Looks like the elephant in the room is thinking about joining us at the grownups table.

Daniel Kaplan, of the Sports Business Journal, reported at the NFL owners meetings outside of Dallas that league officials were in the process of “securing a national casino sponsor.”

The NFL has generally been like a Patrick Mahomes no-look pass when it comes to gambling. The league spent millions of dollars fighting those who wanted to legalize it while at the same time issuing injury reports and encouraging fans to sign up for fantasy football on its website.

The NBA, Major League Baseball, and the NHL have formed partnerships with MGM since the Supreme Court overturned a federal ban in May. Individually, teams, such as the Sixers with Caesars casinos, also are accepting sponsorship business with sports betting outlets.

Seven sports betting parlors have opened in Atlantic City in the last six months, and numerous mobile apps are now available in New Jersey.

Sports betting is legal in Pennsylvania, but the only place doing business is the Hollywood Casino at Penn National race track near Hershey, Pa. Parx and SugarHouse are scheduled to open soon in this area. Mobile sports betting has not yet started in Pennsylvania.

Delaware’s three race tracks also are booking sports bets.

http://www2.philly.com/eagles/nfl-sports-betting-owners-meeting-casino-sponsor-20181212.html