The Detroit Tigers made history on Thursday as they became the first Major League Baseball team to partner with a sports betting operator. The Tigers announced that they had reached a multi-year sponsorship agreement with PointsBet.
The Illitch family owns the Detroit Tigers, and they were the group that made the official announcement. PointsBet is an Australian-based company, but they have been making big moves in the US sports betting industry.
PointsBet will now be allowed to put up signage at Comerica Park, which is home to the Detroit Tigers. Radio and television broadcasts of Tigers baseball games will also include advertising that promotes the PointsBet Sportsbook.
PointsBet will now have access to official Major League Baseball logos and stats across all of its products, including in Australia. PointsBet will also have a presence on the Tigers’ digital platform, and their product will be integrated into the MLB app.
Financial terms of the deal were not announced, but the partnership will change the way fans view Tigers games both inside of Comerica Park and at home. Sports betting is a fast-growing industry, and the Tigers have decided to jump on board.
Online Sports Betting Coming Soon
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced earlier this week that they are now taking applications for online sports betting and online casino operators. This will grow the gambling industry in the state, and some big names are expected to submit an application for a license.
Michigan already has a sports betting industry set up, but all of the betting has to take place at commercial casinos in the state. This move will give more people the chance to bet on sports, and will also create more competition in the market.
The MGCB announced that they are also in the process of coming up with rules and regulations for each new industry, and the hope is to have things in place for an October launch. This announcement came just one day before the partnership between the Tigers and PointsBet was announced, and it was not a coincidence.
PointsBet already has a presence in the state of Michigan by virtue of a partnership with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. These two groups announced a partnership in January, giving PointsBet the right to operate a retail sportsbook at the Northern Waters Casino.
Sports betting in Michigan could not have launched at a worse time, and things never really got off the ground. Sports betting was officially launched on March 11, and most live sports in the United States shut down the same week.
Major League Baseball Also Making Deals
Betting in baseball has been taboo for several years, but things started to change in 2018. After the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting, professional sports leagues began looking for a way to get in on the action.
Major League Baseball was also making moves this week, and they announced a partnership with theScore. TheScore is a Canadian-based company, but they are now the first authorized gaming operator of Major League Baseball.
The official announcement was made by theScore, but Major League Baseball insiders believe that this is the first of many deals that will be announced this month. The league is hoping to capitalize on the growing industry by bringing in some additional revenue.
The NBA and the NFL have similar deals in place with sports betting operators, and they are even allowing bets to be placed inside of the stadiums. Current laws prohibit Comerica Park from operating a sportsbook, but fans will be able to place mobile bets in October.
