The NFL Draft is definitely an event that draws a lot of attention for sports bettors.
Last year marked the first year that online sports betting was available for the three-day occurrence.
With that came some confusion as to when bets can be placed leading up to the start of the NFL Draft.
Good news is, the Michigan Gaming Control Board adjusted its rules for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Wagering legal up until start of NFL Draft
Last year, the MGCB sports wagering catalog for the NFL Draft stated the following: “For an approved player draft, betting on the draft shall stop at the close of business (at 11:59pm) the day before the draft takes place.”
That meant that wagers had to be stopped at 11:59 p.m. the day prior to the NFL Draft.
However, on Thursday, April 29, 2021 (Day 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft), Fox Bet Sportsbook and PointsBet Sportsbook were still taking wagers.
This year, things have been changed to allowing betting until the NFL Draft begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
According to Mary Kay Bean, Communications Specialist for the MGCB, “For an approved player draft, betting on the draft shall stop at the scheduled start time of the player draft.”
That will apply each day of the draft, so second- and third-round betting can take place until Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Betting over the final four rounds can be held until Saturday at Noon ET.
NFL Draft Live Betting Still Prohibited
While bets can be placed on the same day of the NFL Draft, don’t get your hopes up to jump on a live bet.
Should a trade happen, or a shocking pick change the projection of upcoming picks, sports bettors can’t capitalize.
That could potentially change in the future, as it is sure to be appealing to sports bettors that watch the entire draft.
Challenges for that to take place can be the timing of the NFL Draft and what knowledge is known to teams and players before it would be available to the public and sportsbooks.
There’s a lot of moving parts to a professional sports draft once it begins, none more so than the NFL Draft.
