Major League Baseball taps MGM as first sports-gambling partner
Major League Baseball named its first official gambling partner, part of a new multiyear marketing agreement with MGM Resorts International.
The deal is similar to ones the Las Vegas-based casino company has already inked with the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, giving MGM the right to use baseball's logo and trademarks in states that have legalized sports gambling. That leaves the National Football League -- the most popular sport among U.S. bettors -- as the only major U.S. league without a sports-gambling partnership.
"There's been a huge change in public opinion and the legal framework surrounding sports gaming -- it has created an opportunity for all sports and baseball in particular," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said at a press conference in New York. "We have to take advantage of every opportunity to drive engagement with our fans."