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Bally’s Corporation has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Sinclair Broadcast Group to facilitate the production of content for the recently rebranded ‘Bally Sports’ network, as the group also steps up its efforts in the Virginian city of Richmond.

The gaming operator’s $650m Bally’s Richmond Casino Resort is one of three proposals left standing, alongside Live! Casino & Hotel Richmond, and One Casino + Resort, with recommendation of a preferred operator to be made to the city council in mid-May.

However, the company is stepping up its efforts by embarking on a listening tour consisting of a series of in-person conversations and meetings, which it hopes will provide residents and local businesses with opportunities to engage with Bally’s, and address important issues regarding the casino selection process.

Michael Monty, senior project manager of Bally’s Richmond, explained, “As we’ve said from the start, a key component of our proposal is partnering with the city of Richmond. A critical part of building that partnership consists of listening to the community and its stakeholders. 

“We want to hear Richmonders’ thoughts, ideas and concerns so that we can best represent their interests and values. We look forward to this opportunity to engage with the community so that Bally’s is best positioned to put Richmond first.”

Furthermore, under the terms of the aforementioned MoU, the pair will work collectively to facilitate the production and broadcast of Bally’s-produced content during the current non-game windows on Sinclair’s 19 regional sports networks.

The two will also explore opportunities to include Bally’s programming in Sinclair-owned media platforms and affiliates other than the Bally Sports RSNs, which may include Sinclair’s Tennis Channel and stadium assets. 

Bally’s development of a wide range of live sporting content and other interactive programming will support the eventual launch of the Bally Bet app. It will also reduce the company’s reliance on advertising spend, though will have no impact on any contractual obligation that Bally’s owes to Sinclair or Bally Sports.  

Soo Kim, chairman of Bally’s Corporation’s board of directors, added: “We are pleased to further our transformative partnership with Sinclair by exploring opportunities for Bally’s to produce new and engaging content and interactive programming. 

“We continue to seek innovative ways to allow fans to further engage with the Bally’s brand, and are confident that the engagement opportunities we will create will elevate the live viewing experience in a manner not seen before. 

“The gamification of live sports is the next phase of interactive gaming, and we look forward to continuing to create lean-in experiences for sports fans across the nation as our content strategy continues to expand.”