WWE Working to Allow Wrestling Betting in States

• WWE is working with state gambling regulators to allow WWE betting.
• Currently, bettors can only wager on WWE at online sportsbooks.
• They’re working with EY to safeguard the results of matches from being leaked.

LAS VEGAS - WWE is currently negotiating with state gambling regulators in an attempt to allow state-based sportsbooks to offer betting on wrestling events.

Per CNBC, WWE will be associating itself with the accounting firm EY, formerly known as Ernst & Young, in order to protect the results of the matches from leaking.

This is the same process used to keep the results of the Emmys and the Academy Awards a secret. Still, even though this process is done, most states do not offer betting on the Academy Awards – only online sportsbooks do.

Currently, the only place to bet on wrestling results is at online sportsbooks, which, while easily accessible to players, are not giving a cut of any revenue to any of the leagues or their partners.

Allowing wagering on WWE at state-based books could be a good thing for both WWE and for the sportsbooks themselves. However, they’ll have to target specific states in order to persuade individual regulators to approve WWE betting.

CNBC claims that the states currently being targeted to allow WWE betting are Michigan, Colorado and Indiana.

Each appears to be in varying levels of progress. Colorado, one of the most permissive gambling states in the country, is currently claiming that they have not decided to move into WWE betting as of yet.

Michigan has a process to approve different sports for sports wagering while Indiana has allowed WWE to register with the Indiana Gaming Commission.

One real question is what WWE’s side of this looks like. Will they be simply allowing wagers on their matches, or will they actually have their own sportsbook partnerships and deals on their matches?