Plans are underway to create a retail sportsbook in an NFL venue.BetMGM, a sportsbook operator, announced Monday a partnership with the Arizona Cardinals. The deal will allow BetMGM access to the state's online betting market. It is expected to open by the 2021 NFL season.The partnership also includes the construction of a retail sportsbook at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona. This is home to the Cardinals.According to a press release, the Cardinals are the first NFL teams to announce plans for a retail sportsbook that will be added to their stadium before the 2022 season.Arizona, Illinois, and the District of Columbia all allow professional sports venues to offer sports betting. The Phoenix Suns announced earlier this year that they will be opening a retail sportsbook in the arena through their partnership with FanDuel. Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., which is home to the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics, opened their retail sportsbook in 2020.Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs, recently received approval for a two-story sportsbook.The Cardinals' announcement is another sign of the NFL's shift toward sports betting. In an effort to stop regulated betting expanding beyond Nevada, the league has been opposed to legal sports betting for many decades. This battle lasted nearly six years.The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the NFL and invalidated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1993, a federal statute that restricted regulated betting to Nevada. The ruling has resulted in sports betting legislation being passed by 29 states and the District of Columbia since then.
