Wagering slowly a rage in US, Europe stadia

Article posted by Coliseum, January 18^th, 2021

Image: ADO Den Haag

Sports betting is becoming more and more popular with stadiums and sporting clubs in the US and Europe as well.

The latest to jump on the bandwagon is the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball (MLB) team which has entered into a partnership with the sports betting and gaming company BetMGM, which will open a new branded sportsbook at the Washington Nationals home ballpark – Nationals Park (US).

The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. (US). The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadium while their permanent stadium was being built.

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The Nationals Park is a baseball park along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the home ballpark of Washington Nationals.

New Jersey (US)-headquartered BetMGM is one of the only companies to offer sports betting, online poker, and online casino games all under one login. BetMGM has dramatically improved their selection of bets, mobile app, and live betting menu over the years.

In the United States, a sportsbook or a race and sports book (sometimes abbreviated as book) is a place where a gambler can wager on various sports competitions, including golf, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, greyhound racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts.

The exclusive multiyear deal struck will also see the launch of a mobile app within the permitted area around the facility.

Fan-focused campaigns and co-branding opportunities will also form part of the deal.

The BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park will provide a luxury viewing and sports betting experience that will complement the existing experience at the MGM National Harbor Dugout Club.

MGM National Harbor is in partnership with the Washington Nationals and has created the MGM National Harbor Dugout Club, an eight-seat premier luxury sports box located on the field adjacent to the team dugout. The MGM National Harbor Dugout Club takes the baseball experience to a new level.

The newly created sportsbook will be located in the space that currently serves as Center Field Social, across Center Field Plaza from the Nationals Team Store. The sportsbook will not be accessible by Nationals fans while they are in attendance at a game, but supporters will be able to place bets via BetMGM’s mobile app.

In the capacity of official sports betting partner of the Nationals, BetMGM branding will be featured inside Nationals Park and on the team’s social media and digital platforms. The two parties will also create exclusive benefits for members of each partner’s loyalty program: MGM Resorts’ M life Rewards and Red Carpet Rewards.

Alan Gottlieb, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Lerner Sports Group, which owns the Nationals, stated, “The Nationals are thrilled to expand our strong partnership with MGM Resorts into the sports betting realm. As our official sports betting partner, BetMGM will further enhance the greatest in-venue fan experience in Washington, D.C. through its state-of-the-art entertainment products and services.”

Gottlieb added, “The BetMGM mobile app will enable our fans to engage with the game in new and exciting ways, while the BetMGM Sportsbook connected to Nationals Park will provide Nationals fans and the D.C. community with a first-class gathering place to celebrate their passion for sports together.”

Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer, BetMGM, added, “This new partnership with the Nationals is our most in-depth partnership with a team and showcases the multitude of ways we’re able to engage fans in and out of stadiums. We’re extremely excited to work together to create unique experiences for Nationals fans and the broader D.C. Metro area during and after games.”

BetMGM currently operates in 11 States and hopes to launch its sportsbook in Virginia in the near future, subject to regulatory approval. MGM Resorts (American global hospitality and entertainment company) is the official gaming partner of MLB.

‘Cas’hing in on casino

Dutch Eredivisie (the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands) football club ADO Den Haag will open a casino space at Cars Jeans Stadion through an agreement reached with the local company Hommerson.

ADO Den Haag has inked a five-year deal with Hommerson, which will set up a casino near the entrance of the club’s 15,000-seat stadium. The casino will sit in the space previously known as the Zuiderpark Lounge.

ADO Den Haag is a Dutch association football club from the City of The Hague (Netherlands).

It is hoped the new casino will further lure fans to the stadium both on matchdays and non-matchdays. Work on the casino is at an advanced stage and the space will open on January 20^th, 2021 if COVID-19 guidelines in place allow it to do so.

Hommerson Director Remco van den Berg informed, “This is something we have been working on for a long time and are really looking forward to. We looked around this area for a long time and eventually our eye fell on the main building of ADO Den Haag. When we walked into the Zuiderpark Lounge there, we immediately saw it: There simply had to be a casino.”

The top official added, “The facilities are available and everything is in order. We took up the gauntlet with Mohammed Hamdi (ADO Den Haag Managing Director) and are very proud that the talks have resulted in this collaboration. As a committed entrepreneur in The Hague region, the pride of ADO Den Haag was already present, but it is even more special if part of your company can be located at the club. That will give us a wonderful feeling every day.”

Hamdi added, “During my first conversation with Hommerson it became immediately clear that this would be a unique partnership. The collaboration in this form – with the rental location, sponsorship and activation – is one of the largest partnerships in the history of our club.”

Mohammed Hamdi, CEO, ADO Den Haag, Netherlands, will be one of the Speakers at the Coliseum Online Week MENA Worldwide to be held from February 10^th-11^th, 2021.

He concluded by stating, “A beautiful casino in the Cars Jeans Stadion gives this even more shines. The playing location also contributes to the area development around the stadium. It creates opportunities for even more business and commercialization. Thanks to Hommerson, the eyes of other parties will be opened. A night out at the Forepark will become increasingly tempting, especially during and around competitions. That’s why I call this ‘collaboration 3.0’.”

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