The Indiana Gaming Commission on Tuesday approved additional wagering markets for Super Bowl LIV and also approved betting on XFL games for the upcoming season.
The additional betting markets for the Super Bowl, which were requested by operators according to the IGC, mostly cover pre-game and post-game possibilities.
There were seven wagers approved: the outcome of the coin toss, picking the player to correctly call the coin toss, a parlay of the team winning the coin toss and the game, whether there will be a flea-flicker play during the game, the color of the Gatorade shower for the winning coach, who the Super Bowl MVP will thank first, and the possibility of a player retiring after the game.
After NFL ends, XFL begins
The IGC also stated there were multiple requests from operators for wagering on the XFL, which is an eight-team football league owned by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and begins play Feb. 8.
McMahon’s previous attempt to launch the XFL lasted one season in 2001, when it had tie-ins to the World Wrestling Federation, which is now the WWE. The new XFL — which has a 10-game regular season and two-round playoff — will try to incorporate a faster pace with some rules that differ from the NFL.
“The XFL is honored to be recognized as an approved event for sports wagering by the Indiana Gaming Commission,” XFL President and COO Jeffrey Pollack said. “We believe gaming experiences, including legal sports betting, are an important part of today’s fan experience. Our league appreciates the opportunity this creates in Indiana to grow our audience and increase engagement with our game.”
The most notable alternative rule is that there is no option to kick an extra point. Teams can try for one point from the 2-yard line, two points from the 3-yard line, or 3 points from the 10-yard line.
Other tweaks by the XFL include an overtime that will feature a shootout style of five single-play possessions from the opponents’ 5-yard line, and players needing only one foot inbounds for a legal catch. Teams will be allowed two forward passes on a play, and there will be a running clock on all plays except in the final two minutes of each half.
It remains to be seen whether Indiana’s legal online sportsbooks, including FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers, will offer betting on XFL markets. There is no Indiana-based team in the league. The closest geographically will be the St. Louis Battlehawks.
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