Can you bet on the NFL Pro Bowl? Legal betting landscape

Key Points 

• Pro Bowl Games betting should be treated as light, casual entertainment at most

• Pro Bowl betting legality varies by state; verify if legal sportsbooks offer Pro Bowl wagering markets in your area.

• 2025 Pro Bowl Games now feature Relay Race, Helmet Harmony & Punt Perfect

EDITOR’S NOTE: Birches Health is a specialized provider of gambling addiction treatment nationwide. Care is available virtually from the comfort of home and is covered by insurance. Knowing how to bet responsibly is critical in aiming to reduce the chances of developing a gambling problem. The goal of this article is to help potential bettors do so in a smart, sustainable and healthy manner if they choose to wager on the event. 

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For decades, the NFL Pro Bowl was synonymous with Hawaii. From 1980-2016, Hawaii hosted the NFL’s version of the all-star game. Since 2017, The Pro Bowl has been located at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. In 2023, the Pro Bowl became the “Pro Bowl Games.” Instead of a low-effort tackle football clash between the AFC and NFC, the Pro Bowl Games feature a series of skills competitions and a flag football game between the AFC and NFC and take place over multiple days. 

From Thursday, January 30 to Sunday, February 2nd, the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games bring the league’s top players together for year three of a new-look all-star event. Fans can look forward to a full slate of competitions, capped off by a highly anticipated flag football game. 

Now, considering the Pro Bowl is no longer a traditional football game, new and existing bettors may have questions around wagering availability. If you’re planning to place a couple casual bets, here’s everything you need to know about betting on the Pro Bowl.

Which states allow Pro Bowl betting?

Legalized sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel may offer Pro Bowl Games betting markets in the days leading up to the event, but while you may be in a state where sports betting is legal and where those types of regulated operators are usually available, the Pro Bowl Games have their own state-specific betting rules. While many states allow wagering on major NFL events, others have specific restrictions on novelty bets or exhibition games. 

For instance, residents in states like Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, New Hampshire, Virginia, Oregon and Wyoming CAN typically find Pro Bowl betting lines on regulated platforms.

However, bettors in states such as West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, New York, Colorado, Tennessee, Arizona, Ohio or Vermont may be out of luck when it comes to wagering on the Pro Bowl Games. Always check your state’s regulations and your sportsbook’s offerings to confirm availability.

Which Pro Bowl events can you bet on?

The 2024 Pro Bowl Games featured several contests that were fair game for betting, including: Precision Passing, Flag Football, Gridiron Gauntlet and Move the Chains. You can expect similar odds for this year’s Pro Bowl Games. Although there are more competitions in 2025. Here is the list:

• Precision Passing

• Satisfying Catches

• Relay Race (New)

• Helmet Harmony (New)

• Dodgeball

• Punt Perfect (New)

• Great Football Race

• Tug-of-War

The main event is Sunday’s 50-yard field flag football game with a unique scoring system. Bets include the winning conference and other outcomes, such as quarter-by-quarter scores. 

Gridiron Gauntlet is a full-field relay race featuring obstacles. Six players per conference battle it out to push their team to victory. Move the Chains is a test of brute strength and teamwork, where offensive and defensive linemen work to move 3,000 pounds of weight off a wall and pull a 2,000-pound wall to the finish line. In Precision Passing, quarterbacks compete to hit a mix of static and moving targets, including drone-suspended ones, within a one-minute time limit.

Avoid offshore sportsbooks 

Offshore sportsbooks do not abide by state-by-state gaming laws, and therefore offer unique betting markets sometimes not found on legal platforms. For those in states that normally offer regulated sports betting but don’t allow wagering for an exhibition event like the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, offshore options may be tempting. However, it is strongly recommended that you stick to licensed sportsbooks only, even if it means not being able to bet on the NFL Pro Bowl this year. 

While offshore sportsbooks’ odds offerings may sound intriguing, they also operate without proper regulation, putting your funds and personal information at risk. These platforms often lack transparency, fair odds and reliable customer support, making them a poor choice for responsible betting, and leave you with few options should you encounter a problem.

Betting on the Pro Bowl RESPONSIBLY

Unlike actual NFL postseason games, the Pro Bowl Games do not uphold a comparable level of intensity and winning motivation, meaning betting on this event should be taken lightly and responsibly. Keep the following tips in mind:

• Keep it as casual entertainment: The players participating in the Pro Bowl Games are first and foremost there to have fun. It’s not advisable to bet on an exhibition competition with varying levels of effort from participants, but if you do bet on the Pro Bowl, it should be seen as light entertainment, by no means a sound opportunity for profit.

• Know the Event Details: Understanding the Pro Bowl Games format and rules can help direct your bets. For instance, knowing the scoring system for the flag football game or how each skill competition operates can inform your wagers if you do bet it.

Betting responsibly also means knowing when to step away. If gambling stops being fun or starts interfering with your life, it’s time to seek help.

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, Birches Health is here to help. Check out the rest of the Birches site to learn more about the specialized services offered.