USFL Receives Approval From 15 States for Legal Sports Betting on League’s Games

When the new USFL kicks off next month, bettors in at least 15 states will be able to bet on the games.

State gaming authorities in Iowa, Oregon, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, who must approve new leagues for them to appear on the board, did so. Other states that can feature USFL betting include Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The league announced a deal with data provider Sportradar, which was the first step toward receiving approval.

“The new USFL will be an innovator in how fans watch and root for the teams they love, and we believe that the availability of legal sports wagering is another way fans can deepen their engagement with our games,” said Edward Hartman, the USFL’s executive vice president of business operations, in a statement.

The first USFL season, which will kick off April 16, has eight teams split into two divisions. The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits are in the South Division. The Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals, and Philadelphia Stars are in the North Division.

A 10-game season will be followed by division championships and a championship game on July 3. All the league’s games will be played in the home base of Birmingham to better control costs.

The quarterbacks are the most familiar names. Former Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson will play for Houston and former Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson will suit up for the Michigan team.

The league has taken the former name and team names of the USFL, which, 35 years ago, was discontinued after three seasons following their antitrust case against the NFL. The suit was successful, but only resulted in a judgment of $1. No one from the old league is connected to the current league.