Betting on Wrestling?

Yesterday was interesting day in the American sports world as the Supreme Court upheld the challenge from the state of New Jersey that allowing only one state to have legalized sports betting is indeed not constitutional. 

This gets the mind running a bit. Imagine Friday afternoon at the NCAA's being able to place bets before the semi-finals. It's a bit tough to imagine, but I suppose better than betting on where a ball comes to rest on a wheel. Several rust belt cities have used casinos to help pump money into their downtown business districts (Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis) and sports betting would probably be a carrot too tough to resist.  

The caveat to this is the NCAA. They do not allow post-season events in states with legalized gambling and did not consider the bids Las Vegas made (this last 4-year cycle) for Wrestling, the Frozen Four, and Basketball. Detroit is set to host the NCAA Wrestling finals in 2022. It's possible that Michigan potentially legalizing sports betting would put this in jeopardy. 

Sports have been a main life line for television networks in the streaming age. In the days of binge watching and dwindling ratings for network shows, advertisers crave a captive audience that will actually watch the commercials that sports provide. Many believe that when more states legalize sports betting that ratings will climb, leading to more ad revenue. Additionally, states will receive money from taxing the bets as well leading to states going all in. While it's tough to imagine, the money is there.