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How Online Casino Games Can Keep NFL Bettors Engaged Between Games

I got into NFL betting because I love football, but somewhere along the way I realized there was a whole other world sitting right there in the same app

Chad Nagel
Chad Nagel
Sports Betting & Casino Editor
Bruce Douglas
Sports Betting Writer

3 minread

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How Online Casino Games Can Keep NFL Bettors Engaged Between Games

How Online Casino Games Can Keep NFL Bettors Engaged Between Games

FanDuel Casino and DraftKings Casino both feature over 1,000 games, from RNG-powered roulette or the latest slots sites to live blackjack. Once I started blending casino games into my football betting routine, Sundays got a whole lot more interesting.

The Baccarat Coin Flip for Totals

Let me tell you about the one that started it all. I was staring down an Eagles vs Cowboys game with the total set at 44.5 points one of those classic NFC East slugfests where you have no idea if it's going to be a 13-10 grind or a 38-35 shootout. I'd gone back and forth for 20 minutes and was getting nowhere.

So on a bit of a whim, I fired up baccarat. I’ve made for myself a simple rule: if the Banker wins, I take the Under. If the Player wins, I take the Over. 

It sounds ridiculous, but it actually works as a decision-making hack. When the Banker hit and I had to back the Under, I immediately felt a twinge of resistance. That gut feeling told me more about my actual lean than 20 minutes of reading box scores ever did. 

The Baccarat Coin Flip for Totals

The Baccarat Coin Flip for Totals

I ended up flipping my decision and taking the Over, and the Cowboys won 24-21. Sometimes you need an outside force to reveal what you actually think.

Now I use baccarat as my go-to tiebreaker for any totals line I can't crack. It's become a part of my pre-game ritual and honestly a great way to practice crossover play, using casino games to complement my sports betting decisions. However, it’s not ideal for high-volume punting, as it’s a little time-consuming.

The Halftime Blackjack Safety Net

This one I stumbled into by accident, and it might be my favorite trick in the bag. I bet $100 on the Saints against the Panthers on 14 December, and Carolina was up 10-7 at the break. I was convinced the Saints were going to fade and was thinking about damage limitation when it hit me: what if I opened up blackjack and bet exactly what I had staked on the NFL moneyline?

If I beat the dealer, I've essentially covered my losses before the second half even kicks off. And if I lose at blackjack, well, now I'm really cheering for that comeback. It turns a stressful halftime into a free-roll situation. If you beat the dealer, you're playing with house money in the second half!

The Halftime Blackjack Safety Net

The Halftime Blackjack Safety Net

I ended up getting the best of both worlds as I drew 20 and won my hand of blackjack, and New Orleans mounted a second-half comeback to win 20-0.

The Victory Lap Roulette Spin

My buddy, who told me about this little trick last season. I thought he was crazy until I tried.
How it works is when your NFL team wins, you open up roulette and bet their final score number. 

So let's say the Pats beat the Bills 25-10. You put your chips on 25 and let it ride. Obviously roulette is a 35-to-1 game on a straight number, so you're not doing this with your whole wallet, it's more of a fun little celebration spin. 

The Victory Lap Roulette Spin

The Victory Lap Roulette Spin

But when it hits, there is no better feeling in sports betting. Your team just won AND the number came in. I've only had it connect twice, but both times it was an absolute out-of-body experience.

Why It All Works Together

The fact that I can be watching the Chiefs game on the DraftKings app, have a spread bet active, flip over to the casino tab for a few hands of blackjack at halftime, collect loyalty rewards, and then do my victory roulette spin, all in one app, is something that would have seemed insane ten years ago, but man oh man has it leveled up my NFL Sundays.

If you haven't tried mixing in some casino action alongside your NFL bets, give it a go this season. Start small, keep those budgets separate for bankroll management, and find the rituals that work for you. My baccarat totals hack might not be for everyone, but you'll find your own version of it eventually.

Chad Nagel
Chad NagelSports Betting & Casino Editor

Chad Nagel is a passionate sports fanatic who has worked in the sports and betting industry for over a decade. He spent most of his career as an editor-in-chief for Soccer Betting News, South Africa’s leading soccer betting newspaper, owned by Hollywoodbets. His articles have also featured in some of the most respected sports media platforms in the world, such as SPORTbible, Sports Illustrated, Combat Sports UK, and many others.