William Hill Scores NBA Deal, Will Become Premier Sports Betting Provider to The Association

Posted on: October 2, 2019, 02:29h. 

Last updated on: October 2, 2019, 02:56h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

William Hill, one of the world’s largest sportsbook operators, said Wednesday it’s joining forces with the NBA, becoming a “Proud Partner” of the league and the association’s authorized sports betting provider.

William Hill notched a win in a deal that will make it the NBA’s authorized sports betting provider. (Image: Clutch Points)

Through the deal, William Hill will gain access to NBA data, which the company can use at its sportbooks throughout the US and on its mobile betting apps. The gaming firm will also be able to use the NBA logo on its online and mobile platforms.

In turn, the league will promote William Hill as an “authorized sports betting operator” on NBA.com, the league’s mobile app, and its social media outlets. Financial terms of the pact weren’t released.

The NBA has been a leader in recognizing the benefits of a legal sports betting market,” said William Hill US Vice President Dan Shapiro in a statement. “We expect this to be the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the league and its teams.”

The company has been in the US since 2012, when it entered Nevada, where it now has 112 sportsbooks. William Hill operates retail sports betting locations in several states beyond Nevada, and has online exposure in other regions of the US.

Geographic Issues

In addition to running brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in Nevada and New Jersey, the two largest sports betting markets in the US, William Hill has an online presence in Iowa, Indiana, and West Virginia, and provides sports wagering services to casino operators in Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

Of the states mentioned above, only Indiana (the Pacers) and Pennsylvania (the Philadelphia 76ers) have NBA franchises.

With NBA preseason games commencing this week and the regular season starting later this month, just four of the states where sports betting is currently permitted – Indiana, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania – are home to professional basketball teams.

Washington, DC, home to the NBA’s Wizards, is close to moving forward with sports betting. But on Tuesday, a judge there issued an injunction against the DC Lottery, barring that entity from pushing ahead with its controversial pact to have Intralot manage sports wagering there. That issue will be revisited on Oct. 28, after the start of the NBA season.

Nearly a third of the NBA’s 30 franchises are located in California, Texas and Florida, states that are nowhere close to authorizing sports betting.

NBA And Betting

Among the major American sports leagues, the NBA has long been the most forward-thinking when it comes to embracing sports betting. The association holds its summer league in Las Vegas, and those games can be wagered on.

Additionally, Casino.org recently reported that the NBA is considering changes to its lineup submission protocol. If implemented, those changes would mandate that lineups are presented to opposing coaches and the media 30 to 60 minutes prior to tip-off, well ahead of the current requirement of 10 minutes before game time. It is believe the association wants to implement that change to attract more gamblers.

A message to William Hill requesting elaboration on the agreement with the NBA was not returned prior to press time.