Professional women’s basketball bettors in Illinois are entering a new era.
The collaboration between PointsBet and the WNBA will bring exciting opportunities for Chicago Sky fans who enjoy betting on games.
Some changes will be noticeable right away, but other consequences may not be fully understood at this time.
Details about the PointsBet-WNBA deal
On May 21, PointsBet Sportsbook and the WNBA officially finalized their agreement.
This marks the sports betting operator’s inaugural sponsorship of a professional women’s sports league. While this is a first for this particular operator, the WNBA has previously partnered with gambling companies.
In 2018, the WNBA partnered with the NBA to designate MGM as an official gaming partner. As a result, BetMGM Sportsbook now incorporates WNBA official data and trademarks into its online and retail sports betting offerings.
In return, PointsBet will gain access to all the same resources, allowing fans to expect a wider range of betting options on WNBA futures and games through the PointsBet Illinois app in the near future.
This could involve introducing new in-game and prop markets during Sky games this season and beyond. However, this is just the start of potential collaborations between Chicago and the gambling industry.
Something similar written in the clouds?
A series of logical events may result in the Sky securing a sponsorship with one of PointsBet’s rivals. Nevertheless, this arrangement would not involve a physical sportsbook at Wintrust Arena.
The sports betting law in Illinois permits stadium owners to apply for sports betting licenses, and the Chicago Cubs intend to launch a DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field.
The state law mandates that stadiums must accommodate a minimum of 17,000 seats, while Wintrust Stadium only has a capacity of just over 10,000 people. Additionally, the Sky team does not own Wintrust Stadium.
Therefore, in order to obtain a sportsbook license, Sky would need to either move to a larger venue that they own or rely on a change in the law.
In the previous legislative session, a bill was introduced that suggested a change allowing any women’s sports team that had been operating for at least ten years prior to the bill’s passing to apply for a sports betting license, regardless of venue size or ownership status.
The bill appeared late in the session but did not advance. It has not resurfaced in this session yet. However, there are alternative options available for the Sky.
How the Sky could still benefit from the status quo
However, this doesn’t rule out the possibility of the Sky and a gambling partner teaming up to create a “betting lounge” at WinTrust. This lounge would include many of the design elements of a traditional sportsbook, but without any physical betting stations or kiosks.
Instead of physical bets, visitors at Wintrust would be encouraged to place bets on their phones through the sportsbook sponsoring the space. The partnership could focus solely on the online product with no physical activations at the venue.
There is potential for a partnership to develop in the future, but in the meantime, the Sky can take advantage of PointsBet’s expanding WNBA markets to benefit themselves. It will be important for the Sky to act independently to fully maximize this opportunity.
