Professional Bowling May Be Next League To Get A Piece Of The Sports Betting Pie

As sports start to resume games and events ever so slowly, the Professional Bowlers Association is using its downtime wisely. There has been some form of betting on professional bowling games in Nevada at physical gaming locations.

However, widespread betting on any professional bowling matches has not been allowed. The Professional Bowling Association (PBA) was formed in 1958.

The PBA has 3,000 members, and PBA officials have been conducting virtual meetings with several sports betting providers. To have widespread sports betting on pro bowling matches, the green light would have to be given by the PBA.

Up until this point, the PBA has said it wasn’t ready to put its hat in the sports betting ring. Now a source has told the USA Today that top PBA officials have been conducting virtual meetings with several sports betting providers in the last month.

Ever since the Supreme Court overturned a federal sports betting ban in 2018, at least a dozen states have legalized sports betting. The industry has exploded, routinely experiencing billion-dollar revenues.

Colorado Launched Sports Betting May 1 Despite Sports Shutdown

Colorado had elaborate launch plans for a sports betting launch on May 1 long before the coronavirus started to wreak havoc on the world. The state went ahead with its launch last week, and even during the sports lockdown, it has been experiencing brisk business with iGaming events.

During a normal season, the PBA would have been winding down, and the PBA playoffs would be getting started right now. According to the source, since nothing is going on right now, PBA officials decided to give sports betting another look.

Earlier this year and last year, the NBA signed multi-billion dollar deals with sports betting partnerships. Those huge business partnerships between leagues and sports betting were impossible to ignore.

PBA league officials are very interested in exploring how they can expand their league to monetize it with sports betting, especially when it will be necessary to try to recoup some of the lost revenue due to the virus. According to insiders with knowledge of the meetings, the Commissioner of the PBA, Tom Clark, has been participating in the meetings. Clark has told PBA executives that it’s more than likely a go from them to proceed with sports betting.

COO Of The PBA Recently Verified That Research Is Currently Going On

The Chief Operating Officer of the PBA, Lev Ekster, told USA Today that the league has been paying very close attention to sports betting. They have also been talking with their members about their feelings on sports betting.

“The PBA has been tracking the movement towards legalizing betting in America with great interest,” Ekster said. “We have been speaking with experts on betting and educating our organization as to how to approach this coming opportunity effectively and responsibly.”

No one is sure of how the 10-pin professional bowling matches would fit into the sports betting equation. A few sports analysts have weighed in on the involvement of the PBA in the sports betting industry.

Sports betting analysis Wayne Northridge from Boston said, “There would be endless options for the PBA to get into the industry. It would be an advantage for the PBA and any sportsbook they chose to partner with.”

Northridge went on to say, “Everyone in the industry is making a bundle right now. Any new players would also make an insane amount of money. There has been a huge hunger for sports betting for decades. It’s long overdue.”