MGM Resorts and The Alliance of American Football sign sports betting deal

MGM Resorts International and a new professional football league, The Alliance of American Football, have entered into a transaction that includes an investment in The Alliance and a three-year sponsorship establishing MGM Resorts as the official sports betting sponsor of The Alliance and exclusive gaming partner.

For MGM Resorts, the investment represents its forward-looking view on the combination of live sports, real-time second-generation stats, and fan engagement – either for fun or for those who may choose to wager. The Alliance's new technology is revolutionary and will create a state-of-the-art experience for fans. The Alliance, founded by Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian, is building its media and technology platform as part of the launch of the new league in February 2019.

For The Alliance, the partnership aligns the league with the best gaming operator in the country and gives the sports entity the ability to utilize MGM Resorts' vast experience and industry-leading operations with mobile gaming. When The Alliance takes the historic first snap in February 2019, fans will be able to stream Alliance matchups for free through its first-of-its-kind app, while accessing integrated gaming with real rewards, and now, in states where sports gambling is legal, the sports betting platform owned and operated by MGM GVC Interactive will provide fans with in-game wagering while also still providing traditional sports betting.

"We are excited to team with The Alliance on this unprecedented partnership, which allows us to fully engage with fans and revolutionize the fan experience," said MGM Resorts Chairman & CEO, Jim Murren. "We look forward to expanding our customer base into this exciting new league and sports betting opportunity."

"Our focus has always been to bring together best-in-class partners to build a spring football league that will change the landscape of professional sports," said Charlie Ebersol, CEO and co-founder, "We realized our overall mission and vision were in complete alignment with MGM. As one of the world's largest and most successful gaming companies, and an industry leader in innovation, together we can revolutionize the sports wagering experience for fans in a way that's never been done before. I'm proud to welcome them to The Alliance as our first official corporate investor."