Ring up the XFL as yet another competition approved for sports betting in New Jersey. The state Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) added the revived football league on January 15, becoming the sixth state to authorize betting.
Bettors can wager on games Nevada and New Jersey, the two largest sports betting markets, along with Pennsylvania, Indiana, Rhode Island and Iowa, according to = the Associated Press.
“Legal sports betting is an important way for fans to engage with our game in New Jersey and other communities across the country,” said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL president and chief operating officer. “With the kickoff to our season less than three weeks away, we’re excited to get going.”
XFL rules differ from the NFL’s in several ways, including the option to seek one, two or three points from the two-, five- or 10-yard line after scoring a touchdown. The XFL also allows two forward passes on the same play, as long as both happen behind the line of scrimmage.
After a one-and-done season in 2001, the league owned by World Wrestling Entertainment President Vince McMahon will try again starting February 8. Consisting of eight teams, the league will have its championship game in April. Franchises include Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington.
Whether sports betting helps the league survive remains to be seen. No one expects the XFL to generate the amount of bets the NFL does. Last year, the Alliance of American Football folded before completing its inaugural season. Betting on those games was likened by several sportsbooks to the level of some mid-to-lower tier college games. Numerous sportsbooks have modest expectations of the money it will generate.
