Sports Illustrated Sportsbook Announced in Tandem With 888

It was announced Wednesday that 888 Holdings, one of the leaders in sports betting and online gaming, has partnered with Sports Illustrated in order to build a Sports Illustrated Sportsbook.

The idea behind this move has to do with the massive name recognition that Sports Illustrated carries in the United States and the sporting world. 888 has built great products but has seen little success in the United States. Now, the team over at 888 can use their excellent iGaming technology in tandem with the fantastic branding that Sports Illustrated constantly demonstrates.

SI and 888 Reactions

With this big announcement came a lot of reactions from SI and 888, both providing quotes regarding the new partnership and plans for the future.

In quotes provided by Sports Illustrated, Chairman and CEO Jamie Salter said, “We are thrilled to announce that Sports Illustrated is entering the online sports betting and iGaming space. 888 is one of the leaders in online betting and gaming globally and has outstanding technology, products, and marketing capabilities, and we are excited to partner with them to offer an innovative product experience for sports fans.” This is true; 888 is a staple in the sports betting and online gambling scene.

In the same Sports Illustrated article 888 CEO, Itai Pazner, is quoted as saying “We are excited about the potential to deliver our cutting-edge, proprietary sportsbook platform into the market, providing Sports Illustrated fans with a first-class betting and gaming experience.”

It sounds like there are huge plans for 888 and Sports Illustrated. It will be interesting to see if the new sportsbook offers anything new to the industry that has not been done before. The range of outcomes for this sportsbook is extensive, and the success will depend on the quality of the platform.

Sports Illustrated Sportsbook Roll Out

In the announcement article published by Sports Illustrated, it was stated that Colorado would be the first betting market that Sports Illustrated Sportsbook will enter. The time range did not sound concrete as the “coming months” was used to describe when it will launch. Colorado has always been a popular state for new sportsbooks as it has relaxed tax laws and regulations, which makes it easier to get licensed and launch to test out a product.

However, due to the lax regulation, there is a massive amount of competition in Colorado when it comes to sports betting. It will be very hard for the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook to break through and take over a large chunk of the pie in Colorado, and it will be interesting to watch the success of it in the Centennial State.

United States Market Expanding

The United States is having more and more states legalizing, seemingly every month. There are several states that are projected to launch this fall, including Louisiana, Maryland, and Arizona. Other big states such as Ohio, Florida, and New York all look as possible 2022 candidates for online sports betting launches. Not to mention that Canada just legalized single-game betting and many experts believe Ontario is close to online sports betting.
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With the massive market that North America is turning into in regards to sports betting, Sports Illustrated will want to act fast in order to establish its platform and brand in the community.