BetMGM Joins Together with NFL Canada
BetMGM, which is a joint venture between MGM and Entain, has announced a deal with the National Football League (NFL) in Canada in which it will become its official sportsbook partner. The news comes shortly before the launch of the country’s first NFL season since the province of Ontario first opened its regulated betting and iGaming markets.
BetMGM, a joint venture between MGM and Entain, will partner with the National Football League (NFL) in Canada and become its official sportsbook partner. ©jameswheeler/Pixabay
BetMGM One of First Operators Which Launched in Ontario
BetMGM – the joint venture spawned as a result of a collaboration between Entain and MGM – has revealed that it will become an official sportsbook partner of the National Football League (NFL) in Canada as part of an exclusive deal between the two.
The news of the deal arrives not long before the kickoff of Canada’s first NFL season since the Canadian province of Ontario first launched its regulated betting and iGaming markets earlier this year in 2022.
As it so happens, BetMGM was one of the first lucky few operators to launch in the province, being granted its license by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) when the market first opened on April 4th, 2022.
Speaking on the occasion of BetMGM and the Canadian NFL’s nascent partnership, BetMGM chief executive Adam Greenblatt expects the deal to provide it with many new opportunities in the region, citing already-strong enthusiasm from Ontario sports bettors:
“Expanding our partnership with the NFL into Canada sets the stage for amazing opportunities as we begin the upcoming football season. We’re already seeing great interest from our Ontario customers and this collaboration truly elevates the BetMGM experience.”– Adam Greenblatt, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), BetMGM, Press Release
BetMGM May Use NFL Logos As Part of its Digital Advertising
The details of the agreement specify that BetMGM will be able to use NFL logos and assets in Canada and run advertising via the NFL’s official digital platforms. It will also gain the ability to offer NFL-related experiences as part of its exclusive VIP program.
Senior director of corporate partnerships for NFL Canada, Gavin Kemp, said the league was elated to be working with BetMGM in the country, promising NFL fans a new and improved sports betting experience:
“We are thrilled to be working with BetMGM in Canada as an Official Sportsbook Partner. BetMGM delivers a unique gaming platform to this emerging market and will enhance the NFL fan experience in Canada in new and innovative ways.”– Gavin Kemp, Senior director of corporate partnerships, NFL Canada, Press Release
BetMGM isn’t the only NFL partner currently active in Canada, however, also joining the Ontario Lottery’s Proline brand as a partner. Proline was the first operator in line to sign a deal with the football league in February 2022.
Operator Is Venturing into the Cruise Ship Industry
In June 2022, BetMGM announced that it would be dipping its toes into the cruise ship industry thanks to a partnership with the Carnival Corporation, with the two joining forces to provide world-class retail and mobile sports betting, as well as iGaming offerings, to the corporation’s cruise ships.
The partnership is expected to result in gaming offerings being made available on over 50 cruise ships dotted all across the United States, including the Carnival Cruise, Holland America and Princess Cruises lines. The rollout will proceed over the next several months, according to BetMGM.
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt believes the project is but another chance for BetMGM to continue to expand its presence across the United States:
“We’ve found an ideal partner in Carnival Corporation and look forward to providing our sports betting and iGaming products to its millions of passengers. This is another great opportunity for us to further expand BetMGM’s footprint.”
Meanwhile, Marty Goldman, Senior Vice President of Global Casino Operations for Carnival Corporation, voiced his excitement concerning the deal, ensuring cruise ship guests that there are immersive betting experiences just around the corner:
“We’re very proud to be able to deliver the excitement and engagement of sports betting and iGaming to our guests through our partnership with BetMGM. Our two leading global hospitality organizations will provide a wide array of immersive digital content as a complement to our exceptional shipboard casinos.”
BetMGM Expanding its Previously Launched Gift Card Network
And earlier this year in May 2022, BetMGM and New York-based sports technology company TAPPP announced a broad “aggressive expansion” of BetMGM’s gift card distribution network – an initiative which first launched in September 2021.
The gift card business proves to be quite lucrative, with TAPP claiming that, since the beginning of the gift card venture, the business has seen an industry-leading redemption rate of 99%, with almost 75% of customers redeeming their purchases within just 2 hours.
Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer of BetMGM, praised the project’s success, while reminding observers that the main goal of the initiative with TAPPP is to allow customers to fund their BetMGM accounts in safe and streamlined ways:
“The launch of our prepaid sports betting card business has exceeded all expectations, and we are looking forward to even greater success as legal sports betting continues to enter new markets across the country. The program’s expansion this quarter is the latest phase of our continued successful partnership with TAPPP to provide customers with an easy and responsible way to fund their BetMGM accounts.”
