It's high stakes for UK companies as sports wagering starts to spread in America.

From Tuesday, brand-new rules on betting entered into impact in Delaware, a tiny east coast state about two hours from Washington.

Neighbouring New Jersey might start accepting sports betting bets as early as Friday.

The changes are the very first in what could end up being a wave of legalisation after the Supreme Court last month cleared the method for states to enable sports wagering.

The market sees a "as soon as in a generation" chance to establish a brand-new market in sports-mad America, stated Dublin-based financial analyst David Jennings, who heads leisure research at Davy.

For UK firms, which are facing debt consolidation, increased online competitors and harder rules from UK regulators, the timing is especially suitable.

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But the market says depending on the US stays a dangerous bet, as UK companies deal with complicated state-by-state regulation and competitors from entrenched regional interests.

"It's something that we're truly concentrating on, however similarly we do not want to overhype it," stated James Midmer, spokesman at Paddy Power Betfair, which just recently bought the US fantasy sports site FanDuel.

'Take some time'

The US represented about 23% of the world's $244bn (₤ 182bn) in gaming earnings in 2015, according to a report by Technavio, external released in January.

Firms are wanting to tap into more of that activity after last month's choice, which overruled a 1992 federal law that barred states outside of Nevada and a couple of others from authorising sports betting wagering.

The judgment 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 lawmakers.

That is expected to cause substantial variation in how companies get certified, where sports betting can occur, and which events are open to speculation - with huge ramifications for the size of the marketplace.

Potential revenue ranges from $4.2 bn to practically $20bn annually depending on factors like how numerous states relocate to legalise, Oxford Economics estimated in a 2017 research study for the American Gaming Association.

"There was a lot of 'this is going to be huge'", said Will Hawkley, London-based head of leisure for experts KPMG.

Now, he stated: "I believe the majority of people ... are looking at this as, 'it's a chance 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, managing director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, anticipates that 32 states will legalise sports betting in some kind by 2023, developing a market with about $6bn in annual revenue.

But bookies face a far various landscape in America than they do in the UK, where wagering shops are a frequent sight.

US laws restricted gaming mainly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip up until relatively just recently.

In the popular imagination, sports betting has actually long been linked to a 1919 baseball World Series match-fixing scandal.

States have likewise been slow to legalise many types of online betting, regardless of a 2011 Justice Department opinion that appeared to eliminate challenges.

While sports wagering is usually seen in its own classification, "it clearly remains to be seen whether it gets the sort of momentum people believe it will," stated Keith Miller, law teacher at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports betting policy.

David Carruthers is the former president of BetonSports, who was apprehended in the US in 2006 for running an overseas online sportsbook and served prison time.

Now a consultant, he says UK companies should approach the market carefully, choosing partners with caution and preventing bad moves that might cause regulator reaction.

"This is an opportunity for the American sports gambler ... I'm not exactly sure whether it is an opportunity for company," he states. "It really is reliant on the result of [state] legislation and how business operators pursue the opportunity."

'It will be collaborations'

As legalisation begins, sports betting companies are lobbying to fend off high tax rates, as well as requests by US sports betting leagues, which desire to gather a percentage of profits as an "stability cost".

International business face the added challenge of a powerful existing gaming market, with casino operators, state-run lottos and Native American tribes that are seeking to protect their grass.

Analysts say UK firms will need to strike collaborations, providing their proficiency and innovation in order to make inroads.

They indicate SBTech's recent statement that it is providing innovation for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the kind of offers most likely to materialise.

"It will be a win-win for everyone, however it will be partnerships and it will be driven by technology," Mr Hawkley said.

'It will simply depend'

Joe Asher, president at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the realities.

The company has actually been buying the US market given that 2011, when it purchased 3 US firms to establish an existence in Nevada.

William Hill now utilizes about 450 individuals in the US and has actually revealed partnerships with casinos in Iowa and New Jersey.

It works as risk supervisor for the Delaware Lottery and has invested millions together with a local designer in a New Jersey horse racing track.

Mr Asher said William Hill has ended up being a home name in Nevada however that's not always the goal all over.

"We certainly intend to have an extremely significant brand name presence in New Jersey," he said. "In other states, it will just depend upon policy and possibly who our regional partner is."

"The US is going to be the greatest sports betting wagering market on the planet," he added. "Obviously that's not going to occur on day one."