Starting this season, some NFL stadiums will be allowed to have betting lounges, and teams may accept sponsorships from sportsbook operators, as the league continues to get more comfortable with the expanding legal sports-gambling market in the U.S.

Retail sportsbooks are still prohibited at NFL stadiums, and there will not be any physical betting windows. However, stadiums in jurisdictions with legal sports gambling may offer betting lounges, showcasing mobile betting options, according to Chris Halpin, chief strategy and growth officer for the NFL.

"We're allowing betting lounges," Halpin told ESPN on Friday. "Similar to daily fantasy lounges today, in an adult, discreet area, there will be a betting setup, but we're not going to have betting windows."

Under the new league policy, teams can designate official sportsbook sponsors and display signage in stadiums with some restrictions. The word "sponsor" must be included in reference to sportsbooks, and sports betting signage remains prohibited in the lower bowls of stadiums.

Previously, casino sponsorships were allowed, but references to sportsbooks were not. In January 2019, the NFL named Caesars Entertainment as the league's first official casino sponsor, a deal that did not include sports betting. Teams have accepted casino sponsorships for years, but without sports betting.

Sports Business Daily first-reported the change in NFL policy.

Legal sportsbooks are operating in 14 states, including four that are home to NFL teams: Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Several more jurisdictions, including NFL hubs Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois and Tennessee, are expected to launch sports betting this year.

"We feel good about how it's evolved state by state," Halpin said of the growing American sports betting market. "We're more and more excited about how sports betting is developing, and we're now doing more in the space. We're very positive about how it's developing."