By TheNuts - Sep 04, 2025
Sportsbooks Thrive In First Weeks Of Football Season
As the most heavily backed teams failed to live up to public expectations, the first weekend of the college football season produced disproportionate outcomes for the top
sports betting sites.
By number of bets and total money wagered, the house won at BetMGM out of the five most gambled sides.
According to Yahoo Sports, among the top wagers, No. 3 Ohio State defeated Texas 14–7, Florida State, a two-touchdown favorite, defeated Alabama 31–17, and No. 10 Miami defeated Notre Dame 27–24. Additionally, No. 9 LSU defeated Clemson 17–10, while Indiana defeated Old Dominion 24–10 but was unable to overturn a 24-point deficit.
For operators, the losses resulted in excellent outcomes. "We were devastated by Alabama and Clemson's crushing defeat on Saturday. "Obviously, Notre Dame [on Sunday night] was also helpful," Thomas Gable, director of The Borgata sportsbook, said.
Big bets on Texas didn't pay out either. Circa Sports took a $550,000 stake on Texas +1, and Caesars took a $1 million moneyline bet on the Longhorns at -105. Arch Manning's debut was unsuccessful, and both lost. Ohio State's broad industry need was mentioned by Circa Sports trader Jamey Pileggi, who added that it helped create a nice atmosphere for the weekend.
Chuck Esposito, director of Station Casinos, reiterated similar results, saying, "It was huge to get both Alabama and Notre Dame to lose outright along with Clemson." Texas, too. Crowds, mood, and handling were all excellent.
The first NFL action of the season is another event that bettors can focus on this week. However, players in the league will not be able to get around gambling bans by using the top prediction markets.
The NFL has taken action in response to the growth of sports prediction markets, stating that these websites will be regarded as traditional sports betting under league rules.
All players, coaches, and employees are not allowed to participate in these markets, according to Chief Compliance Officer Sabrina Perel's statement last week, as "these platforms mimic sports betting, they are covered as prohibited under our policy."
The NFL prohibits gambling at team premises, proxy betting, and direct betting on games. Daily fantasy competitions are likewise limited to employees. This season, former athletes have been asked to convey the message to current participants.
Football-related contracts that mimic straight bets and proposition wagers have been introduced by prediction markets, like those started by Kalshi and Robinhood. The league clarified its stance after their quick expansion, claiming they are included by its definition of forbidden betting activity.
Prediction markets provide compliance issues, according to NFL Vice President of Sports Betting David Highhill, who added, "We're concerned that if these markets aren't properly regulated, they could be susceptible to manipulation or price distortion."