Wayne Bennett issues American warning as NRL explores plan to tap into US sports-betting market

The NRL’s plan to take two games to Las Vegas could well see it bring a huge windfall from US gamblers back to Australia, Peter Badel reveals the details.

Wayne Bennett has called for an NRL headquarters in the United States as ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys unveiled a radical American gaming venture that could generate more than $200 million for the code.

News Corp can reveal the NRL is ‘Coming to America’ armed with a five-year strategic plan to cash in on the USA’s gigantic $93 billion sports-betting goldmine.

The ARL Commission’s ambitious idea to stage a premiership double header in Las Vegas next year is the first step in a multifaceted strategy for the NRL to target broadcast and sports-wagering opportunities in one of the world’s most populous nations.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo (left) and ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys will head to America to lock in a premiership double header in Las Vegas next year.

The NRL’s move to spread its tentacles to the Land of Opportunity is not just an exercise in potentially recruiting American athletes to play rugby league.

The US, with a population of 331 million, also possesses one of the world’s most lucrative sports-betting markets — and the NRL believes rugby league can become an exotic offshore option for American punters.

In an exclusive interview on the code’s calculated incursion into the US, V’landys detailed how America can become an untapped commercial pipeline that pumps millions of dollars into the NRL.

“This (proposed double header in Vegas) is not a one-off experiment, it is all part of a five-year strategic plan for us to penetrate America,” V’landys revealed.

“People say we have tried this before in America and failed.

“They have never tried it to the magnitude we are going to try it.

“The potential benefits, financially, would be in the tens of millions.

“And if we do it right, it could be in the hundreds of millions.

“We just don’t know for sure, but there’s significant revenue that could be generated for rugby league in America ... and we’re going to explore it.”

Playing NRL games in Vegas is the first step in rugby league exploring America’s massive sports-betting industry.

V’landys will fly to America in the coming weeks with NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo to ramp-up negotiations with US broadcast and sports-wagering experts.

Under the plan, American sports fans would have the opportunity to purchase a subscription to watch NRL games, with local agencies offering live betting markets on Telstra Premiership matches.

It is estimated the NRL generates $50 million annually from wagering operators in Australia. That figure could be increased exponentially in the gargantuan world of American sports betting.

American agencies took a total of $93.2 billion in sports bets last year, and more than $16b alone in New York.

By staging two NRL matches next year in Las Vegas — the gaming capital of the US — V’landys believes it can be the perfect shopfront to give millions of American fans a close-up, introductory view of a fresh sports betting option.

“If we are successful, we would penetrate two markets,” V’landys said.

“People would subscribe to the NRL broadcast, but just as importantly, people would get into the sports-wagering market by watching broadcasts of our games.

“At the moment, we sell our international broadcast and Fox hold it (the licence), but by working with Fox we can get a lot more money for both of us.

NSW great Peter Sterling (left) and Queensland legend Wally Lewis were among the pioneers who played an Origin exhibition match in Long Beach, California in 1987.

“One of the things that opened my eyes during our recent broadcast negotiations is that Australia is such a small market. We have 25 million people. There is 40 million people alone in California. America has a population of 331 million.

“There is a huge international reach for us and if we do that, the likes of Amazon and Apple become a target for the NRL.

“America has unlimited potential and the game has to look at growth, you don’t just sit still and do nothing.

“This (American broadcast and sports wagering) is a source of new revenue growth that we could get.”

The code’s greatest coach, Bennett, has been to America three times for exhibition games, including State of Origin’s memorable trip to California in 1987.

Bennett is supportive of taking premiership matches to Las Vegas, but says the NRL’s interest in the American market is a waste of time unless the ARL Commission funds a permanent base in the States.

“Without proper investment from the NRL, going to America is pie-in-the-sky rubbish,” Bennett said.

“But if we set up an NRL headquarters over there with staff and education programs, I guarantee you there will be loads of American guys who don‘t make the NFL who have the athletic talent to make a career in the NRL.

“My message to the NRL is don’t do this as a sugar hit.

Super coach Wayne Bennett says playing games in America is a waste of time unless the NRL sets up a full-time headquarters in the US.

“The Vegas double header is great. I love it. Sensational. But leave something behind. Leave five or $10 million or whatever the figure is to set up competitions and employ rugby league people to educate Americans in an NRL Academy.

“There’s no point having a double header if we then come back 15 years later and think it will be all magical again.

“We have to take real ownership of it. The American rugby league could become an arm of the National Rugby League in Australia and we bankroll it and service it and if we do that, American commercial partners will come with us.

“If we aren’t going to invest, then stay at home. But if we are going to invest, and make strong investment with staff and people on ground, then I’m all for it.

“Previous trips to America have ended in disaster, so let’s get serious this time and make it work.”

V’landys insists the NRL is committed to their American dream.

“We agree with Wayne 100 per cent. This is not a hit-and-run,” V’landys said.

“This is a long-term strategy for us to have a foothold in America, there is significant revenues to be made for the game and these would all be new revenues and we have to look at that opportunity.

“I still think there is an opportunity to attract the NFL players who don’t make it over there, which again will have the Americans following their journey in rugby league.”

Originally published as Wayne Bennett issues American warning as NRL explores plan to tap into US sports-betting market