IGT To Be NBA’s Official Betting Partner
Last week, International Game Technology announced that it had struck a deal with the NBA, receiving access to NBA intellectual property for IGT players. This new deal means that the IGT sportsbook will now be emblazoned with the official NBA logo, as well as team logos, important player data, and league logos. This is just the latest in a long string of partnerships between betting companies and leading American sports leagues since the pandemic began.
The NBA has partnered with multinational gaming company International Game Technology. ©tookapic/Pixabay
What Is International Game Technology?
International Game Technology is a UK-based multinational gaming company which produces gambling hardware — like slot machines — as well as offering a vast array of online gaming, lottery, and sports betting options. In addition to its UK office, IGT has outposts in Rome, Italy; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Providence, Rhode Island.
In February of this year, IGT received the honor of being listed on the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, a metric which listed 325 companies across 50 industries. The Index was intended to highlight which businesses are putting intentional effort into the advancement of greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Sports Betting And IGT
One of IGT’s principal offerings is sports betting. The company has its own unique B2B sports betting platform, IGT PlaySports, which has been offered to happy customers around the world for more than a decade. Since IGT PlaySports has been available in the US, it has become one of the leading options for sports betting in the country.
Today, IGT PlaySports is offered in countries around Europe, Latin America, and Asia, as well as, of course, being extremely popular in the US. According to the company, the IGT sports betting platforms have collectively managed more than 1.9 billion wagers placed on various sporting events.
IGT PlaySports is not International Game Technology’s only product offered in the realm of sports betting. In fact, IGT has a number of different sports betting products which can be tailored to the needs of partners in both retail and online formats, and the IGT PlaySports platform is also available in digital cabinets of various sizes to be installed on casino floors.
The IGT CrystalBetting Terminal
In addition to its IGT PlaySports offering, IGT also offers a unique and high-tech betting cabinet for sports betting enthusiasts: the CrystalBetting Terminal. This machine is made to offer players a private betting experience, enclosing a 27-inch touch screen with sleek black plastic barriers to offer wagering for one player’s eyes only.
IGT’s Newest Slot Cabinet: PeakSlant32
This week, IGT topped off the excitement of its new partnership with the NBA by launching its brand-new slot cabinet, the PeakSlant32. According to a press release issued by the company, the PeakSlant32 is the first-ever slot machine in the US to have three 32-inch video displays.
The cabinet first launched at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, which is now home to more than 20 of IGT’s newest cabinets. The cabinet also offers unique features for IGT ADVANTAGE customers, where the slot cabinet has the potential to use Bluetooth technology in conjunction with IGT’s cashless e-wallet payment system.
IGT PlaySports In The US
The IGT PlaySports betting solution is now available in 14 different US states, and across more than 40 different brick-and-mortar betting locations. The platform is not universally available across the US because sports betting is not nationally legal in the US: thanks to a 2018 Supreme Court decision, sports betting laws are made on a state-by-state basis.
Today, IGT PlaySports can be accessed in Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Mississippi, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Indiana, Arkansas, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Thanks to the new partnership between IGT and the NBA, players in all of these states will now be able to access a treasure trove of new sports betting content.
IGT Plus NBA: Exciting New Content for Basketball Lovers
This latest partnership, announced in mid-October 2020, marks an exciting development for International Game Technology — and for its players. Thanks to this arrangement, players of IGT PlaySports will now be able to access player and team data from the NBA, emblazoned with signature team and league logos.
A Growing Trend of League And Sports Betting Partnerships
This year has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the US sports betting industry, as states around the country have been moving to legalize additional forms of gambling — and often sports betting — in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and ensuing financial crisis.
States including Massachusetts, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, Maryland, and Ohio have either legalized sports betting or are currently in talks to do so. At the same time, leading sports leagues like the NBA and this past summer, Major League Baseball, have partnered with various sports betting apps as a means of boosting revenue for all parties.
The Fine Print: Nuances in League-Sports Betting Arrangements
Significantly, when the MLB announced its partnership with BetMGM last summer, the league made sure to clarify that sports fans would not be able to wager real money using the BetMGM app. This is not the case in the partnership with the NBA and IGT, where sports bettors can stake — and potentially win — actual cash.
