- The National Football League (NFL) has announced BetMGM as an ‘Official Sportsbook Partner’ in Canada.
- In the US, BetMGM is one of the league’s ‘second tier’ sportsbook operators. The three top tier books are FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook.
- BetMGM launched their sports betting and iGaming platform in the red hot Ontario market in early April 2022.
We’ve repeatedly discussed the significance of a sportsbook forming an ‘official partnership’ with a pro sports league. I’ve yet to see a clear ‘return on investment’ for deals of this sort, but they remain popular with the more deep pocketed sports betting companies. As I observed a few weeks ago:
I’ve yet to see any empirical evidence that there’s a clear return on investment from this type of ‘official partnership’ with a sports league. Sports betting existed for many years despite the outright contempt of the professional sports industry and the disdain of the mainstream media. If someone wants to bet on a NFL game, they can do so just as easily and effectively at a sportsbook that lists only the team names than at an ‘official’ sportsbook that can use the team logos.
That quote was from an article about FanDuel becoming an ‘Official Betting Partner’ of the NFL in Canada. Previously, the NFL announced a partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) which operates the Proline+ online betting platform. ‘Officially’ OLG is the ‘official retail lottery’ and ‘sportsbook partner’ of the league which presumably gives them the same status as FanDuel.
Both entities now have company. The latest ‘Official Sportsbook Partner’ for the NFL in Canada is BetMGM. BetMGM went live in Ontario in early April 2022. Interestingly, BetMGM is a second tier ‘approved sportsbook operator’ of the NFL in the United States. That designation allows them to run TV spots during NFL games. In Canada, however, BetMGM will be allowed to use official NFL trademarks and logos and not much more:
As a part of the newly expanded relationship, BetMGM now has the rights to use official NFL marks in Canada and advertise on NFL-operated digital platforms throughout the region. Additionally, BetMGM will offer Canadian customers access to exclusive NFL experiences.
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt tried to put a positive spin on the deal:
“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.”
Gavin Kemp, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships, NFL Canada, had this to say about the partnership:
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.”
