IGT customers gain access NBA’s IP

London-based International Game Technology (IGT) has inked a multi-year B2B betting partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The deal means that IGT is the US’s first B2B sports betting platform provider to offer regional casinos and sportsbooks the opportunity to access the NBA’s intellectual property (IP), including team and league logos.

deliver an unequaled sports wagering solution to the US market

IGT PlayDigital senior VP Enrico Drago said the NBA deal would bring official league data to IGT’s PlaySports customers. He said it proved IGT’s determination to deliver an unequaled sports wagering solution to the US market, and that the agreement bolsters the “all-in-one” proposition that his firm offers.

The IGT executive said that having access to league marks and logos, in addition to official, real-time NBA data feeds, gives IGT’s customers a great opportunity given the increased popularity of in-play, prop, and parlay bets.

Drago added that having access to the NBA’s IP empowers his company to align with PlaySports customers and create “highly compelling betting menus for sports fans” across the US.

Out of the box appeal

Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of fantasy and gaming, was also upbeat about the deal, saying it would allow regional operators to create the “best NBA gaming experience.”

Ross placed particular emphasis on the NBA deal giving the platform provider a new ability to offer genuine, out of the box appeal to its US customers. Ross believes this new string to IGT’s bow will prove a highly attractive sports wagering solution to “a diverse set of operators” across the country.

smaller operators now have a cost-effective route to using official NBA iconography

Unlike the big hitters of the gaming industry such as DraftKings and William Hill, there are many regional casino and racino operators with marketing budgets that won’t stretch to a bilateral NBA pairing. With the nature of IGT’s B2B agreement with the NBA, smaller operators now have a cost-effective route to using official NBA iconography within their sports wagering set ups.

One such operator who could be salivating over the new partnership could be North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Just last month, the tribe and IGT signed a retail sports betting agreement for Grand Treasure Casino in Trenton and Sky Dancer Casino and Resort in Belcourt.

IGT’s strategic US spree

In addition to the historic NBA deal yesterday, the US’s leading B2B platform provider has strung together other strategic, high-profile partnerships in 2020. On August 20, IGT inked a long-term partnership with Boyd Gaming Corporation. This gives Boyd use of the PlaySports platform in its Nevada sportsbooks, both digitally and through PlaySports Kiosks located at retail locations.

Earlier in August, it signed another long-term deal, this time with the FanDuel Group. Although existing partners since 2018, the new extension runs until 2024 and enables FanDuel to use IGT’s PlaySports platform to power its retail sportsbooks. In addition to sports betting, the upgraded compact also covers casino games, which allows FanDuel to incorporate IGT’s PlayCasino games in states where it has already established an online casino footprint.