The NBA certainly has had a welcoming approach when it comes to legal sports betting in the U.S., but now they are officially upping the ante. Earlier in the week, the NBA added William Hill as their fourth official sportsbook partner. William Hill is also partnered with the NHL, which is significant considering their latest move.
The NBA’s recent deal with William Hill can now be viewed as foreshadowing considering that they are now making their way inside an actual sports arena. William Hill also recently partnered up with Monumental Sports & Entertainment. This is huge because MS&E owns Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
The entire purpose of the new agreement between Monumental Sports & Entertainment and William Hill is to insert a sportsbook inside the arena. Capital One Arena is home to an NBA team, the Wizards, a WNBA team, the Mystics, and an NHL team, the Capitals.
The Wizards are definitely the weakest of all three teams, failing to make the playoffs last year despite qualifying the two previous years. This is a result of star point guard John Wall being injured. While the Wizards have been disappointing, the Mystics are currently playing in the WNBA Finals against the Connecticut Sun. The Capitals are no scrubs either, having won the Stanley Cup during the 2017-2018 season.
What this means is that there is a very healthy appetite for sports in the D.C. area. Within Capital One Arena in particular, two teams are powerhouses within their respective leagues. This alone makes an excellent environment for sports wagering. Adding a sportsbook from William Hill is a perfect way to capitalize on the gambling opportunities offered in D.C.
The addition of a sportsbook in Capital One Arena signifies the first U.S. sports stadium to include a sportsbook. This is a common practice internationally, but hasn’t appeared domestically until now because of legal sports betting being a very new market in the U.S.
In New Jersey, the Prudential Center, home to the New Jersey Devils, did launch a sports betting parlor in their stadium last year. The biggest difference is that the parlor in Prudential Center does not actually accept any wagers, instead offering assistance to download the William Hill betting app.
The new sportsbook in Capital One Arena will offer quite a lot to interested sports bettors. They plan to allow you the ability to make a physical bet from inside the parlor or instead using the mobile app to bet from your arena seat. William Hill will also offer numerous in-play betting opportunities so fans can enjoy the game even more.
In addition, the sportsbook would be open on days even when there are no games being played. This gives an opportunity to bet on games happening in other states, but it also points to their intention of offering sports bets on more than just the WNBA, NBA, and NHL. Cricket and soccer are two sports that William Hill are currently considering accepting wagers on.
While there is no question that William Hill’s sportsbook will launch soon, the actual date is still up in the air. William Hill’s Chief Executive for their U.S. operations, Joe Asher, has indicated that 2020 is a likely target. The sportsbook will still need to be okayed by regulatory groups and the D.C. Lottery must also give their stamp of approval.
