The NFL has hired David Highhill as its first executive dedicated exclusively to sports betting. He is also VP for the entire organization. Highhill, who has been with the NFL for a decade, will move over from the corporate strategy group where he led the league's inaugural market sports betting initiatives.
This new role will entail leading efforts to ensure the integrity of the game, to protect it from problem gambling, advance the league’s reputation, grow the NFL’s data and intellectual property, and drive global fan engagement.
Highhill began his new position in the early stages of the NFL's pivot on sports betting, with advertisements for sportsbooks airing during the 21-22 NFL season. The league has also formed partnerships with multiple sports betting operators including FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet and WynnBET.
Official league data is being sold to bookmakers in the US, with the NFL linking with Sportradar to distribute data from 2020 onwards. Six of the largest US bookmakers now use official data under terms they negotiated directly with the leagues.
In 2021, the Washington franchise was granted a sports betting license in Maryland. However, Highhill said he does not foresee the league or teams directly operating a sportsbook: "We're going to focus on serving fans and the games rather than becoming a sportsbook."
The NFL retains some skepticism in regard to betting in its league, wary that there could be an oversaturation of betting content leading to the fanbase being turned off. Highhill is aware of split opinions amongst fans, saying, "We know there is a profile of fans that are most interested and a profile of fans that are less interested.
“So serving fans where they are is very important and that goes right alongside with supporting our relationship with the National Council on Problem Gambling and ensuring that we take a leadership position on problem gambling."
