The NFL continues to expand its Canada sports betting presence as the football season approaches with a BetMGM partnership.
BetMGM Sportsbook announced Tuesday it is an official sportsbook of the NFL in Canada. The partnership comes ahead of the first NFL betting season with the commercial Ontario sports betting market open.
“Expanding our partnership with the NFL into Canada sets the stage for amazing opportunities as we begin the upcoming football season,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said in a release. “We’re already seeing great interest from our Ontario customers and this collaboration truly elevates the BetMGM experience.”
BetMGM partnership details
BetMGM became an approved US sportsbook operator of the NFL in 2021, along with several other companies in a tier below the “tri-exclusive” NFL sportsbook partners. This new deal gives BetMGM the rights to use NFL marks in Canada.
BetMGM can also advertise on NFL-operated platforms in Canada. The operator can also offer customers “exclusive NFL experiences.”
“BetMGM delivers a unique gaming platform to this emerging market and will enhance the NFL fan experience in Canada in new and innovative ways,” Gavin Kemp, NFL Canada senior director of corporate partnerships, said in a release.
BetMGM football hopes in Ontario
With the industry still waiting on a first revenue report from Ontario, Greenblatt offered rare insight into the market back in June at the Canadian Gaming Summit.
During his fireside chat, Greenblatt spoke briefly about the potential of NFL betting in the Great White North.
“One of the challenges for us, if you don’t know the scale of it, how much can you invest in it,” Greenblatt said at the summit. “We think that [the NFL] will probably be the biggest betting sport, but not by the margin that exists in the US.”
NFL Canada partnerships grow
In July, FanDuel Sportsbook announced an expansion of its NFL deal into Canada. FanDuel also has a partnership with TSN, the exclusive broadcast partner of NFL Canada.
The NFL’s first official sportsbook deal in Canada was with Ontario Lottery and Gaming‘s ProLine+.
Single-event sports wagering in Canada began in August 2021. Commercial online operators launched in Ontario in April.
