Your post points out another problem with this industry. And I do not mean this is be a personal slight against you Dave.
However, the newcomers (online casinos and affiliates) to the gambling industry are very naive about how this industry must navigate the U.S. political landscape and culture. That you did not know about the NFL’s position on sportbetting is just one example of the this lack of knowledge and experience.
Really this naiveté is the reason so many of us are in the position we are in. It is the reason the current bill was passed and signed.
Online casinos & affiliates simply do not understand how power works in the U.S. therefore they did not take the necessary measures to sustain the industry. In other words, the industry did not educate itself and did not play hard ball.
And now, the day of reckoning has come. The industry has itself to blame.