Will Sports Betting Force the NFL to Fix Its Bad Calls?

All eyes should be on quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Buffalo Bills tonight — a matchup that will determine which one makes it to this year’s Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the players won’t have the spotlight to themselves. Thanks to high-profile officiating controversies involving Mahomes during last weekend’s playoff against the Houston Texans, fans will also be more fixated on whether the referees’ call the game fairly.

It’s a pity. Historically, the National Football League hasn’t had to worry about disappointing its emotionally invested spectators with bad officiating. Diehard fans will complain and tune in anyway. But since 2021, there’s been a shift. That’s when the NFL partnered with legalized gambling companies to provide viewers the chance to become financially invested in game outcomes, too. And those fans are a mixed bag of hardcore football lovers and casual spectators looking to try their luck at making some extra money; a good portion of the latter may not wager or watch if they don’t trust the competence and integrity of the referees.