Quiet season: How sports betting is faring in the NFL off season

Prior to the 2024-2025 season, the American Gaming Association (AGA) projected US bettors would wager $35bn on NFL contests and confirmed a handle of $26.7bn for the 2023-2024 season through analysis conducted once play had concluded. For Super Bowl 59 in February, the AGA predicted a total wager amount of $1.39bn in the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, a new record generated for the event. The league also bears witness to a significant portion of the highest individual wagers placed each year in the US, as sportsbooks take bets of six-to-seven figures and possibly extending further for the big game.   

“No single event unites sports fans like the Super Bowl, and that excitement extends to sports betting, with this year’s record legal handle reflecting its widespread appeal,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said at the time of announcement. “This figure underscores the positive impact of the legal market – from protecting consumers to generating tax revenue that benefits communities across the country – while enhancing the game experience for all.” 

A life without football 

While the NFL undergoes its annual off-season period – covering the majority of February through the end of August – operators must identify ways of maintaining similar levels of activity while utilising fellow US sporting leagues such as Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL). The NBA and NHL typically complete its final matchups by the end of June each year, leaving baseball as the final major US sport in competition for July and August.  

Circa Resort & Casino VP of Operations Mike Palm spoke with Gaming America as part of an exclusive interview to cover the type of activity seen throughout the NBA and NHL Finals events in June, having said, “The NBA is one of those leagues that’s heavily driven by player props. Betting over/under points, assists, rebounds, sometimes depending on the player over/under steals. So no matter the teams that are playing, people will still get involved in wagering on individual players, and that’s what the NBA has become more and more about. Wagering on player stats more than actually placing money on either side.” 

Sportsbooks received a level of good fortune to begin the summer when the NHL and NBA Finals matchups reached six and seven games, respectively, despite many around basketball believing the Oklahoma City Thunder would defeat the Indiana Pacers in five games or less. The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers series was certainly a noteworthy result in addition to the thrilling basketball event, but failed to reach similar heights to the franchises’ first Stanley Cup Finals battle in June 2024, when Edmonton nearly claimed victory after going down 3-0 in a best-of-seven contest.  

“At DraftKings, we operate at the speed of sports – and that means sports never pause. While the NFL is a cornerstone of the American sports calendar, our platform thrives year-round by tapping into the continuous rhythm of sports. Whether a thrilling tournament like March Madness, or the drama of the NBA and NHL Playoffs or the daily cadence of MLB action, we offer fans an immersive, narrative-first betting experience that evolves in real-time with the sports world,” DraftKings CRO Greg Karamitis told Gambling Insider. 

“Our customers don’t just watch it all – they engage with it all and we’ve built our product to surface storylines across all sports – curating rich real-time live content and social features that let fans share their voice. For our customers, it’s not just about placing bets, it’s about being part of the moment and, for us, it’s about creating a platform that moves with the rhythm of sports and keeps the energy high, every single day of the year.” 

The NHL struggles to witness the same levels of betting activity as compared to an NFL or NBA year-over-year, but the introduction of player props or offerings such as “first goal scorer” has certainly played a crucial role in helping operators maintain interest in the sport. While the offering by no means pales in comparison to its football or basketball counterparts, ice hockey is held back by typically receiving the lowest viewership counts among the four major US sports. Operators such as BetMGM and Caesars have made attempts to forge new connections with the league, however, as NHL star Connor McDavid appeared in a responsible gambling campaign with BetMGM in 2024 while Caesars Digital began the integration of league branding across its online casino platforms.  

First base 

PrizePicks has looked to make similar progress with the MLB, establishing new partnerships with franchises such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in California alone. Baseball’s pace of play creates a relatively unmatched opportunity for sportsbooks compared with other sporting events, as fans or bettors could realistically place a live bet in between pitches, at bats or innings and earn payouts in real-time. Whether it be the result of a certain at-bat or even the speed of a pitch about to be thrown, it’s difficult to find any sport that offers similar timeframes to baseball for placing live bets.  

“We’ve also recently expanded our relationships with several Major League Baseball organizations. PrizePicks is now the official daily fantasy sports partner for five MLB franchises: the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Houston Astros,” PrizePicks CMO Mike Quigley told Gambling Insider. “Driving further awareness in key markets directly to sports fans in these endemic environments is enabling us to expand the successful communities we’ve created to date, and reach even broader and more engaged target audiences.” 

In 2023, the MLB named FanDuel as its third official sports betting partner, joining BetMGM and DraftKings while having worked with the league since 2019 as Authorized Gaming Operator according to the release. “The baseball fan is one of the most engaged in all of sports, which is why we’re delighted to be the new sports betting partner of Major League Baseball. Our team is eager to showcase FanDuel in nationally broadcast MLB games and help enhance game narratives and bring America’s Pastime directly into our mobile app and OTT platform for fans to watch and wager,” FanDuel Group President Christian Genetski said at the time of announcement. “We’re also very excited about the opportunity to work together with MLB on new betting product innovations that will give customers the opportunity to enhance their experience on every pitch from March until October.” 

While the comments from Genetski appear standard, citing the specific timeframe in which the MLB carries its season through – and coincidentally the vast majority of NFL’s off-season – can help showcase the level of focus operators place on this potential activity standstill. Fanatics Betting and Gaming VP of Communications Kevin Hennessy spoke on the major sporting events outside of the MLB which helped to retain betting interest from consumers, telling Gambling Insider: “The summer will see other sports taking center stage for customers at Fanatics Sportsbook. We will see an uptick in betting on baseball, soccer and tennis – due to major events like Wimbledon and US Open, and women’s sports like the WNBA and NWSL will get their moment to shine.” 

WNBA impact 

Hennessy went on to predict Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark would be one of the most bet-on athletes across all of July, only for the women’s basketball sensation to battle through injuries for a large portion of the month. It is not yet known what type of impact Clark being unavailable had for sportsbooks and the level of activity seen for the WNBA, but results from her final March Madness tournament in 2024 help indicate the type of potential she holds for women’s sports betting.  

DraftKings reportedly witnessed 3.5x more bets on the 2024 Women’s March Madness tournament compared to the prior year period, and nearly four times as much total money was wagered on the individual matchups. BetMGM’s WNBA betting activity was up 175% through Clark’s rookie year in 2024, while Hennessy confirmed the Fever’s over/under win total for the same season was the bet future of any WNBA offering from Fanatics sportsbook.  

Fanatics also manages to utilize its branding outside of sports betting to generate consumer interest in the operator throughout the summer, most notably its Fanatics Fest event which ran from June 20 – 22 this year. “Fanatics has a larger footprint in the world of sports and entertainment, so the summer is great for our customers with unique access to events like MLB All-Star Weekend, WWE SummerSlam and more,” Hennessy said.  

Rising tide lifts all boats 

The overall rise in popularity around sports betting has also helped to lessen the impact of when the NFL is not active, as the AGA reported on July 23 gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the offering increased 24.3% year-over-year to US$1.37bn for May 2025. Over the course of January through May 2025, sports betting GGR showcased growth of 13.1% from the prior year period for a total revenue of $6.5bn in the five-month stretch.  

Not only that, the AGA stated US residents wagered approximately $12.1bn throughout May 2025 alone, an increase of 15.5% year-over-year while the national hold rate for operators equated to 11.3%, the highest recorded since September 2024 by the Association. Even without the NFL, various sporting leagues continue to inflate the appeal of offerings for consumers throughout the summer seasons, greatly showcased by the financial success garnered by operators in recent months.  

“Key summer events like major golf tournaments, blockbuster UFC cards and global soccer matches offer incredible moments of engagement opportunities. By delivering immersive product experiences – like enhanced live betting, custom markets and curated content around these marquee moments – we’re not just reacting to fan interest, we’re amplifying it,” Karamitis said. “That momentum carries forward, keeping customers active and engaged as the sports calendar transitions back to NFL, NBA, NHL and more.” 

From the March Madness college basketball tournament – both men and women’s – to the NBA/NHL Finals and finally the MLB season, new promotions and innovation can be introduced while thoughts of NFL activity are put on the backburner. Operators such as FanDuel continue to make use of its long-term collaborations with the MLB, offering promotions such as $150 in bonus bets for any $5 wager placed on a baseball game or receiving one month of the league’s streaming service for no cost. DraftKings is offering users parlay boosts for both the MLB and WNBA, while also creating a “no sweat” token for home run wagers placed every Friday throughout the baseball season.  

“The NBA, NHL and MLB each attract different audiences and regional fanbases, creating entry points for expanding our reach. Beyond just extending reach, these leagues are a gateway into the broader culture of sports fandom. Sports don’t happen in a vacuum – they’re inherently social,” Karamitis said.  

“Fans are watching together, debating narratives and sharing opinions with their community. That’s a big part of what makes sports special, and it’s a dynamic we aim to capture in our sportsbook. Whether it’s sharing picks, seeing what others are betting or experiencing the live sweat together, we bring betting into the social arena. It’s about more than just the bet – it’s about being part of the moment.” 

An opportunity for noise 

With the NFL season just days away, however, the time for new activations and promotions is nearing for operators, including improved touchdown betting offerings from DraftKings or Circa Sports’ Survivor and Million VII contests, featuring its highest payout to date of $21m, as well as the introduction of Circa Grandissimo. The anticipation of football kicked off into high gear on July 31, especially, when the first preseason action of the year was played between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, albeit resulting in a lopsided affair.  

Still, the NFL off-season is as much about opportunity as it is finding ways to keep bettors entertained when live football cannot be found, displayed by the growing momentum for additional verticals from consumers. As week one is set to kick off on September 4, any fear of having to punt on the spring and summer months has long been tossed to the wayside by operators. Despite the NFL remaining sports betting’s king, leagues such as the NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA have exemplified time-and-time again how noise can be generated even when one would assume the industry is at its quietest.