MLB Deal with Betcris is League’s First Wagering Partnership in Latin America

Posted on: July 18, 2020, 07:43h. 

Last updated on: July 20, 2020, 09:10h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More

Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Costa Rican sportsbook Betcris announced on Friday it secured a multi-year deal to become an official wagering partner for Major League Baseball in Latin America. It marks the first such agreement for MLB in a market that’s critically important for the sport.

Under the agreement, Betcris will receive rights to use official league data and use logos and other MLB marks across all of its wagering outlets. The sportsbook also will be promoted during key league events, such as its postseason games, in Latin American countries where it holds a license.

This partnership will strengthen Betcris’ position in the gaming industry by allowing us to cover all the action in the field, and it could not come at a better time,” said Betcris CEO JD Duarte in a statement. “We share a vision with MLB to deliver fun and exciting content to our audiences, and that starts with the 2020 season.”

The Betcris-MLB partnership also allows the company to develop a free-to-play mobile app.

Latin America is a major market for the game. More than a quarter of MLB players come from Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Curacao.

Betcris is not licensed to operate in any US state.

Deal Engages Loyal MLB Fans

While the Betcris deal is the first sports betting partnership for MLB in Latin America, it’s not the only such deal the league has with a sportsbook or mobile sports betting application.

MLB has seven other partnerships in place. Most recently, it reached an agreement with theScore, a mobile app that’s already taking bets in New Jersey and is planning to roll out in Indiana and Colorado in the near future.

The other authorized operators are FOX Bet, DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, BetMGM, and Intralot.

Kenny Gersh, MLB’s executive vice president of gaming and new business, said in a statement that the league wanted to find the right partner to engage some of its “most loyal” fans.

“Betcris has taken great strides in recent years to listen to their users and continually offer great services, and we believe their experience will only further elevate the engagement opportunities for our Latin American fans,” he said.

US and Betcris Oddsmakers Like Yanks, Dodgers

The 60-game MLB season starts in less than a week, and like other sportsbooks, Betcris has two teams far ahead of others on its odds board.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are Betcris’ favorites to win the World Series this season, with odds of +333. That means a $100 bet would net $333. The New York Yankees are right behind, with odds at +355.

The only other team with single-digit odds are the Houston Astros, who are listed at +945.

Those odds are similar to what US bettors can get at most sportsbooks across the country.

FanDuel offers the Dodgers at +380 and the Yankees at +400, with the Astros at +800. At DraftKings, it’s the Dodgers at +375, with the Yankees also at +400 and the Astros at +850.

William Hill has the Yanks and Dodgers at +400 and the Astros at +600.