Dover Downs casino owner Bally’s Corporation and the National Hockey League hammered out a multi-year strategic partnership designating Bally’s as an Official Sports Betting Partner of the NHL.
It represents Bally’s first sports betting partnership with a professional sports league. Bally’s, formerly Twin River, last year acquired the Bally’s brand from gaming giant Caesar’s as part of its plan to build a national footprint for its casinos and sports betting operations.
Sports leagues jumped into gaming after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down long-standing bans on sports betting that had largely confined activity to Las Vegas.
As part of the expansion, the Rhode Island company recently acquired the Bally’s resort in Atlantic City. The Bally’s casino in Las Vegas remains under the ownership of Caesar’s.
The partnership provides Bally’s with rights to use NHL marks and logos and the use of the league’s official data across its portfolio of sports betting products.
Through its media partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group, Bally’s will create content for NHL fans and integrate that content into live NHL game coverage on 19 regional sports networks.
George Papanier, CEO of Bally’s Corporation, said, “We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with the NHL, which represents an important milestone in our strategy to become a leader in the online sports betting and iGaming space. With access to the NHL’s official logos and brands, together with our first-of-its-kind media partnership with Sinclair, we will continue on our path to transform how fans engage with their favorite hockey teams.”
Bally’s online sports betting operation includes its Monkey Knife Fight daily fantasy sports platform and SportCaller’s free-to-play products.
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, consists of 31 teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers. The 32nd club, the Seattle Kraken, will make its debut in the 2021-22 season. The NHL broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories.
Bally’s Corporation currently owns 11 casinos across seven states, a horse racetrack, and 13 authorized OTB licenses in Colorado. With more than 5,900 employees, the company’s operations include 13,260 slot machines, 459 game tables, and 2,941 hotel rooms. More than half of the company’s total hotel rooms are at Bally’s Atlantic City and Dover Downs.
Following the completion of pending acquisitions, which include Tropicana Evansville (Evansville, IN), Jumer’s Casino & Hotel (Rock Island, IL), and MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (Lake Tahoe, NV), as well as the construction of a land-based casino near the Nittany Mall in State College, PA, Bally’s will own and manage 15 casinos across 11 states.
