At their annual meeting in May 2009, NFL owners voted to allow teams to strike lottery sponsorship deals placing team logos on lottery tickets.
The Chiefs are taking advantage of the opportunity via a sponsorship deal with the Kansas Lottery and Nebraska Lottery.
"We are excited to bring a Chiefs branded lottery ticket to the state of Kansas through a partnership with the Kansas Lottery," Kansas City Chiefs COO Mark Donovan said in a team-issued release. "This partnership gives our enormous fan base in the region the opportunity to win unique prizes only available through the Kansas City Chiefs ticket."
Fans buying the Chiefs-themed ticket will get an opportunity to win prizes such as an invitation to the Founder's Suite or a meet-and-greet with Mitch Holthus.
It's a curious stance for the league because they typically shy away from any form of gambling.
Though the league (and the Chiefs) would surely would point out that there's a fundamental difference between placing $100 on the Chiefs and taking the points versus spending $5 on a lottery ticket, the average fan may not take the time to make that distinction. In fact, I'd argue the average fan won't make that distinction. To many, the lines have been blurred.
On the one hand the league last year appeared before the Delaware Supreme Court to make the case against legalized sports betting. On the other hand you're holding a Chiefs-themed Kansas or Nebraska lotto ticket in your hand.
Can you see where some confusion might arise?
Though I'm not opposed to the creative partnership the Chiefs and other NFL teams have struck because it creates a viable revenue stream, I do think it creates a slippery slope with the league's official stance on gambling.