First, the NFL’s Washington Redskins introduced its predictive gaming solution for sports gambling fans. The interactive platform allows fans to participate in certain prop bet-like gambling during the team’s preseason games and will most likely be rolled out once all the bugs are worked out. Now, the LA Rams are getting in on the action, as well, introducing its own version of a sports gambling solution, “Rams Pick‘em.”
The Rams issued a press release last Friday about the new product, a free-to-play mobile game that allows fans to make real-time predictions during the football match. It gives football enthusiasts the chance to “test their football instincts and earn points for every prediction they get right” during games to win prizes, including tickets to see the Rams play in person, pregame field passes and autographed merchandise.
Marissa Daly, the team’s VP of Media, indicates in the press release, “We are thrilled to bring our fans closer to the action with an engaging second-screen experience. We feel that our free-to-play predictions game will be a fun way for fans to compete against one another while watching their Rams compete on the field.”
The platform is open to all U.S. residents, as long as they don’t live in Florida, New York or Rhode Island or aren’t under 18 years of age. It will be interesting to see what happens with Rams Pick’em as the season rolls on, and whether or not it will include additional wagering options.
While no indication or implication was made in the press release, there’s a really good chance that more is planned for the application than just offering a free-to-play game. It isn’t difficult to envision a platform in the very near future that would allow live-action real-money wagers placed on Rams games, with the possibility of similar platforms being introduced by other teams.
An extensive rollout of NFL gambling applications won’t happen overnight and probably won’t happen for at least a few more years. While the number of legal sports gambling states continues to grow, there is still a lot of work to be done. This is especially true about online gaming, given the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) stance on the subject. However, it’s only a matter of time – the DOJ has already proven itself incapable of maintaining an objective position and will almost certainly lose if it tries to wield its power sword incorrectly again.
