In 1919, the Chicago White Sox (nicknamed the Blacksox) got caught up in a horrible sports betting scandal that rocked the sports world. It's for that reason and several other scandals that U.S. professional sports leagues have always tried to distance themselves from the gambling industry, legal or not. The leagues simply didn't want to carry the burden of impropriety that got attached to such scandals.
My how things have changed. In just four years, we have seen an incredible transition. Today, we have both professional sports teams and leagues that are eager to enter into mutually beneficial marketing partnerships with top U.S. mobile gambling operators. Gone is the uneasiness that had existed between two of the biggest entertainment industries in the U.S.
How Did This Change Come About?
In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the nation's ban on sports betting and online gambling, turning the right to choose over to the states. Since then, more than three dozen states have passed or are deep into the process of legalizing sports betting in their states.
That's not all. Some state legislatures have given the green light for major professional sports teams to participate in the process. They can participate as marketing partners and in some cases, actually run sports betting operations right out of their team facilities. It's common now for top mobile sports betting operators to have some kind of direct affiliation with a U.S. sports team in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL. Note: For now, college sports are off-limits.
Mutually Beneficial?
On the mobile operator's end, they get marketing access to the teams' brand and playing facilities. The sports teams pick up massive amounts of marketing revenue coming from sports betting operators trying to compete for a limited amount of business in each state.
It’s important to keep in mind that sports betting generates a mere fraction of revenue from all of online gambling. Estimates have it pegged around 12-15% where as casino games like slots, video poker, blackjack, etc. account for a whopping 80%. New online USA casinos take advantage of this wide margin by offering no deposit bonuses that aren’t available in sports betting.
Therefore, a partnership between sports betting operators and professional teams is a no-brainer. Considering the enormous size of fan bases not just of teams but entire leagues, it makes sense on wanting to entice these fans into the gambling world. What better way than to advertise the affiliation between bettors and teams than through commercials, billboards & signage, and radio/tv broadcasts.
Pro Teams Aligned With Mobile Sports Betting Operators
If you're a U.S. sports gambler wrapped up in the body of a sports fan, you might be curious about these partnership alignments. Here is a list of current partnerships by the sports league, and then team. (This is the latest information from mid-2022.
NFL:
Arizona Cardinals - BetMGM in August of 2021
Baltimore Ravens - BetMGM and Caesars since 2021
Buffalo Bills - FanDuel and Caesars.
Chicago Bears - Fanatics (PointsBet) in 2020 and BetRivers in 2021
Cincinnati Bengals - Betfred (July 2022)
Cleveland Browns - Bally's
Denver Broncos - FanDuel, since 2020.
Detroit Lions - BetMGM (2020) and WynnBet (2021)
Indianapolis Colts - Caesars in 2020
Kansas City Chiefs - BetMGM and DraftKings in 2022
Las Vegas Raiders - MGM Resorts
New York Giants - DraftKings.
New Orleans Saints - Harrah's and Caesars
New York Jets - WynnBet
Philadelphia Eagles - DraftKings, FOX Bet, and Unibet.
Pittsburgh Steelers - BetMGM in November 2020 and Unibet in August 2021.
Tennessee Titans - BetMGM in 2020
Washington Commanders - FanDuel in 2021
NBA:
Boston Celtics - DraftKings in 2020.
Brooklyn Nets - Betway and FanDuel
Chicago Bulls - Betway
Cleveland Cavaliers - Caesars in February 2022
Denver Nuggets - Fanatics (PointsBet) in 2020
Detroit Pistons - DraftKings and FanDuel in 2020 and BetRivers and WynnBET in 2021
Indiana Pacers - Fanatics (PointsBet) in 2020, also DraftKings
Memphis Grizzlies - Caesars, FanDuel, and WynnBet
Milwaukee Bucks - Betway
New Orleans Pelicans - BetRivers in 2022.
New York Knicks - BetMGM and Caesars in 2022
Philadelphia 76ers - FOXBet in 2019 and Betway in 2021
Phoenix Suns - FanDuel in 2021.
Washington Wizards - Caesars in 2022
MLB:
Arizona Diamondbacks - Caesars in May of 2021
Baltimore Orioles - SuperBook Sports in 2022
Chicago Cubs - DraftKings
Chicago White Sox - Caesars in May 2022
Cincinnati Reds - BetMGM July of 2022.
Cleveland Guardians - bet365 and Fanatics (retail only)
Colorado Rockies - DraftKings and BetFred
Detroit Tigers - FanDuel in 2021.
Houston Astros - BetMGM in May 2022. Note: Sports betting is not yet legal in Texas.
New York Mets - Caesars in 2022
New York Yankees - Bet365, DraftKings, and FanDuel in the 2022 season.
Pittsburgh Pirates - BetMGM since July of 2021
Washington Nationals - BetMGM
NHL:
Arizona Coyotes - Meruelo Gaming LLC in 2020
Boston Bruins - DraftKings on Aug 1, 2022
Chicago Blackhawks - FanDuel
Colorado Avalanche - Fanatics (PointsBet) in 2020
Columbus Blue Jackets - Fanatics in 2022
Detroit Red Wings - FanDuel and Fanatics (PointsBet)
Nashville Predators - DraftKings in December 2020 and Bally’s in 2021
New Jersey Devils - Caesars in 2018 and Betway in 2021.
New York Islanders - Betway
New York Rangers - DraftKings
Philadelphia Flyers - Betway in 2021.
Pittsburgh Penguins - BetRivers - Caesars in 2018.
Washington Capitals - Caesars Sportsbook in 2022
Note: Many teams from California, Florida, and Texas are missing because sports betting is not yet legal in those states.
