The Philadelphia Eagles’ home opener against the Dallas Cowboys went off without a hitch Thursday night. A major sports betting company helped out by averting a potential pre-game disaster for fans.

FanDuel, the sports betting company in question, stepped in to sponsor the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) Broad Street Line train service for the game, restoring service that had been cut due to a state funding crisis.

The sponsorship, costing up to $80,000, covered free fares for fans traveling home from Lincoln Financial Field starting at halftime, ensuring smoother post-game transit.

FanDuel made a bet on Eagles fans, and it paid off. SEPTA general manager Scott Sauer hailed the company for lending a temporary hand.

“This is a challenging time for SEPTA and our customers, but this partnership will ensure that Eagles fans have safe, clean, and reliable service to-and-from the game – and with the added bonus of free rides home,” he said prior to the NFL opener.

FanDuel Steps in Where PA State Lawmakers Failed

SEPTA had faced a $213 million budget deficit, leading to a 20% service cut and a 21.5% fare increase, though a temporary injunction paused some measures.

The restored service from FanDuel included regular subway trains and additional Sports Express trips, with 10 express and six local trains running post-game for about 70 minutes.

While fans appreciated the restored service, some criticized the reliance on a gambling company for public transit funding, highlighting ongoing concerns about SEPTA’s financial stability.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Tarik Khan was appreciative of the gesture from FanDuel for bailing out lawmakers. Kind of.

“I think it’s a pretty sad state when, because of inaction from the Senate … we have to resort to getting funding for transit through a gambling company that’s just going to fund a few hours of our transit,” said Khan. “I mean, I’m grateful for FanDuel for stepping in for this, but what about the other 364 days of the year?”

Doing your job and not letting the funding dry up in the first place might be a start. Just guessing here.

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Eagles-Cowboys Game was … Odd

For those wondering, since we’re discussing FanDuel, the Cowboys covered the spread last night in a very odd game.

For instance, both teams scored on every possession in the first half, then combined for a total of three points in the second half.

Then there was Spitgate. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected just six seconds into the game for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during a confrontation after the opening kickoff. Video later showed Prescott had spit toward the ground in Carter’s direction first.

Then, getting back to both teams’ offenses being shut down in the second half, there was a 65-minute delay in the third quarter due to lightning and scattered thunderstorms. Despite earlier sunny conditions with temperatures in the low 80s, the stormy weather created slick conditions, potentially favoring the Eagles’ run-heavy strategy.

And Philly fans would have missed all of this – including a significant win against an NFC East opponent, if not for FanDuel.

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