A sportsbook inside the Washington Commanders stadium is an N.F.L. first and a symbol of the league's wholehearted (and profitable) embrace of gambling.



Blurry image of patrons walking in opposite directions past the door with the Fanatics Sportsbook sign. A bearded man in a blue polo shirt places his hand on the barricade in front of the entrance.
The sportsbook inside FedEx Field, operated by the betting division of sports apparel company Fanatics, is the first facility to operate inside N.F.L. Stadium.Credit.Craig Hudson for The Washington Post, via Getty Images.
Two hours before the Washington Commanders' first N.F.L. regular season game, the sportsbook doors at FedEx Field opened and air conditioning blasted through the stadium's main concourse, drawing fans in. A sign said bet $20 and get a free Commanders hat. A bouncer stood out front with a handheld device that scanned IDs and checked to make sure customers were at least 21 years old and not prohibited from gambling by state regulators.

Shortly before kickoff, when Lawrence Harrod, 37, wandered by with his brother, hundreds of cash bets had already been placed. Having already bet on four N.F.L. games on a mobile gambling app, Harrod's main goal was to take a break from the humidity. But as he looked around the 5,000-square-foot space with 21 self-service betting kiosks and three dozen , he could clearly see that N.F.L. and its team were seizing the business opportunity.

The FedEx Field sportsbook, operated by the betting arm of sports apparel company Fanatics, is the first (and so far only) such facility to operate inside an N.F.L. stadium. It is also a physical manifestation of the delicate boundaries that the country's preeminent sports league is attempting to walk in embracing and also policing sports betting.

'I understand why the N.F.L.'s stance is what it is. 'This is the future.

Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling paved the way for more states to allow sports wagering, the N.F.L. and its teams have increasingly embraced gambling as the league's largest casinostown.com. The league's partnership with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Entertainment is reportedly worth nearly $1 billion over five years. FanDuel's blue sign is displayed in both end zones, and the logo of the nearby MGM National Harbor casino hangs on the stadium steps.

But legalized gambling comes at a cost. This past offseason, the N.F.L. imposed the most extensive penalties for gambling policy violations. Seven of the 10 players currently suspended have been banned for at least this season for gambling on N.F.L. games. And other than the disclaimers at the bottom of the ads and the occasional public service announcements of the league's campaign encouraging bettors to "play responsibly," the potential impact on N.F.L. fans who are tempted by free hats and hundreds of dollars in bonus bets during games is There has been little discussion.

N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview on NBC's pregame show before Thursday's season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions that the league has long opposed legalized sports betting. However, he continued, "Now that the Supreme Court has overturned it, we have to be there. He suggested that the league's business relationship organizations gives the N.F.L. an opportunity to educate its fans.

Players who bet on N.F.L. games are subject to the league's toughest gambling penalties. Nine players (including one commanding player) have received at least a season-long suspension over the past four years for gambling on N.F.L. games. Three players, however, have received shorter suspensions for betting on other sports at their team's facilities, and the policy for coaches and other officials prohibits any betting on other sports. This differs from other professional leagues, such as Major League Baseball, which prohibits only baseball games and illegal betting.

Commanding left tackle Charles Leno Jr. does not like to talk about the gambling policy. But as his team's union representative, Leno says, "I just advise the players to follow our rules. I know that at first glance it may seem unfair. But at the end of the day, you have to follow our rules. That's all I can advise."

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The sports book is located one floor above the command locker room. With a maximum capacity of 241, the foot traffic is only a fraction of the online clientele, including fans who can place bets from their seats. Still, the physical space was a useful marketing tool for the new betting operator, Fanatics.


A silhouette of a thumb floating above a cell phone screen displaying icons of four betting apps.
The human traffic to the sportsbook was a small fraction of the online betting customer base, which includes fans who can place bets from the comfort of their seats.
The Conductor secured a sports betting license for FedEx Field from Maryland state officials last year, and the Fanatics pay the team a fee to operate the sportsbook through that license; it has been open to the public seven days a week since January, but two months later, team owners Two months later, the team's owners gave it an added boost when they voted to allow the sportsbook to operate inside the stadium during home games.

According to a league spokesman, N.F.L. rules do not allow teams to receive a direct percentage from wagers, but the commissions paid by betting operators count toward league revenues that are distributed with the players.

Ali Borod, chief business officer of Fanatics' betting division, said the N.F.L. has taken a "pragmatic" approach to how it has embraced sports betting over the past five years and has come to see it as another way for fans to participate in their favorite sports. He said he has come to see it as another way for fans to participate in their favorite sports.

Having worked in sports betting for nearly a decade, Borod said, "They know how important betting is to their sport, and more importantly, the betting industry knows how important football is. 'In the early days, some people said you shouldn't place bets at sportsbooks inside stadiums. But as sports betting matured, people began to think that everyone was doing it on their cell phones anyway."

The sportsbook was open only to ticket holders during the Commanders' game and did not have a view of the field, so by kickoff of Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, only five people had lingered on the leather couches and bar inside. At halftime, some fans returned to place their bets after seeing what the first half had to offer. Others sought a cool, dry place to order food and drinks.

A fan wearing a jersey of command safety Kamren Karl called out to another bettor at a neighboring kiosk, "Double down on Washington, huh?" Washington led the Cardinals by three at halftime, he reasoned, but the home team would not give the ball away three more times. Another Commanders fan, standing under a television screen showing live odds for all of the afternoon's N.F.L. games, reluctantly bet on the Cardinals.

Joe D. and Jason B. Two childhood friends who attended the game to celebrate their birthdays had already placed their bets on the mobile app for Sunday's game. But when they saw a sign outside the sports book offering free hats, they ventured inside and added $20, which was cheaper than the hats at Fanatics, the apparel store next door.

''We never put money in that we don't have,'' Jason B. said. 'But not everyone can control themselves.

Over the past four years, Joe D. has bet a total of about $9,000 on every sport through the mobile betting app. Looking at the sportsbooks in the Command Stadium and the TV screens flashing ads for the N.F.L.'s betting partners, he said, "They're obviously making money."

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