Connor McDavid Becomes New Brand Ambassador for BetMGM

The New Deal

NHL star Connor McDavid is the new face of BetMGM following an endorsement deal that the sportsbook announced in a press release on Friday. This is BetMGM’s first partnership with an active professional athlete among the four biggest leagues in North America – the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.  

The new brand ambassador will be featured in BetMGM’s new marketing campaigns, promotions, social media content, and fan engagement opportunities. 

“The accomplishments that Connor has already earned on the ice is astonishing and we are excited to welcome him to the BetMGM family. We look forward to working together to engage BetMGM players across North America,” said Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer of BetMGM. 

His “astonishing” list of accomplishments is a long one. He was drafted to the NHL in 2015 as the first pick overall by his current team, the Edmonton Oilers. He went on to become the youngest captain that the NHL had ever seen at just 19 years old. This accomplishment was soon followed by many more including the Ted Lindsay Award, the Hart Memorial Trophy (league MVP), and the Art Ross Memorial Trophy. He later won the Hart Memorial Trophy for a second time in 2021, making him the reigning NHL MVP right now. 

“I am very excited to partner with BetMGM as they continue to shape the future of sports betting. It’s also a real honor to be on the same BetMGM team with star athletes like Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Garnett, both of whom I admire very much,” McDavid said. 

BetMGM also works with other retired stars like NFL legend Barry Sanders and golf great Jason Kokrak, and has even done campaigns with non-athletes like Jamie Foxx. 

This partnership comes on the heels of Canada legalizing sports betting operations and allowing individual provinces to regulate their own sports betting market. This is a great opportunity for BetMGM to expand operations as McDavid’s team, the Oilers, are located in Alberta, Canada. 

BetMGM Going Strong

BetMGM has become a big player in the sports betting market over the past year, ending 2021 with roughly 15% of the sports betting market share. That makes it the third largest sports betting operator in the country behind FanDuel who garnered 36% and DraftKings at 24%. 

They have licensed operations in an impressive number of states – Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. They are also legal in Washington D.C. 

This partnership is a testament to the growing nature of sports betting with sports leagues. Whether with an entire team or individual athletes, more and more sports books are partnering with the athletes themselves to enhance their customer experience. Oilers fans and loyal BetMGM users can expect to see the same types of bets offered on their team; everything from moneyline, spread, and over/under bets to prop bets on McDavid himself.