The availability of NFL betting markets for the Scouting Combine varies depending on state gambling rules.
In 2024, three online books offered wagering on the combine as part of their NFL draft betting lineup. DraftKings Sportsbook had combine odds in 12 states and Ontario, with FanDuel Sportsbook offering the combine in seven states and BetMGM doing so in five states. Last year, a handful of regulators approved wagering on the draft combine, which they monitor differently from a traditional sporting event.
“We just monitor betting markets and betting data to ensure none of the markets are receiving abnormally high amounts of wagering that would require further investigation,” US Integrity founder and CEO Matt Holt told LSR.
Where NFL betting includes combine
NFL betting on the draft combine is available in the following states:
- Arizona (BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel)
- Colorado (BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel)
- Illinois (BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel)
- Kansas (DraftKings, FanDuel)
- Louisiana (BetMGM, DraftKings)
- Maryland (BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel)
- New Hampshire (DraftKings)
- Oregon (DraftKings)
- Pennsylvania (DraftKings, FanDuel)
- Puerto Rico (BetMGM)
- Washington (DraftKings)
- Washington DC (BetMGM)
- West Virginia (DraftKings, FanDuel)
- Wyoming (DraftKings)
- Ontario (BetMGM, DraftKings)
None of Bet365, Caesars, ESPN Bet or Fanatics offers markets on the combine.
NFL Combine betting types available
The types of combine markets offered via prop wagers include:
- Anyone to Break 40-yard Dash Combine Record
- Fastest 40-yard Dash Time
- Highest Vertical Jump
- Longest Broad Jump
- Fastest 20-yard Shuttle
- Most Bench Press Reps
Some regulators more judicious
Markets with some of the stricter regulators in US sports betting, like Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Ohio, however, do not allow the wager type.
A spokesperson for the New York State Gaming Commission told LSR: “Wagering on the combine has not been approved in NY. It is not a sporting event.”
Similarly, New York regulators prohibit betting on the NFL Draft.
What those regulators say about NFL Combine betting
- According to a spokesperson for the Ohio Casino Control Commission, “Wagers on league drafts, combines or other player evaluation/selection events require specific approval according to our catalog criteria – they do not fall under the NFL’s general approval.”
- A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said: “As I understand it, DraftKings has reached out to my colleagues in the sports wagering division for clarification on whether the NFL draft combine was allowable under the Commission’s approved catalog. That event is not approved for wagering. Any request would have to come to the Commission via the new event/wager petition for the Commissioners to decide.”
- The New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement added: “Combine wagering is not approved in New Jersey. We cannot comment on whether it was requested.”
Corrections can happen in NFL Combine
Stopwatches and tally marks are subject to mistakes, which is why the NFL often posts official times or counts after an event. Even those are subject to change, however.
In 2022, those who bet “yes” on Anyone to Break 40-yard Dash Combine Record, learned this the hard way. After wide receiver Tyquan Thornton finished with a 4.21 unofficial time, just under the 4.22 record, the NFL later came out with a corrected official time of 4.28 for the wide receiver.
Additionally, that pushed Thornton down to the third-fastest time at the combine. Bettors who took Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes, who ran a 4.23, to finish first ended up benefiting from the correction.
How corrections are handled
In some cases, operators may opt to pay out both sides of the bet as a gesture of goodwill. They are under no obligation to do so, a spokesperson with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said.
“Regarding stat corrections, each operator maintains their own approved house rules, and how this is handled can vary. If there was a later stat correction, the operator would simply resettle the bet based on the stat correction made by applying the official results,” a PGCB spokesperson said.
In rare cases when final stats are revised by the league, player scores and settlements on DraftKings stay the same, per the book’s house rules.
In an instance where no official result is available, FanDuel uses information from independent sources to make a reasonable decision according to the book’s house rules. That can result in either a reinstatement, resettlement, or, in rare cases, pending bets while the sportsbook pursues more information.
“How it would be handled depends not just on the house rules for each platform, but also situation by situation,” a spokesperson with the Kansas Lottery said.
Does combine betting fit into rules?
Multiple regulators told LSR that certain draft markets fit under their state statutes. Maryland regulators included several combine wagers in its catalog.
A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Gaming said operators submit wager requests for approval. If it meets state statutes and rules, the regulator approves the market.
Milton Champion, the executive director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit, said the exhibition approval covers several combine wagers for DraftKings and Caesars.
LSR reporters Sam McQuillan and Pat Evans contributed to this report.
