The changes in US betting culture keep coming thick and fast in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision earlier this year to relax the rules relating to online sports wagers. When the decision was made, it seemed that the implications would be straightforward. Some states would allow sports betting, others would not. And in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, it would be very much a case of business as usual.
However, things are not quite as simple as that. The decision that questions relating to sports betting should be left to the state legislators has led to a general relaxation in attitudes toward sports betting. A couple of years ago, the idea of the major sporting franchises teaming up with a casino giant to provide sports betting information would have seemed absurd. Yet this is exactly what is happening.
Official sports betting partner
In the UK, sports teams and franchises have had a close relationship for years. High Street bookmakers often sponsor major events, and now in the online age, there is a growing symbiosis between casino and sportsbook sites. It’s a trend with which the American sporting community will soon be familiar.
Back in July, MGM became the official sports betting partner of the NBA and the WNBA. Now, the global hospitality giant that is synonymous with Las Vegas excess has signed up to a similar deal with the NHL.
What does the partnership involve?
The agreement means that MGM will now have access to the NHL’s proprietary data. The exact nature of this data is yet to be confirmed, but judging by what has happened with the NBA, it will probably include puck and player tracking information. The data will make it easier for MGM to deliver the most accurate game details and carefully calculated betting odds to its US customers in jurisdictions that permit gambling.
Both parties have stressed that this data will not be exclusive to MGM, so there is clearly a degree of sponsorship involved in the “official sports betting partner” tag. One thing that the NHL has made clear, however, is that it is not receiving a cut of gambling revenue per se. Beyond that, the financial terms of the agreement have been kept under wraps.
Enhanced experience for fans
Keith Wachtel is an Executive Vice President of the NHL and its Chief Revenue Officer. He told reporters that the more data they can provide to sportsbook operators, the more imaginative they can be in the products offered to the public. He said this will result in them offering “creative and unique things that don’t really exist in the sport right now.”
Maintaining integrity
Some leagues have expressed concern that more widespread betting on games could place players at risk of approaches to manipulate results, a phenomenon that has caused widespread problems in the world of cricket over recent years. However, Wachtel dismissed the concerns, affirming that the NHL already has robust anti-corruption measures in place that have helped keep the sport clean, and will continue to do so.
This is a sponsored post.