The Arizona Cardinals have reached an agreement with BetMGM to become the NFL’s team official sportsbook partner. As part of that agreement, the Cardinals will be the first franchise in the league to have a sportsbook in their home stadium.
The BetMGM sportsbook is slated to open at State Farm Stadium in time for the start of the 2022 NFL season.
While they are the first NFL team to make a deal like this, the Cardinals are hardly the first North American sports franchise to do it. Sportsbooks have already begun the process of being utilized at home arenas and stadiums across sports. Currently, Arizona, Illinois, and the District of Columbia are allowing sports betting to occur at sporting arenas.
Capital One Arena and Nationals Park, both located in the Washington D.C. area, have sportsbooks within the confines of their respective homes. In addition, the Phoenix Suns are getting a FanDuel sportsbook at Footprint Center.
Many states have legalized sports betting and fans can bet at arenas in a mobile capacity. However, having a physical sportsbook in stadiums and arenas is still on the rise. With the Cardinals being the first NFL franchise to have a physical sportsbook at their stadium, this could end up being the norm down the road.