Adjusting to the ever-growing world of sports gambling, the NFL announced Tuesday it had hired David Highhill as vice president and general manager of sports betting. That position is the league’s first solely focused on overseeing its business in the legal sports betting industry, according to ESPN.
Highhill has been with the NFL for 10 years, and according to ESPN, his new role will task him with leading efforts to protect the integrity of the game from gambling-related harm, advance the league’s brand and reputation, grow the value of the NFL’s data and intellectual property and drive fan engagement globally.
“We’re going to focus on serving fans and the games rather than becoming a sportsbook,” Highhill told ESPN on Tuesday.
“We know there is a profile of fans that are most interested and a profile of fans that are less interested,” Highhill said. “So serving fans where they are is very important and that goes right alongside with supporting our relationship with the National Council on Problem Gambling and insuring that we take a leadership position on problem gambling.”
The hiring of Highhill is unsurprising. As the world of betting continues to grow, the NFL’s involvement will as well. This move will allow the league to better regulate their partnerships and rules.
