MGM GVC Interactive Taps Sportradar As Exclusive Supplier of U.S. Sports Data

The post MGM GVC Interactive Taps Sportradar As Exclusive Supplier of U.S. Sports Data appeared first on SportsHandle.

Sports data provider Sportradar, currently the only data provider working directly with the NBA and NHL as a distributor of league data, announced Thursday a deal through which it will now be the exclusive betting data provider to MGM GVC Interactive LLC for certain leagues.

MGM GVC Interactive is a shared venture between British-controlled bookmaker GVC Holdings PLC, which owns the Ladbrokes Coral Group PLC gambling company, and MGM Resorts International.

 
 

Read more MGM GVC Interactive Taps Sportradar As Exclusive Supplier of U.S. Sports Data  on SportsHandle.

8 Industries Most Likely To Score Big In Sports Gambling

The U.S. Supreme Court’s monumental decision in May to strike down the long-standing federal law banning full-fledged sports wagering outside Nevada, has opened up legal sports betting to states across the country.

Already New Jersey and Mississippi and its residents (and neighbors) have enjoyed the fruits of their new and growing markets, with other states in earlier stages or nearing a launch. Many more are expected to come on board in 2019.

As new sports wagering platforms are being developed and new kinds of partnerships explored, a wide range of industries are well-positioned to benefit greatly from the massive revenue potential in this marketplace.

1. Fantasy Sports

New opportunities abound in this sector. From opening proprietary sportsbooks and developing betting apps to entering into partnerships with casinos, sports bars, and media companies, fantasy sports enterprises are ready to meet the increasing demand resulting from expanded legalized betting. While there are two clear leaders in this space, DraftKings and FanDuel — which by the way blew out the competition in September in New Jersey — it’s likely that new or smaller players will emerge as the market expands.

2. Social Media

Sports betting and social media go hand-in-hand. With a smartphone in the pockets of practically everyone, an increasing number of people are likely to follow games on mobile. Also many bettors will begin or already do follow sports reporters and “handicappers” on social media, meaning it will only grow as an essential tool in making an educated pregame and in-game wager. Additionally, a significant number of online sportsbooks and other companies are now using social media platforms as a marketing and advertising tool, thereby creating yet another revenue stream with the potential for massive expansion.

[Also see: Startups Compete in the New Sports Betting Arena]


3. Media Companies and TV

After the Supreme Court decision was announced, billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he believed the value of professional sports franchises were doubled as a result of the ruling. Although some may consider this hyperbole, there are others who think the statement was too low, with predictions that the amount of cash about to hit the sports gambling market is actually being underestimated. The related opportunities for media and television companies are enormous, as a 2016 Nielsen Sports study found that although sports betters composed just 25% of the NFL viewing audience, they accounted for 47% of the time spent watching games. If you have money riding on a game, you’re likely to watch more than twice as much as non-gamblers.

And the media industry is listening. ESPN+ is airing a gambling-focused show by The Action Network, “I’ll Take That Bet,” featuring personalities picking their top 10 bets. FS1 went a step further by launching a daily sports gambling show called “Lock It In” with known betting personalities. Another concept involves in-game micro-wagering, which is expected to grow exponentially as states adopt sports gambling. Current delays between the sites of live sporting events and transmission to viewers have curtailed play-by-play wagering on some sports. It’s expected that technology firms will quickly develop real-time picture-and-sound transmission to allow this revenue potential to be fully realized.

With Major Announcement Forthcoming, NHL Reportedly Going ‘All In’ On Sports Betting

The National Hockey League (NHL) will make a major announcement on Monday regarding its participation in the sports betting marketplace.

Sportnet’s Chris Johnston, a Toronto-based hockey insider for the NHL Network and a senior hockey writer for Sportnet, a Canadian equivalent of ESPN, said via Twitter, “The NHL has decided to dive head-first into the sports betting business. Official partnership(s) to be announced at a Monday morning press conference in New York. Word I’m hearing is “we’re going all in.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sent out a media advisory Friday alerting news outlets that he’ll speak at a Monday news conference in New York City.

No Further Information Yet Released on NHL’s Sports Betting Move, But Bettman’s Presence Appears to Guarantee Some Importance to the News Conference.

Should the NHL reveal some manner of official relationship with participants in the legal sports wagering marketplace, it would join the NBA in establishing a formal relationship with a gaming and bookmaking operation.

In July the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver announced at a news conference in New York a 3-year, $25 million marketing and data deal with MGM Resorts International. The non-exclusive arrangement largely focuses on marketing, but does grant MGM access to the league’s official data feed.

West Virginia Sports Betting Rules Ignore Pro Leagues’ Intimidation Tactics

 

The West Virginia Lottery Commission on Wednesday approved final rules governing sports wagering, rejecting written comments from several professional sports leagues, reports Jeff Jenkins of West Virginia MetroNews. The comments on the emergency regulations, submitted on behalf of the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the PGA Tour, requested among other things that the Lottery require state-licensed sportsbooks to use “official league data” for purposes of grading wagers.

The emergency regulations allowed licensed casinos to begin taking wagers, while leaving the regulations open for additional comment before becoming permanent.

“Sports pool operators shall use only official league data to determine the result of ‘tier two’ sports wagers, provided that the data is available from governing bodies or a data sub-licenser based on commercially-reasonable terms,” wrote high-powered lobbyist Jeremy Kudon of the law firm Orrick, on behalf of the three sports leagues in an Aug. 30 letter obtained by MetroNews.

 

Breaking Down DraftKings’ Hire of Las Vegas Veteran Johnny Avello

The post Breaking Down DraftKings’ Hire of Las Vegas Veteran Johnny Avello appeared first on SportsHandle.

Wynn Resorts’ executive John Avello is joining DraftKings, the leading national Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operation as it continues its foray into Nevada-style, single-team bookmaking, telling Sports Handle that the popular Las Vegas Strip bookmaker has joined their expanding operation.

Avello, who will remain in Las Vegas, the company said, is expected to be joined at DraftKings by Ed Malinowski, sports and racebook executive at Golden Entertainment. Malinoswki has resigned from that post.

Although it’s believed that Malinowski, with more than a decade in an executive role in the Southern Nevada sportsbook industry, will join Avello at DraftKings in a leadership role, he was unavailable to confirm his new post. A DraftKings spokesperson was unable to immediately confirm or deny the hiring of Malinowski.

 

Read more Breaking Down DraftKings’ Hire of Las Vegas Veteran Johnny Avello on SportsHandle.

Startups Compete in the New Sports Betting Arena

The post Startups Compete in the New Sports Betting Arena appeared first on SportsHandle.

It’s time to place your bets! Sports wagering is definitely on.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down a federal law that previously made it illegal to bet on sports events in any state other than Nevada opens up a new world of opportunities for sports companies and related startups.

The unprecedented convenience of online wagering, including mobile, certainly comes as extremely welcome news to sports betting app developers, while simultaneously enabling new avenues for eSports, sports social media and a wide range of analytics platforms to pursue.

Not surprisingly, the new sports betting ecosystem includes a plethora of sports-related startups, all competing for a piece of the potentially lucrative industry as it hits the mainstream.

But which startups are making the most significant initial impact and showing the brightest signs of success? Observing the latest reports, some trends become apparent.

 

Read more Startups Compete in the New Sports Betting Arena on SportsHandle.

William Hill And IGT Partner Up, Look to Dominate Sports Betting Connected to US Lotteries

The post William Hill And IGT Partner Up, Look to Dominate Sports Betting Connected to US Lotteries appeared first on SportsHandle.

Displaying assurance in their Rhode Island alliance and the probability that many states will operate sports betting through current lottery operations, IGT Global Solutions Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Game Technology and William Hill U.S., a subsidiary of William Hill revealed Tuesday they have entered into a multi-year agreement to offer U.S. lotteries a full service solution for sports betting.

In late August, the Rhode Island Lottery chose IGT and William Hill to jointly run its sports betting operation under the state lottery umbrella. IGT, the long-time lottery contractor in Rhode Island with brick-and mortar offices in Providence, is using its sports betting platform with William Hill serving as risk manager.

Rhode Island Lottery officials project that sports betting operations are not expected to be up and running at the state’s two casino locations until mid-November, well into the NFL and college football season.

Read more William Hill And IGT Partner Up, Look to Dominate Sports Betting Connected to US Lotteries on SportsHandle.

Breaking Down the William Hill-Eldorado Resorts US Sports Betting Partnership

The post Breaking Down the William Hill-Eldorado Resorts US Sports Betting Partnership appeared first on SportsHandle.

In a surprise announcement late Tuesday, William Hill and Eldorado Resorts jointly revealed they had reached a wide-ranging partnership agreement through which the British-controlled bookmaking giant would operate all the major regional casino company’s sportsbook operations in the U.S., and that Eldorado would take a 20 percent stake in William Hill’s U.S. operation, as well as a minor stake in the company’s worldwide operation.

Word of the deal was first reported by the British news outlet Sky News. Soon after the Sky News report, an official statement was released to the media.

William Hill and Eldorado are calling the agreement “a nationwide partnership for digital and land-based sports betting and online gaming in the United States.” William Hill now becomes Eldorado’s exclusive partner in the provision of digital and land-based sports betting services as well as online gaming. The online gaming element to the deal is apparently a new wrinkle in William Hill’s U.S. business model, which had previously focused strictly on sports wagering.

Wide-Ranging Partnership Between William Hill and Eldorado Resorts Puts Bookmaker Into 11 States for Mobile and Retail Sports Betting