The Detroit Tigers have announced they have made a multi-year deal with the bookmaker PointsBet. This is the first partnership of this kind in Major League Baseball.
PointsBet will have signs displayed in Comerica Park, and they will be featured on their radio show. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
“Our great fans will enjoy the unique experiences and innovative offerings that PointsBet’s personalized platform provides,” Chris Granger, a group president for Ilitch Holdings, the company that represents the Tigers, said in a release announcing the partnership. “As we usher in legal and responsible sports betting, we look forward to the fan-friendly enhancements that it will make to the game-day experience in and around Comerica Park.”
This seems to be a growing trend in professional sports. Teams are beginning to stop turning the other way when it comes to betting on sports.
First In Baseball
The Denver Broncos were the first NFL team to make this kind of partnership, doing so with FanDuel. Now the Tigers are the first to do so in the MLB. It’s almost certain that many other teams will start to follow their lead.
PointsBet sees the potential in baseball. They recently became an authorized gaming operator for MLB. This will allow them to receive MLB’s latest stats and feed, providing them with official logos that PointsBet may use on their platform.
“I view baseball as arguably the most disruptable sport when it comes to innovation around betting,” Johnny Aitken, CEO of PointsBet, told ESPN. “I think there’s a huge amount of innovation that can happen around baseball betting.”
Live Betting
PointsBet has had plenty of options for betting when it comes to baseball. They have also only been in the US market for one year.
Last year, they allowed customers to bet live on MLB games. This included whether the next batter will get a hit, strike out, ground out, etc. Part of this deal will also include a mobile app.
“Even if you join the broadcast in the seventh inning, and the Tigers are winning 6-0 over the Red Sox, there’s still an exciting way to place some action for the remainder of the game,” Aitken said.
Michigan legalized sports betting in 2019, so they are still a relatively new location that has passed legislation. Detroit’s first sportsbook was the MGM Grand. It only had a short opening before having to close due to COVID-19.
It will be a different year in baseball for this to begin. With only a 60-game season, many bets surrounding the game, especially props, will be abnormal.
It might be a nice season regarding these sportsbooks’ entrance in becoming partners with teams. It could provide a nice trial run before a full season in 2021.
The Tigers were first to the plate for this partnership, but they may be joined fairly soon by other teams across the league. There is too much money to be made for teams to ignore the positives this will provide now and long term.
