The calendar has flipped to February, the month spring training opens. Major League Baseball faces a labor stoppage which could ground spring training to a halt.
But the month has also brought some historic good news. As of February 1, BetMGM and the Washington Nationals partnered to open the first retail sportsbook at a Major League Baseball stadium.
The BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park will remain open year-round for bettors to wager on a range of sporting events, including baseball. Even if a baseball stoppage.
“We’re constantly pushing the boundaries to deliver sports fans unique experiences, and that’s just what we’ve done with the new BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt in a statement. “Whether fans are attending baseball games or looking for a place to watch any sporting event, the BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park is bound to be one of the most engaging sports viewing environments in the District.”
The sportsbook—adjacent to centerfield—features 40 big-screen TVs in a 4,000 square foot space with a capacity of 187. Visitors can place wagers at six betting windows or through betting kiosks. The BetMGM Sportsbook also has a full-service beverage and dining options.
“The BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park represents the newest way in which we are providing our fans with the best experiences in sports and entertainment,” said Lerner Sports Chief Operating Officer Alan Gottlieb in a statement. “Upon its opening, the sportsbook immediately becomes one of the neighborhood’s premier venues for both the savvy bettor and casual fan to watch the top events in an upscale and electric atmosphere.”
Lerner Sports owns the Nationals.
BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park complements the BetMGM app launched in June 2021, which allows bettors to place bets within a two-block radius of the stadium. The opening of the sportsbook is part of BetMGM’s multi-year, exclusive partnership with the Nationals.
“The D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region is a great look into how we’re seeking to expand the BetMGM platform with a variety of unique experiences for our customers,” Greenblatt said. “They can utilize the BetMGM mobile app anywhere in Virginia, can visit the newly opened retail sportsbook at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, and now in D.C., they can access the first sportsbook connected to a Major League Baseball stadium.”
Meanwhile, the Illinois Gaming Board has unanimously approved BetMGM to become the market’s seventh mobile sports betting operator. It is expected to go live the first week of March.
“We’re thrilled that BetMGM is now licensed in Illinois,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said in a statement to Sports Handle. “We thank the Illinois Gaming Board and, pending regulatory approvals, look forward to bringing BetMGM’s leading digital sports betting experience to Illinois sports fans on March 5, when digital registration is permitted in the state.”
BetMGM will be tethered to Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria.
In-person registration for mobile access is currently under way, it was suspended for a notable percentage of those 540 days due to Executive Order 2020-41 issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker during the worst initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The executive order suspending the in-person provision of the Sports Wagering Act to allow remote signups — renewed on multiple occasions throughout 2020 and into 2021 — accelerated the growth of sports wagering in Illinois, which established itself as a top-three national market prior to New York‘s entrance earlier this month.
While FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers comprise the overwhelming majority of mobile operator handle market share in Illinois, BetMGM’s strong regional performances in other Midwest states augurs well for it to make an impact in the Land of Lincoln competing against Barstool, PointsBet, and Caesars. That trio have combined for just 17.3% market share of the nearly $4.9 billion handle since Barstool launched, and Caesars has been a complete non-factor to this point as its $86.3 million in that span accounts for 1.8% market share.
BetMGM has settled into the No. 3 spot for handle and revenue in neighboring Indiana, having garnered 13.1% handle market share in a state currently with 13 mobile options. It is a much stronger third in Michigan, though that is somewhat aided by having a brick-and-mortar casino presence in Detroit similar to what BetRivers has in Chicago with its casino in nearby Des Plaines. BetMGM posted a 22.7% market share for 2021 handle in the Wolverine State, which also counts mobile operators into double digits.
