Buffalo Wild Wings, a US sports bar and restaurant chain, has confirmed that it is exploring options to offer sports betting at its restaurants and that the coming years could see patrons placing bets along with beer and buffalo wings orders at is more than 1,000 locations across all 50 states and D.C.
According to a company spokesperson, sports betting could play a role in the future growth of Buffalo Wild Wings, also known as B-Dubs.
The spokesperson also commented that, as the largest sports bar in America, they believe Buffalo Wild Wings is uniquely positioned to leverage sports gaming to enhance the restaurant experience for their guests. He added that they are actively exploring opportunities, including potential partners, as they evaluate the next steps for their brand.
Every wall at the restaurants is covered with a TV and the restaurant advertises itself as the perfect place to watch a game and sports betting would, therefore, seem a natural fit for the chain. Customers usually stay for several hours over the course of a sporting event and it would make sense to attract patrons with more than desert.
The restaurant has a presence in every state and over 44,000 employees and the introduction of sports betting would establish B-Dubs a substantial presence, cutting across the country – pending legislation approval in various states.
It is anticipated that at least 15 states in the US will have passed laws to regulate sports betting by the end of 2019, with at least 32 states having approved legislation within the next five years.