BOSTON (AP) – The NBA has agreed to a multiyear deal making DraftKings an official sports betting operator.
The Boston-based company joins a half-dozen others, including MGM and longtime daily fantasy sports rival FanDuel, with deals that allow them the rights to official betting data and NBA logos.
Professional sports leagues have long banned any connection to gambling. But in the past few years they have embraced it and sought to profit from both daily fantasy sports and outright gambling on games. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a law that in effect prohibited sports gambling in most states.
“The correlation between sports betting and fan engagement is proven, and we look forward to the opportunities that being an Authorized Gaming Operator of the NBA will unlock for consumers,” Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings said in a statement.
The league says it will work with DraftKings to protect the integrity of NBA games.
“Our partnership will provide our fans with an authentic and enhanced gaming experience and help us further protect the integrity of our games,” Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s senior vice president, head of fantasy & gaming, said in a statement provided by DraftKings.
CDC Gaming contributed to this report.
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