The NHL has finally announced its involvement in the sports betting industry, with commissioner Gary Bettman stating that the professional sports league has chosen MGM Resorts International as its partner.

The NHL has agreed to a multi-year deal with MGM Resorts, with the brand becoming the official gaming partner of the league. With the deal, MGM will have access to the league’s intellectual property, which will include the logos of teams in the league as well as other materials. The NHL will be providing MGM Resorts with advanced game data that will be recorded by the league.

Real-time player tracking data

The NHL compiled data will cover valuable aspects of the sport, including tracking of players and puck information. For a few years now, the league has been working on new tracking systems that will be fully implemented within the next season. With this new format, MGM will have access to player tracking data in real time, allowing sportsbooks to offer new betting opportunities.

The announcement of the new partnership was made by MGM Resorts’ chairman and CEO Jim Murren and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Bettman said: “The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our League. As a leading global gaming operator and entertainment company, MGM Resorts is the perfect partner for us to begin our transformative entry into this space.

“Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do.”

The deal’s official terms have not yet been provided, but it was made clear during the announcement that the NHL will not be earning a piece of the gambling profits generated via MGM. The league will, however, have input on what bettors can wager on. The new partnership is also not exclusive, so the NHL has the freedom to work with other sportsbooks, selling its data to other brands.

MGM also partnered with NBA

The deal between MGM Resorts and the NHL is not the first for the gaming company. Back in the summer, it was announced that MGM Resorts had partnered with the NBA, with the casino brand becoming the official gaming partner of both the NBA and the WNBA.

The deal gives MGM the right to use league highlights as well as logos of the teams in both leagues within their sports betting offerings.

According to VSO News, the multi-year deal was the first direct partnership between a professional sports league and a casino-gambling corporation in the United States. The partnership was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and MGM Resorts International chairman and CEO Jim Murren.

Under the terms of the deal, MGM Resorts will be promoted via the NBA’s digital assets including the NBA website, its app, NBA TV and social media platforms. The NBA will be promoted via MGM’s sports betting platforms.