the most wagered on Super Bowl in history,

The American Gaming Association estimates that $6 billion were bet on the matchup between the Kansas City Cheifs and the San Francisco 49ers. Both Mahomes and legal sports betting were making history.

2020: Mahomes And Sports Betting Continues To See Success

2020 was yet another year of success for both the MVP QB and the legal sports betting market. The Kansas City Chiefs saw yet another successful season that ultimately led to a trip to the Super Bowl and multiple states launched regulated betting markets.

Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and many more all launched sports betting. The 2020 NFL season became the most bet on season in history, which is understandable with all the new states giving access to their residents.

Established sports betting markets like New Jersey saw record-breaking numbers throughout the season, hitting nearly $1 billion in betting handle for December.

Both legal sports betting and Patrick Mahomes have established themselves as a major force in the sports world. As the star QB improves and sees success, so has the sports wagering world. With Super Bowl LV incoming, both Mahomes and sports betting will be major features in the Big Game.

News tags: Kansas City Chiefs | Michael McCann | Patrick Mahomes | SB 55 | SB LV | Super Bowl 55 | Super Bowl LV | Tampa | Tampa Bay Buccaneers