Detroit Tigers Makes History With Sports Gambling Deal

Published: 03/07/2020

Reading Time: 3 Min

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Major League Baseball club Detroit Tigers recently confirmed that it had closed a deal with global sports betting firm PointsBet. This is the first deal of its kind to be closed in the MLB. The financial terms of the deal were not made available to the public.

PointsBet is an Australian online sports betting platform that has recently found popularity in the United States. With this latest deal, the company will soon be allowed to market itself through TV ads and other digital assets associated with the Detroit Tigers.

Moreover, all of firm’s products will now be allowed for integration in The District Detroit, as well as several other MLB Ballpark mobile applications.

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A growing trend towards online gambling

Many in the gambling industry are pushing several sports leagues into adopting online gambling platforms. The online gambling industry is steadily growing in the past few years, and the lockdown brought about by the coronavirus pandemic has a positive effect on its growth according to recent statistics.

Compared to traditional betting arrangements, online gambling is relatively easy to setup and maintain. A single server can host almost all of a firm’s assets without requiring too much maintenance, as oppose to a traditional physical betting setup.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of online gambling is comfort and security. Users should be able to place bets while they are in the confines of their homes. This is especially important nowadays due to the surge of coronavirus cases.

In Michigan, the state has already legalized online sports betting in December. The industry is still in its infancy when the coronavirus pandemic arrived, and it has severely hampered its adoption in the state.

If all goes into plan, the Michigan Gaming Control Board said that online betting in the state should be operational by fall.

Forming alliances

PointsBet is making sure that it is in the prime position once online betting kicks off in the state relatively soon. With its partnership with the Detroit Tigers, the firm now has the authority to use official MLB data, logos, and other marks in its product. The firm is also the official gaming operator for the Tigers in the state.

This latest partnership comes after the MLB made some rather controversial gambling rule change in order to accommodate betting on motor sports at the MotorCity Casino in Detroit. It is important to note here that MotorCity Casino and PoinstBet are owned by Marian Ilitch.

As part of the MotorCity deal, the casino partnered with notable online bookmaker FanDuel to operate its sports book and lounge. Due to the surge in coronavirus cases, all three major casinos in Detroit were forced to close their doors for more than four months.

Despite some concerns brought about by several gambling advocacy groups, the state of Michigan pushed through with its plans to expand gambling in the state. With major sports league gearing up to return after a prolonged lockdown, many market analysts expect gambling revenue to surge quite exponentially this year.

People are excited to return to their normal habits after more than four months of lockdown.