William Hill entered into partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment which sees the firm become exclusive sports betting partner of its Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics owned franchises.
Subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals, the partnership will also see the “creation of the first sportsbook at a US professional sports venue” at the Monumental owned and operated Capital One Arena.
The home of the NBA and NHL’s Wizards and Capitals, with the WNBA’s Mystics recently moving to its solely dedicated Entertainment & Sports Arena home, will be the venue of a book that spans multiple floors.
“Monumental is dedicated to bringing the latest technology and innovation into our arena and delivering extraordinary experiences to our fans,” explains Ted Leonsis, chairman, founder, principal partner and CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
“We are excited to partner with William Hill, the industry leader in sports betting, to become the first professional sports arena in the US to feature a sportsbook.
“Through this partnership, we are thrilled to enhance the fan experience with innovative gaming opportunities and transformational dining and culinary options not just on event days, but year-round. Our partnership with William Hill compliments our vision of making our arena the premier sports and entertainment destination in Washington DC”
Promising to set “an industry-wide precedent for fan engagement,” the sportsbook is also scheduled to be open on non-event days and will also allow the option to wager on a William Hill mobile app inside the arena, as permitted by Washington DC regulations.
Construction to transform the space into a sportsbook is expected to begin pending regulatory approvals, with an opportunity to turn the arena bowl into a 20,000-seat TV viewing area for major events also a possibility.
“This sportsbook will be a flagship venue for the industry and will serve the sports fans of the Washington DC area unlike any other,” added Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US. “Partnering with Ted Leonsis and the entire Monumental team was ideal.
“They share our vision and principles for bringing innovative sports betting opportunities to fans in a responsible way. This deal sets a new benchmark for how the industry will serve fans and how fans engage in sports.”
