Super Bowl Sunday is just a couple of weeks away, but there is a chance two new operators could hit the Indiana marketplace before the Big Game.
On Monday, the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) issued sports betting licenses to both BetIndiana and BetMGM, putting them on track to launch in the coming weeks.
BetIndiana working with forthcoming Hard Rock
BetIndiana’s parent company, USA Sports Gaming, made a deal Indiana’s forthcoming Hard Rock Casinos, last October. USA will provide an online sports betting platform in Indiana for the Hard Rock under the name BetIndiana.
USA’s platform will be powered by Sportradar, one of the leading gambling vendors in the world. Sportradar also provides data collection and reporting services for professional sports leagues like the NBA.
It’s still unclear exactly when BetIndiana will launch. The same can be said of the other new licensee in the Hoosier State, BetMGM.
BetMGM and Belterra teaming up for online betting
BetMGM is to Roar as BetIndiana is to USA. MGM has a partner in the product, however, which is GVC Holdings.
BetMGM’s master-license holder partner is Belterra Casino in Florence. That casino is roughly an hour away from Cincinnati and Louisville metro areas and just a 15-minute drive from the Kentucky Speedway.
This license represents just one step of an expanded partnership between Boyd Gaming, which operates Belterra, and MGM. Boyd’s other property in Indiana, Blue Chip Casino, is the license partner for FanDuel’s online sportsbook.
Besides the launch dates, another big question mark remains for these brands. Will they be able to grab a significant market share in the Hoosier State?
Indiana’s online sportsbook landscape is getting busy
It’s possible that both of these brands may launch before or on Super Bowl Sunday. If Feb, 2 is the target date, it won’t be alone.
BetBull, PointsBet, and SBK Sportsbooks all also have that date in mind for their Indiana betting app launches. While PointsBet is building a growing following, these other brands may not boast such name recognition.
BetIndiana and BetMGM could be just two of five brands to launch that day, but these other three sportsbooks are playing from behind. With no license yet, these companies certainly will be pushing it to get up and running by Feb. 2.
It might be worth the rush though. The Super Bowl is arguably the biggest single day of the year for sports wagering in the United States.
Indiana residents can expect generous promotions like deposit bonuses, guarantees against losses and odds boosts to entice new customers. Because of the enormous interest in the event, even existing online sportsbooks will participate.
The state also greenlit expanded betting options on the Super Bowl to fuel that fire. These include NFL prop bets on the coin toss and the color of the Gatorade shower.
It’s unclear if and to what extent BetIndiana and BetMGM will get in on that action. What’s certain, however, is that both of these brands will eventually join the fray in Indiana sooner rather than later.
