Retail facility could launch in April

BetMGM and Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise the Washington Nationals announced an innovative multi-year partnership on January 11. The deal will see the US sports betting and online gambling giant open a sports betting facility at Nationals Park, marking its first-ever in-stadium sportsbook.

The Washington Nationals tweeted the news of the partnership on Monday:

According to a Washington Post report, the BetMGM sportsbook is “tentatively scheduled to open this summer” and could even launch on Opening Day in April. The premises will house electronic betting kiosks, betting windows, as well as food and drink amenities.

Part of the exclusive partnership allows BetMGM to launch its mobile wagering app, which will be available to fans inside and within a two-block radius of the stadium.

As official sports betting partner of the Nationals, BetMGM can brand areas within the park, besides having a presence across the MLB team’s social and digital platforms. Exclusive benefits will be available to fans from both sides of the partnership, namely members of M Life and Red Carpet loyalty programs.

Sportsbook complements luxury setting

According to an official news release, the new BetMGM sportsbook will provide a “luxury viewing and sports betting experience that complements the existing experience at the MGM National Harbor Dugout Club”, an exclusive sports box located on-site. MGM National Harbor is a luxury resort and casino on the banks of the Potomac River, less than half an hour’s drive south of Washington, D.C.

Alan Gottlieb, chief operating officer of Lerner Sports Group, said the partnership would “further enhance the greatest in-venue fan experience in Washington, D.C.” The group is the Washington, D.C.-based majority owner of the Nationals team.

partnership would “further enhance the greatest in-venue fan experience in Washington, D.C.” 

BetMGM’s sportsbook operation has gone live in several US states, with the most recent being Pennsylvania on December 18. BetMGM, which is co-owned by MGM Resorts International and Entain Plc (formerly GVC Holdings), hopes to launch its mobile sportsbook in Virginia soon, subject to regulatory approval.

Fully engaged future for Nationals fans

BetMGM recently announced multi-layered agreements with NFL franchise the Philadelphia Eagles and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. But according to chief revenue officer Matt Prevost, the Nationals deal was the company’s “most in-depth partnership with a team.”

Prevost added that the deal would showcase the “multitude of ways we’re able to engage fans in and out of stadiums”. Jorge Perez, president and COO of MGM National Harbor concurred, saying: “Fans will have the opportunity to experience America’s pastime in the most innovative and exciting way possible.”