MGM Resorts Becomes Official Partner Of Major League SoccerThe Deal Gives MGM Resorts Partnerships With Four Professional Sports Leagues |
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MGM Resorts has added Major League Soccer to its plethora of partnerships, according to an announcement on Wednesday.
With sports betting becoming legalized around the country at a rapid rate, MGM Resorts has made several deals since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA last May. The Las-Vegas based company’s most recent deal with MLS makes MGM Resorts the official sports betting partner of the league.
In the multi-year agreement signed by the two parties, MGM will be given use of official MLS data for betting purposes in their sportsbooks. This will allow MGM to offer more in-game betting options for MLS matches. MLS obviously hopes that increased gambling will increase the sport’s visibility and increase fandom as a whole.
In exchange for the data, MGM will work with the league to offer activities for fans both at the stadium and casinos. The partnership will be led by Roar Digital LLC, which is a joint venture between MGM and GVC Holdings, an online gambling company based out of the Isle of Man.
“The landmark deal provides MGM Resorts and Roar access to enhanced MLS data for fans and sports betting customers and includes television-visible signage for all 100-plus nationally-broadcast MLS games and unique MLS-themed promotions and sweepstakes,” the MLS said in a statement. “The groups will also work together to develop an exclusive ‘Free to Play’ game for fans.”
MGM already partnered with Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League last year. Their deals with those three leagues are very similar to the deal they struck with MLS.
They nearly cornered all four major sports leagues before Caesars partnered with the National Football League at the start of 2019. Caesars’ deal with the NFL, however, does not include the league’s official data for sports betting purposes. The deal allows Caesars to use NFL-trademarked materials to promote their casinos.
Beyond becoming the official partner of the leagues, MGM also made partnerships with specific teams, including the New York Jets of the NFL last year and most recently, MLB’s Boston Red Sox.
MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson echoed similar sentiments to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred that sports betting will bring fan engagement to the game.
“Sports betting has the ability to engage new fans in the sports, and provide existing fans with deeper engagement,” Stevenson told Sports Business Journal. “Our clubs are looking to be very aggressive in this space, so we want to give them an opportunity to grow their fan bases and realize revenues around it.”
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