Teams from all five of the major US professional sports leagues will be in attendance at Betting on Sports America, the largest dedicated sports betting trade show in the country, which will take place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey April 23-25.
Representatives from teams including the Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Devils, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls, as well as from international leagues such as La Liga, will be on hand.
The agenda will touch on issues of data, integrity and sponsorship, among others. The 175 speakers scheduled across the two days include NHL Chief Revenue Officer and Executive VP Keith Wachtel; NBA Head of Fantasy & Gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross; PGA Tour Senior VP of Tournament Administration Andy Levinson; Monmouth Park CEO Dennis Drazin; Texas Rangers CRO Joe Januszewski; Shelly Cayette, VP, Global Partnerships at Cleveland Cavaliers; MLS Executive VP and General Counsel Bill Ordower; and Kenny Gersh, EVP Gaming & New Business, MLB.
Philadelphia sports legends Ryan Howard and Brian Westbrook will also be on hand to discuss investment in the sports industry, while NFL all-time games played record holder and Hall of Famer Morten Andersen will talk about the NFL’s ability to reach audiences.
“The response we’ve had to Betting on Sports America from the sports world has been fantastic,” SBC Business Development director Jaap Kalma said. “We have been able to curate a dedicated track with seven sessions addressing various aspects of this enormous opportunity and potential issues now that sports betting is ready to explode in the US.
“During my time at AC Milan and Ferrari, the importance of aligning your offering based on a deep understanding of sponsor markets was a key element of the job… it will be no different in the US.”
The number of states now regulating sports betting continues to expand rapidly after the PASPA repeal, and opportunities are opening across the country.
Sports leagues and sports teams obviously have an intrinsically close relationship with the betting industry. The betting & gaming category brings enormous revenue to sports in Europe, through sponsorship or other commercial partnerships ranging from data provision to hospitality sales.
Therefore it’s no surprise US sports teams and leagues are closely following market developments and several pioneering deals have already been announced.
Betting partnerships, however, also bring unique concerns not present in other sponsorship categories. Legal and reputation issues can make partnerships difficult, and need to be discussed and understood between the sports and betting industries in order to best capitalize on this opportunity. Betting on Sports America offers a look ahead into the new US market.
For further information about the event, check out the Betting on Sports America website.
