Bally’s Corporation has inked its first gaming access deal with a professional women’s sports team, sponsoring Women’s National Basketball Association franchise, Phoenix Mercury Basketball.
Upon the Phoenix Mercury’s receipt of a mobile sports betting license from the Arizona Dept of Gaming, Bally’s will host and manage an online and mobile sports betting service in Arizona, operate a retail sportsbook in the vicinity of the Phoenix Suns Arena, and promote its business in connection with Phoenix Mercury games.
“On behalf of the entire Bally’s Corporation, we are honored to be a part of such an important milestone in the history of women’s sports,” said Soo Kim, chairman of Bally’s Corporation’s board of directors.
“Maintaining and implementing a strong diversity, equity and inclusion program is a cornerstone of Bally’s operational values, and we look forward to promoting those values as part of our sponsorship with the Phoenix Mercury and hope that other major corporations follow in our footsteps.
“We are also excited about the prospect of providing sports fans in Arizona with access to our first-in-class online sports betting platform, and enhancing the way that they engage with their favourite sports pastimes.”
The deal, which claims to be the ‘largest team sponsorship in the history of women’s sport’, designated Bally’s as the exclusive sports betting partner of the Phoenix Mercury over 15 years.
As part of this agreement, Bally’s will also become a member of the ‘Phoenix Mercury Changemaker Partners’. Other members of the Mercury’s roster of ‘Changemaker Partners’ include Fry’s Food Stores, PayPal and Verizon.
Jason Rowley, CEO and president of the Phoenix Mercury, stated: “We are very excited to partner with Bally’s on this enormous step forward in the advancement of women’s sports.
“This agreement represents so much more than a team sponsorship; it is a reflection of our shared values and commitment to investing in diversity, equity and inclusion. We could not think of a better way to celebrate the Mercury’s 25th year in the WNBA, and what many consider to be the model franchise.”
Bally’s already maintains an agreement with the men’s National Basketball Association, having inked a deal to sponsor the North American sports league in March, granting the company access to official league data.
