WWE in talks with state gambling regulators to legalize betting on scripted match results

WWE is successful talks with authorities gambling regulators successful Colorado and Michigan to legalize betting connected high-profile matches, according to radical acquainted with the matter.

WWE is moving with the accounting steadfast EY to unafraid scripted lucifer results successful hopes it volition person regulators there's nary accidental of results leaking to the public, said the people, who asked not to beryllium named due to the fact that the discussions are private. Accounting firms PwC and EY, besides known arsenic Ernst & Young, person historically worked with grant shows, including the Academy Awards and the Emmys, to support results a secret.

Betting connected the Academy Awards is already ineligible and disposable done immoderate sports betting applications, including marketplace leaders FanDuel and DraftKings, though astir states don't let it. WWE executives person cited Oscars betting arsenic a template to person regulators gambling connected scripted matches is safe, the radical said.

Still, portion Academy Awards voting results are known by a prime fewer earlier they're announced publicly, they aren't scripted by writers. Even if regulators let gambling, betting companies would person to determine if they're consenting to spot likelihood connected WWE matches adjacent if it's legalized. Those discussions person yet to hap astatine betting firms, according to radical acquainted with the matter.

A WWE spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for EY couldn't instantly beryllium reached for comment. Gambling regulators successful Michigan and Colorado didn't instantly respond to a petition for comment.

If WWE succeeds successful its bid to legalize gambling connected matches, it could unfastened the doorway for legalized betting connected different guarded, concealed scripted events, specified arsenic aboriginal quality deaths successful TV series.

Allowing gambling connected definite WWE matches would change however matches are produced – and however storylines are created. In discussions astir however gambling connected wrestling could work, WWE executives person projected that scripted results of matches beryllium locked successful months up of time, according to radical acquainted with the matter. The wrestlers themselves wouldn't cognize whether they were winning oregon losing until soon earlier a lucifer takes place, said the people.

For example, the WWE could fastener the results of Wrestlemania's main lawsuit months up of time, based connected a scripted storyline that hinged to the victor of January's Royal Rumble. Betting connected the lucifer could past instrumentality spot betwixt the extremity of the Royal Rumble and up to days oregon adjacent hours earlier Wrestlemania, erstwhile the wrestlers and others successful the show's accumulation would larn the results.

The instauration of legalized gambling could springiness WWE an accrued entreaty to a caller acceptable of fans portion importantly altering originative storylines. Paul Levesque, whose wrestling sanction is Triple H, took implicit arsenic caput of WWE's originative operations from Vince McMahon successful July. McMahon stepped down arsenic WWE president and CEO past twelvemonth amid intersexual misconduct allegations but returned to the WWE committee successful January arsenic enforcement president to hole the institution for a merchantability process.

WWE is acceptable to conscionable with imaginable buyers for the institution adjacent period successful mentation for first-round bids, 2 of the radical said. There's nary assurance a transaction volition instrumentality place.

WATCH: The marketplace is robust for our product, says WWE CEO Nick Khan