Television network NBC recently registered several sports betting domain names, causing a stir in the sports betting community. Will NBC create a sports betting platform? Or is the company merely playing defense, as the industry continues to grow?
Sports betting has become big business in the United States, quickly taking off after the US Supreme Court ruled in May to strike down the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act, which limited sports betting to the state of Nevada. Now that all states are open to legalizing the industry, various gambling companies, sports leagues, and other companies are vying for a piece of the pie.
Obtaining sports betting domain names
It was recently learned that NBC, the well-known television broadcasting company, has registered several sports betting domain names. The names taken by the company include NBCSportbook.com and NBCSportsSportsbook.com. The company was unable to obtain the dot.com names for NBCSportsBet, NBCSportsBetting, and NBCSportsBets because they are not unavailable. They did, however, obtain the non-.com formats of these domain names.
So now, the question becomes: Is NBC preparing to launch a sports betting platform of their own? Or is the network trying to stay on the defense, obtaining domain names involving its brand to be able to capitalize on the sports betting industry in another manner? Registering the domains puts NBC in a position to use them if it becomes involved in sports betting in the future.
The television company is already well-immersed in the sports world via the NBC Sports Network, which provides broadcasts of several sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and more. The company posts odds on upcoming games via NBCSports.com and could easily use its experience to offer additional sports betting info via the new domains or wagering, if the company decides to launch a sports betting platform.
Sports betting continues to grow
As companies such as NBC decide to become involved in the sports betting industry within the US, individual states continue to work on legalizing the activity. The most recent approval of sports betting came from Washington, DC, where the City Council approved the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018.
According to VSO News, the bill should be signed into law by Mayor Muriel Bowser soon, allowing the city to offer online and land-based sports betting services. Washington will then join several states that have legalized the new industry, including New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Rhode Island.