Back in 2020 BetMGM and the 76ers entered into a partnership with the launch of sports betting in Pennsylvania. It was a success. So successful that now, three years later, BetMGM and the 76ers are extending and enhancing the agreement.
BetMGM’s apparent success with the 76ers leads us to wonder: could a BetMGM/Charlotte Hornets partnership be in the cards?
A better experience for BetMGM players
BetMGM’s partnership with the 76ers can give North Carolinians a glimpse of what to expect from North Carolina sports betting partnerships.
Part of the new BetMGM/76ers agreement is to boost player’s experiences. This includes special live odds boosts for BetMGM betters and access to pregame shootarounds in some Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Odds boots increased odds on a specific bet. BetMGM and the 76ers are providing a 50% live odds boost during 76ers games this season.
“What we’re doing with an odds boost,” Matt Prevost, BetMGM’s chief revenue officer, said, “is getting fully behind the 76ers, and we’re engaging with those customers who are inherently 76ers fans, offering them extra value as a result of this partnership.”
In addition to the live odds boost, BetMGM customers will have access to ‘VIP experiences’. This includes access to:
– Pregame shootarounds at the Wells Fargo Center.
– Suite seats for games.
– Road game watch parties.
Would a Charlotte Hornets/BetMGM partnership usher in similar player perks? We think so.
We’d love to see the opportunity for BetMGM players to shoot around with LaMelo Ball before a home game or get exclusive access to Hornets watch parties for road games.
Upside for BetMGM
The renewed partnership is a win for BetMGM as well as its customers. The partnership gives BetMGM high visibility in the Wells Fargo Center. This includes:
– BetMGM logos on grandstands.
– BetMGM logos on the video board.
– More media on courtside LED screens.
– BetMGM content posted on the various Sixers social media.
– BetMGM advertisements placed on the 76ers app.
These branding opportunities would be nearly identical to what North Carolinians could expect to see at the Spectrum Center and in Charlotte Hornets media packages.
RELATED: Spectrum Center and Charlotte Hornets Gameday Guide
A Charlotte Hornets and BetMGM NC partnership?
Given the success of the Sixers partnership with BetMGM, a Charlotte Hornets partnership with BetMGM is certainly possible.
BetMGM has few NBA partnerships, so capitalizing on a partnership with an NBA team in a new market like North Carolina would be good for BetMGM’s brand awareness among NBA fans.
What would a Hornets/BetMGM North Carolina partnership look like?
One can assume it would be modeled after the current 76ers agreement with benefits for BetMGM NC customers and BetMGM.
For BetMGM NC players, such a partnership would include items to enhance the player’s experience such as the odds boosts and ‘VIP experiences’ similar to those provided by the 76ers partnership.
The benefits would likely include high visibility advertisement in Spectrum Center. Advertising and logo placement on the Hornets’ apps and social media would almost certainly be part of the mix.
As the NC Lottery Commission takes steps toward the launch of online sports betting, the need for operators to form the required written designation agreements with sports entities will lead to news of sports betting partnerships. BetMGM, a top national brand interested in North Carolina, will certainly be among the first operators to enter the NC market. Will they pair up with the Hornets or look elsewhere for a written designation agreement?
NCSharp will follow these developments closely.
Image Credit: Chuck Burton / AP Images
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