BetMGM announced today partnerships with Gila River Hotels & Casinos and the Arizona Cardinals for retail and online sports betting, establishing its first relationships in the state of Arizona. BetMGM plans to bring its industry leading platform online once legalized sports betting launches in Arizona. The company also plans to open retail sportsbooks at the three Arizona Gila River properties and at State Farm Stadium, home of the Cardinals.
“Arizona sports fans are extremely passionate and we’re confident they’ll enjoy the BetMGM experience,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “Gila River Hotels & Casinos and the Arizona Cardinals represent the state’s premier casino destinations and sports franchise, making them the ideal partners for us.”
Gila River Hotels & Casinos operates three Arizona locations, all owned by the Gila River Indian Community: Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva. All three will feature custom built BetMGM Sportsbooks, set to open near football season, reflective of its sports-centric brand.
Gila River Hotels & Casino CEO, Kenneth Manuel, said, “Gila River Hotels & Casinos and the Arizona Cardinals have an everlasting partnership, offering guests exclusive experiences and remarkable rewards. As we explored our partner in sports betting, the unity with BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks, ensures we deliver beyond all expectations. There is no doubt in my mind these three industry leading brands unifying will deliver the ultimate experience in Arizona sports betting, solidifying Gila River Hotels & Casinos as Arizona’s Sports HQ.”
Stephen Lewis, Governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said, “This is an excellent development, and I want to thank Ken and his team for leading the way again for our Community on this innovative partnership with our great friends, the Cardinals, and our new partner BetMGM. Building on the successful launch of our new table games at Wild Horse Pass, this new sportsbetting operation will now continue our successful implementation of our historic new Compact arrangement.”
BetMGM plans to open a BetMGM Sportsbook at State Farm Stadium, with a targeted opening in time for the 2022 NFL season.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to build upon our long-standing relationship with Gila River and launch a new one with BetMGM. They are best-in-class partners whose excellence and expertise in this emerging space will provide a new and innovative way to engage and interact with our fans.”
BetMGM is a market leading sports betting and digital gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry. Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Entain (LSE: ENT), BetMGM has exclusive access to all of MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s US-licensed state of the art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market leading brands including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino and PartyPoker.
Gila River Hotels & Casinos has been operating three locations in Arizona for over 25 years, all owned by the Gila River Indian Community: Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva. The hotels at Wild Horse Pass and Vee Quiva are Four Diamond accredited. All three casinos offer a combination of slots, table games, poker and more, and are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Cardinals were founded in 1898 and in 1920 became a charter member of the National Football League. The club holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously-operated franchise in professional football. While it has been in existence for more than a century and enjoys a long, rich history, the team’s greatest success has come in the last 15 years. In that span, the Cardinals have won their division three times, advanced to the conference championship game twice and earned the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Away from the field, the organization’s commitment to the community is a year-round mission,highlighted by the efforts of Cardinals Charities which was founded in 1990 to improve the quality of life and enhance opportunities for children, women and minorities in Arizona.
