Sports betting is coming to some of Canada’s biggest major league stadiums after sportsbooks became legal in Ontario.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the franchises to outline partnerships that will see in-arena sportsbook activations.
Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Blue Jays has announced a 10-year exclusive partnership with Penn National Gaming-owned theScore Bet which will see the creation of a branded 365-days-a-year, flagship sports bar and restaurant at Rogers Centre. The partnership also delivers new and exclusive in-stadium and digital offerings to Blue Jays fans and theScore Bet users through various sponsorship elements, including two immersive premium seating sections.
“The fan experience is evolving and this monumental partnership with theScore Bet offers compelling new ways for sports enthusiasts to be a part of the game,” said Mark Shapiro, the Blue Jays’ president and chief executive.
“We are excited to be partnering with a Canadian company that operates at the highest level of the industry and understands our role in Toronto and Canada, to bring baseball to more fans nationwide.”
Meanwhile, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and its portfolio of professional sports teams have linked up with PointsBet and Flutter-owned brands PokerStars and FanDuel. MLSE’s teams include the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, National Basketball Association franchise the Toronto Raptors and Major League Soccer outfit Toronto FC.
MLSE senior vice president of global partnerships, Jordan Vader, said. “We look forward to utilising our partnership to provide 19+ fans of our teams with new and different ways of interacting and engaging with the sports they love with a trusted operator in PointsBet that prioritises responsible gaming.”
The partnerships come after Ontario last week opened its legal online gambling market.
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