BetMGM Extends NHL Partnership, to Develop Hockey-Themed Casino Games

Posted on: December 20, 2023, 12:12h. 

Last updated on: December 20, 2023, 11:26h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

BetMGM has extended its North American partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL). The multiyear prolongment will retain BetMGM as an Official Sports Betting and Gaming Partner of the professional hockey league.

BetMGM NHL hockey sports betting
A BetMGM advertisement seen at Bridgestone Arena during a Nashville Predators game. The NHL announced this week a multiyear extension of its marketing deal with BetMGM. (Image: Getty)

BetMGM told Casino.org on Tuesday that the NHL pact will allow the sports betting and iGaming operator to create specialized VIP fan experiences. BetMGM advertisements will also continue to run during nationally televised NHL broadcasts.

Our partnership extension with the NHL is a winner. It enables us to enhance the BetMGM product and offer our fans unforgettable experiences built around the game they love,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “The NHL is more thrilling than ever — a symphony of athleticism, teamwork, and skill on skates.”

MGM Resorts International controls BetMGM in North America through a joint venture with UK-based Entain. BetMGM has been an Official Sports Betting partner of the NHL since October 2018, which came just five months after the U.S. Supreme Court said states have the freedom to determine their own laws on sports betting.

The NHL was quick to embrace legal sports betting. The league was also the first among the big four (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL) to allow a franchise to call Las Vegas home.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the defending Stanley Cup champions, winning the coveted trophy in just their fifth year in existence.

BetMGM to Offer NHL Games

Another component of the BetMGM extension with the NHL, and a slightly more exciting development, is that the online casino operator plans to develop league-branded casino games. The interactive slots and table products will be offered in states where BetMGM operates its online casino platform.

Only six states allow online casino gambling: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, West Virginia, and Delaware. DraftKings operates internet casinos in all but Delaware.

BetMGM didn’t say which interactive developer might design the NHL games.

In August, BetMGM debuted Dual Play Roulette for remote players in New Jersey, which allows online gamblers to interact with a live dealer through the firm’s operating arrangement with Evolution Gaming.

In September, BetMGM announced the debut of Buffalo–themed slots on its iGaming website and app. Those games come from Aristocrat Leisure’s digital gaming division Anaxi.

Last year, BetMGM launched a separate online casino site in New Jersey called the Wheel of Fortune Casino. That product was developed by International Game Technology (IGT) through a licensing arrangement with Sony Pictures Television.

NHL Partnership Spree

With the NHL nearing the midpoint of its 2023-24 season, the league continues to solidify its sports betting and iGaming partners for the years ahead.

Along with the BetMGM extension, the NHL last month announced deals with ESPN Bet and theScore. Both entities are owned by Penn Entertainment.

In August, Penn announced it was selling Barstool Sports back to Dave Portnoy — the businessman and social media personality who provided the casino company with a myriad of regulatory headaches — for just $1. Penn paid $500 million to acquire the Barstool brand, which it used in its sports betting operations.

Penn is paying ESPN $1.5 billion over the next 10 years to utilize the sports media brand in its ESPN Bet sports betting product. theScore is Penn’s sportsbook in Canada.