It's high stakes for UK firms as sports betting wagering starts to spread in America.
From Tuesday, new guidelines on betting entered result in Delaware, a small east coast state about two hours from Washington.
Neighbouring New Jersey could start accepting sports bets as early as Friday.
The modifications are the very first in what could end up being a wave of legalisation after the Supreme Court last month cleared the way for states to permit sports wagering.
The industry sees a "once in a generation" chance to establish a new market in sports betting-mad America, stated Dublin-based monetary analyst David Jennings, who heads leisure research at Davy.
For UK companies, which are grappling with combination, increased online competition and harder guidelines from UK regulators, the timing is particularly suitable.
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But the industry says relying on the US stays a risky bet, as UK companies deal with complicated state-by-state regulation and competition from entrenched regional interests.
"It's something that we're actually focusing on, but similarly we do not desire to overhype it," said James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which recently bought the US fantasy sports site FanDuel.
'Require time'
The US accounted for about 23% of the world's $244bn (₤ 182bn) in video gaming revenue in 2015, according to a report by Technavio, external released in January.
Firms are intending to use more of that activity after last month's decision, which struck down a 1992 federal law that barred states outside of Nevada and a few others from authorising sports betting.
The judgment found the law was an over-reach of federal power. But the court it did not actually legalise sports betting, leaving that concern to regional legislators.
That is anticipated to cause significant variation in how firms get certified, where sports wagering can take place, and which occasions are open to speculation - with huge ramifications for the size of the marketplace.
Potential earnings varieties from $4.2 bn to almost $20bn every year depending upon factors like the number of states relocate to legalise, Oxford Economics approximated in a 2017 study for the American Gaming Association.
"There was a great deal of 'this is going to be substantial'", stated Will Hawkley, London-based head of leisure for experts KPMG.
Now, he stated: "I believe the majority of individuals ... are looking at this as, 'it's an opportunity but it's not going to be $20bn and it's going to be state by state and it's going to take some time'."
'Remains to be seen"
Chris Grove, managing director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, forecasts that 32 states will legalise sports wagering in some form by 2023, producing a market with about $6bn in yearly revenue.
But bookies face a far different landscape in America than they do in the UK, where wagering shops are a frequent sight.
US laws restricted gambling mainly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip until fairly just recently.
In the popular imagination, sports betting has long been connected to a 1919 baseball World Series match-fixing scandal.
States have actually also been slow to legalise lots of types of online betting, despite a 2011 Justice Department viewpoint that appeared to get rid of barriers.
While sports betting wagering is usually seen in its own category, "it clearly remains to be seen whether it gets the type of momentum individuals think it will," said Keith Miller, law professor at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports wagering regulation.
David Carruthers is the previous president of BetonSports, who was arrested in the US in 2006 for running an overseas online sportsbook and served jail time.
Now a specialist, he says UK companies must approach the market carefully, selecting partners with care and avoiding mistakes that could lead to regulator reaction.
"This is a chance for the American sports betting bettor ... I'm not sure whether it is an opportunity for company," he says. "It actually is reliant on the outcome of [state] legislation and how the service operators pursue the chance."
'It will be partnerships'
As legalisation starts, sports betting firms are lobbying to fend off high tax rates, as well as requests by US sports betting leagues, which wish to gather a portion of revenue as an "integrity charge".
International companies deal with the added obstacle of an effective existing video gaming industry, with gambling establishment operators, state-run lottos and Native American tribes that are looking for to safeguard their turf.
Analysts state UK firms will require to strike partnerships, providing their proficiency and innovation in order to make inroads.
They point to SBTech's recent announcement that it is offering technology for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the kind of offers likely to materialise.
"It will be a win-win for everyone, however it will be collaborations and it will be driven by innovation," Mr Hawkley said.
'It will simply depend'
Joe Asher, chief executive at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the realities.
The company has been purchasing the US market given that 2011, when it purchased three US firms to establish a presence in Nevada.
William Hill now utilizes about 450 individuals in the US and has announced partnerships with casinos in Iowa and New Jersey.
It works as threat manager for the Delaware Lottery and has actually invested millions along with a regional developer in a New Jersey horse racing track.
Mr Asher stated William Hill has become a family name in Nevada however that's not necessarily the objective all over.
"We certainly plan to have a very substantial brand existence in New Jersey," he said. "In other states, it will just depend on policy and potentially who our local partner is."
"The US is going to be the greatest sports wagering market in the world," he added. "Obviously that's not going to take place on day one."
