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The NBA has officially partnered with MGM Resorts to bring legal sports betting to eager gambling enthusiasts. The Supreme Court opened the door for legal sports betting in several states early this year, and the NBA became the first major league in the United States to find an official partner.
The NBA has partnered with MGM Resorts for multiyear agreement on sports gaming/betting.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 31, 2018
David Purdum of ESPN explained what MGM Resorts gained by partnering with the NBA.
MGM gets the rights to NBA league and team logos, highlights, access to the official league data feed and the tag of being the “official gaming partner” of the NBA and WNBA.
Purdum went on to describe what the NBA will receive for entering the agreement with MGM Resorts.
The deal, according to sources, is believed to be $25 million over three years. That’s small change for the NBA. The value, though, may come through the creation of a market for their direct data feed. Now that MGM has signed up, other competitors have a decision to make: Is the access to data that the NBA is offering worth it?
The two parties already worked together to present the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League earlier this offseason.
Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi are the only states currently offering legal sports betting. Of those four states, Delaware is the only one without a MGM sportsbook.