The Alliance of American Football has yet to play a game, but it has already embraced sports betting in a way the NFL never has.
The league—which begins play in February—has developed its own in-game gambling app which will allow its gaming partner—playMGM under a three-year deal—to offer better pricing on in-game bets by building a data set that correlates the likelihood of a certain bet winning. The AAF deal marks the first time any sports organization has sold exclusive in-game betting rights to a sportsbook.
MGM has also signed a deal with the National Basketball Association, but that deal is not exclusive when it comes to data.
“We are excited to team with The Alliance on this unprecedented partnership, which allows us to fully engage with fans and revolutionize the fan experience,” said Jim Murren, MGM Resorts chairman & CEO. “We look forward to expanding our customer base into this exciting new league and sports betting opportunity.”
The league and MGM will put wearables on players to collect second-generation stats that will be used to better assess odds for in-game betting.
“We’ll collect the data and then be able to have the algorithm sort out what is relevant,” Charlie Ebersol. A co-founder of the league told the network.
An example would be a quarterback’s greater chance of throwing an interception based on a certain amount of ball speed on his throws, he said. After taking in the data, new odds are immediately set.
Ebersol also said that the opportunity exists to allow the league to pay players more whose prop bets are bet on more, as MGM has promised to share its betting data with the league.
“In our system, there’s really a limitless cap on what a player can make,” Ebersol told ESPN. “Money from the amount of bets placed on them is one of the ways.”
“Our focus has always been to bring together best-in-class partners, to build a spring football league that will change the landscape of professional sports,” Ebersol also said in a press release. “We realized our overall mission and vision were in complete alignment with MGM. As one of the world’s largest and most successful gaming companies, and an industry leader in innovation, together we can revolutionize the sports wagering experience for fans in a way that’s never been done before. I’m proud to welcome them to The Alliance as our first official corporate investor.”
MGM currently only offers online sports betting in Nevada and New Jersey.
