Aces, BetMGM Sportsbook team up: What this means for the WNBA

LAS VEGAS — The announcement last week was made in true Las Vegas fashion, boldly and loudly in the heart of the Strip.

Representatives from the Aces, MGM Resorts and a local charity placed their hands on a big red button that they together pushed down, and the famous Bellagio fountains suddenly roared behind them as water blasted into the sky.

They announced a three-year sponsorship between the WNBA team and BetMGM Sportsbook, timed for a news release in which the league reached a similar agreement.

This is not the first time the WNBA or one of its clubs have partnered with a sports-betting company. The league also has deals with DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel, and Indiana (FanDuel), Phoenix (Bally's Corporation) and Washington (ESPN Bet) have reached similar agreements in recent years.

''I think it's long overdue,'' said Hall of Fame broadcaster Debbie Antonelli, who has been on the Fever's announcing team since 2000. ''I think it's a demographic in our base that we have missed. I think that 18- to 36-year-old male that predominately was betting has brought that demographic to our game. I think anything that puts attention on our game in that way is good for our game.''

The WNBA is the most visible women's league, but not the only one to do what not long ago was unthinkable and establish a relationship with the sports-betting world. Nearly all leagues avoided such arrangements until the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 allowed states to legalize sports betting if they preferred.

That is changing and changing fast, including in women's sports.

Last September, the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League signed a deal with Fanatics Sportsbook. The 2-year-old Professional Women's Hockey League agreed in December to a deal with FanDuel.

''We're seeing growth across all of women's sports,'' said Molly Wurdack-Folt, BetMGM Sportsbook team and league partnerships director. ''We're seeing viewership increase. We're seeing attendance increase. But from a sports-betting perspective, specifically, the WNBA is leading the way. Just last year alone, BetMGM saw a 130% increase on bets placed on the W. They are definitely the trailblazers.''

The WNBA already was on an upward trajectory before the Fever's Caitlin Clark took it to another level last season. Antonelli refers to it as "Clarkanomics,'' and last season's Rookie of the Year has more than helped the WNBA soar in TV ratings, attendance and, yes, betting.

Though sports betting is traditionally a male-dominated activity, women are becoming a larger part of that population.

That's at least partially why BetMGM entered into these partnerships and plans to establish an even larger presence in the WNBA. The sportsbook is offering more betting options this season and for the first time is posting futures odds on the Commissioner's Cup. Defending league champion New York is the +130 favorite to win the mid-season tournament.

It's not just BetMGM's involvement. According to the WNBA, regular-season betting on league games more than doubled at DraftKings and FanDuel. Hall of Fame player Lisa Leslie signed a promotional agreement with DraftKings, and FanDuel has more than tripled its WNBA betting menu.

''I've said for decades, the product is the narrative,'' Antonelli said. ''Our game has always been good. Now more people are paying attention to it, and that's good for everyone. The ultimate disruption was Caitlin in the marketplace. Everyone's getting a piece now, and it's great.''

The announcement at the Bellagio represented a full-circle moment for MGM, the Aces and the WNBA.

It was MGM Resorts International that purchased the then-San Antonio Stars in October 2017, moved them to Las Vegas and rebranded the organization. MGM maintained ownership until Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis bought the team in January 2021.

And now the two are joined together again, and it was little surprise that Las Vegas-based MGM chose the Aces for its first major partnership with a women's professional team.

''It almost gives you a different level of credibility,'' Aces President Nikki Fargas said. ''Not that I didn't think we were credible, but it gives you a different level of it. I think it's important for us to be trendsetters. I think it's important for us to really push for this league to be the best it possibly can be because I think we've got the best players in the world playing in this league.''

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball