NFL Owners Reportedly Believe Teams Will Eventually Be Worth $8B-$10B Due to Gambling

NFL owners reportedly believe team values will increase significantly because of legalized gambling.

According to ProFootballTalk, owners think gambling will increase the worth of an average NFL team to $8 billion to $10 billion.

In May, Forbes' list of the 50 most valuable professional sports franchises featured numerous NFL teams, and the Dallas Cowboys led the way at $5.7 billion.

The New England Patriots ($4.4 billion) and New York Giants ($4.3 billion) also cracked the top 10.

The Cleveland Browns rounded out the list at No. 50, and even they received a valuation of $2.35 billion.

The NFL announced official partnerships with sportsbooks Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel in April, the first time the league has formed a working relationship with gambling-centric companies.

Per Action Network, 21 states and the District of Columbia have instituted some form of legalized sports betting. Nine more are predicted to join the fray this year, followed by an additional 10 either this year or in 2022.

With most or all of the United States likely to allow sports betting in the coming years, the NFL's sportsbook partnerships figure to rake in big money.

Much of the value of NFL teams is related to television deals, and those contracts will continue to play a big role in the financial viability of the league and individual teams.

In March, the NFL agreed to a new television rights package worth about $100 billion.

The NFL was the most successful and profitable North American professional sports league before linking up with sportsbooks, but it has the potential to reach another level in terms of revenue.