It's high stakes for UK firms as sports betting starts to spread out in America.
From Tuesday, brand-new rules on wagering entered result in Delaware, a small east coast state about 2 hours from Washington.
Neighbouring New Jersey could start accepting sports bets as early as Friday.
The changes are the first in what might end up being a wave of legalisation after the Supreme Court last month cleared the method for states to permit sports wagering.
The industry sees a "when in a generation" opportunity to develop a brand-new market in sports betting-mad America, stated Dublin-based financial analyst David Jennings, who heads leisure research at Davy.
For UK companies, which are facing combination, increased online competitors and harder rules from UK regulators, the timing is especially opportune.
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But the market states depending on the US remains a dangerous bet, as UK companies face complicated state-by-state policy and competitors from established regional interests.
"It's something that we're actually concentrating on, however similarly we do not wish to overhype it," said James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which recently purchased the US dream sports website FanDuel.
'Require time'
The US represented about 23% of the world's $244bn (₤ 182bn) in gaming earnings last year, according to a report by Technavio, external published in January.
Firms are hoping to use more of that activity after last month's decision, which struck down a 1992 federal law that disallowed states beyond Nevada and a couple of others from authorising sports wagering.
The ruling found the law was an over-reach of federal power. But the court it did not actually legalise sports betting, leaving that question to regional legislators.
That is anticipated to lead to substantial variation in how firms get accredited, where sports betting wagering can take place, and which occasions are open to speculation - with huge ramifications for the size of the market.
Potential earnings ranges from $4.2 bn to practically $20bn annually depending on factors like the number of states relocate to legalise, Oxford Economics estimated in a 2017 study for the American Gaming Association.
"There was a great deal of 'this is going to be big'", stated Will Hawkley, London-based head of leisure for consultants KPMG.
Now, he stated: "I believe the majority of people ... are looking at this as, 'it's an opportunity however 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, handling director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, anticipates that 32 states will legalise sports betting wagering in some form by 2023, producing a market with about $6bn in annual earnings.
But bookmakers deal with a far different landscape in America than they carry out in the UK, where betting shops are a frequent sight.
US laws minimal gambling mainly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip till reasonably recently.
In the popular imagination, sports betting wagering has actually long been connected to a 1919 baseball World Series match-fixing scandal.
States have actually also been sluggish to legalise many types of online gaming, regardless of a 2011 Justice Department opinion that appeared to eliminate barriers.
While sports betting wagering is typically seen in its own classification, "it clearly stays to be seen whether it gets the sort of momentum people think it will," said Keith Miller, law professor at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports betting regulation.
David Carruthers is the former president of BetonSports, who was jailed in the US in 2006 for running an overseas online sportsbook and served prison time.
Now a consultant, he states UK companies ought to approach the marketplace thoroughly, selecting partners with care and avoiding missteps that could cause regulator reaction.
"This is an opportunity for the American sports bettor ... I'm not sure whether it is an opportunity for business," he states. "It actually is reliant on the outcome of [state] legislation and how the organization operators pursue the chance."
'It will be partnerships'
As legalisation starts, sports wagering firms are lobbying to ward off high tax rates, along with demands by US sports leagues, which want to collect a percentage of earnings as an "stability fee".
International business deal with the included challenge of a powerful existing video gaming industry, with gambling establishment operators, state-run lottery games and Native American people that are looking for to defend their turf.
Analysts say UK firms will require to strike partnerships, using their knowledge and technology in order to make inroads.
They indicate SBTech's recent statement that it is providing technology for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the kind of deals most likely to materialise.
"It will be a win-win for everyone, but it will be collaborations and it will be driven by innovation," Mr Hawkley stated.
'It will just depend'
Joe Asher, president at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the truths.
The company has actually been investing in the US market given that 2011, when it bought three US companies to establish an existence in Nevada.
William Hill now utilizes about 450 individuals in the US and has actually announced partnerships with casinos in Iowa and New Jersey.
It works as threat supervisor for the Delaware Lottery and has invested millions along with a local designer in a New Jersey horse racing track.
Mr Asher said William Hill has actually ended up being a home name in Nevada however that's not always the objective everywhere.
"We certainly plan to have a very substantial brand name presence in New Jersey," he said. "In other states, it will just depend on guideline and potentially who our local partner is."
"The US is going to be the greatest sports wagering market worldwide," he included. "Obviously that's not going to take place on day one."
