Betting and the professional sports leagues have become intertwined since the Professional, and Amateur Sports Protection Act was repealed in 2018. There are now plans to build the first retail sportsbook at an NFL venue in Arizona.
On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals, Gila River Hotel & Casino, and BetMGM announced a multi-year partnership that will include a luxury retail sportsbook at State Farm Stadium. State Farm Stadium is located in Glendale, and the retail sportsbook will open by the beginning of the 2022 season.
Details of the Partnership
Football season is the largest betting time in the United States because of the popularity of the sport. Additionally, with games on limited days, people wait for the weekend to unload their wallets with the chance of winning big on the sport.
There have been sportsbooks opened at professional sports venues since 2018, but State Farm Stadium will be the first football stadium with a book. Earlier in 2021, the Phoenix Suns announced a partnership with FanDuel for a retail sportsbook in its arena.
The Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics have a sportsbook in their arena. This luxury book has been a massive success in the District of Columbia. The announcement of the Arizona Cardinals sportsbook coincided with an announcement from the Cubs for a retail sportsbook.
The Cubs will be opening a two-story property at Wrigley Field next season. The trend of retail sports betting at professional sports venues has become a normalcy in the United States as betting sweeps the nation.
The retail sportsbook is not the primary part of the partnership between the three groups. The retail sportsbook will be popular on game day, but mobile betting will dominate the United States. BetMGM will also secure market access to the state’s online betting industry.
BetMGM will be mixed in with other large platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel, so the deal with the Cardinals will help the site boost its notoriety. There will be BetMGM signage posted all over the stadium.
Additionally, BetMGM will offer exclusive Cardinals promotions in the state to entice fans of the team to wager. Information on these promotions is still developing, but expect a large promotion to kick off the NFL season when the Cardinals face the Titans on September 12 at 1:00 PM ET.
NFL Turning Towards Sports Betting
The NFL has been focused on sports betting over the past few years. Following the removal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, professional sports leagues and the NCAA battled operators.
Sports leagues feared that they would be cut out from the financial gains. However, the mentality change by the league has put them into the center of the action. The NFL has been the leader of sports betting amongst professional sports franchises.
This was unexpected because the league fought New Jersey for six years to keep sports betting out of the United States. Many teams have formed partnerships with sports betting operators, and this number is expected to grow.
Sports betting is legal in 29 states and Washington D.C., with the number growing during every legislative session.
