University of Maryland enters multi-year sports betting deal with PointsBet

PointsBet Sign Deal with University of Maryland Athletics

Maryland Sports Properties has revealed that they have signed a multi-year partnership with PointsBet Sportsbook. PointsBet, the Australian-native gaming company, became the first betting bookmaker to agree to a deal of this caliber with a Big Ten Conference team.  They were also the first operator to agree to a deal with an NCAA Power 5 athletic department as they joined forces with the University of Colorado Buffaloes in 2020.

Deal Details

The agreement with the Playfly Sports property will contain several points of promotion, such as “fan-facing in-game and campus activations” at the Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium and within and outside of the Maryland XFINITY Center.

The deal will also mean commercial and activation assets will be seen and heard on Maryland’s digital channels and sports programs across the radio network. Additionally, there will be “strategic” responsible and problem gambling education information given to students, fans, and staff of the University of Maryland. The campus sponsors 20 varsity sports, over 500 student-athletes, and 200 full-time staff members. There will also be a philanthropic component announced at a later date.

PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said that investing in the University of Maryland athletics program allows them to “impact local communities and the greater DMV region” in addition to connecting the company with “alumni that remain actively involved in reverence to their alma mater.”

Aitken added that sports wagering education and safe gambling “is key to our long-term strategy” and also stated they want to make a “tangible impact on the communities we invest in.” Aitken said they are proud to work with a high-profile, historic university.

Impact on Maryland

Maryland Executive Associate Athletic Director Brian Ullmann said they are “looking forward to raising awareness and educating our student-athletes” on the potential dangers of sports betting and how to gamble responsibly. Ullman added that Maryland Athletics continues to lead from the front with “the first deal of its kind in the Big Ten Conference and in the region.”

Playfly Sports, a sports betting marketing company, has been busy making deals, and PointsBet is the latest in a range of pacts being activated for the 2021-22 academic year. There has been no confirmed date for sports betting to kick off in Mayland, but you can expect to see PointsBet as one of the first operators to go live in the state after agreeing to a deal with The Riverboat on-the-Potomac.

Craig Sloan, COO at Playfly Sports Properties, said they are “proud” to be a partner of Maryland athletics as they continue to seek “innovative opportunities to engage new sponsors.” Sloan added that the state’s partnership with PointsBet “will elevate both brands” while also improving the rooting experience for alumni, fans, and local communities.

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