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Bally’s and BetMGM in the UK: One Year On

Bally’s is one of the main casino and entertainment brands in the US. Last year, along with BetMGM, it made its way to the United Kingdom. In this article, we discuss how these two casino and entertainment brands have fared on UK soil.  

For many in the United Kingdom, Bally’s is associated with pinball machines and arcades found on seaside promenades. Yet in the US, it is known for much more and is a gambling and casino powerhouse. In late 2023 the brand began its expansion into the UK online casino market and was followed by BetMGM. So how have the two done in their year in the United Kingdom?

BetMGM in the United Kingdom

Most people will know MGM from its famous movie studios. Yet following a split, half of this company took up residence in Las Vegas, building some of the most well-known casinos. These include the Bellagio and Luxor.

BetMGM arrived in the United Kingdom in 2023. The seeds of its expansion had been sown the year before when they acquired the site previously known as LeoVegas. After being a market leader in the United States, they wasted no time splashing the cash with hugely attractive bonus offers. In fact, they were so impressive they are rated as one of the top casinos by many website reviews. This push for the best games and offers for customers has led to them becoming a market leader in a short space of time.

If their track record in the United States is anything to go by, this will go much further than just PPC and affiliate advertising. On home turf, BetMGM has gone as far as to sign deals with sports bars. This has seen them provide screens inside venues that have their content shown alongside their exclusive betting odds.

They also signed deals with several major sports leagues, including the NBA, MLB and NHL. As the top three sports leagues in the US, you can be sure they have their sights set on similar partnerships in the United Kingdom. It could include football, rugby and horse racing. This can already be seen with their collaborations with Premier League Darts, so expect more to come soon.

Where this could really make a difference is at local level, with smaller clubs in the Brentwood area possibly benefiting from signing deals. Brentwood Town FC currently has a number of sponsorships, the main one being local firm Matchroom who already produces sports programming. By teaming with someone like Bally’s, it could provide a huge income stream for the club and local area.

Why Is the Bally’s Brand So Important?

Bally has been and remains one of the major US gambling companies. It is actually now Twin River Worldwide Holdings, but Bally’s name and logo are the ones the public recognizes, so this stays in use. Much of this came from its Las Vegas resort in the eighties, which was one of the world’s largest hotels when it was first built.

Despite rebranding its resort to The Horseshoe, the brand is still trusted and recognized. It is one of the top operators in the few US states that allow online casinos.

The company did enter the United Kingdom market late in the day. However, it would not have done so if they did not know they could not get a foothold and compete with established online casinos.

What Bally brings to the UK is its track record for innovation in interactive gambling. Last year they launched the Bally Live app. It shows streaming matches from a range of sports like volleyball and baseball. Combined with minigames, it is a revolutionary way of watching sports. Like watching a game but combining it with a sweepstakes casino.

It has worked hard to improve its sports betting and provisions, so it is not just casinos that will benefit. The company has acquired everything from broadcasting groups to fantasy sports operators, showing its forward-thinking nature.  Don’t be surprised to see them in the UK soon.

Why Are So Many US Gambling Companies Coming to Britain?

It is a range of different factors. Bally’s arrived at the same time that BetMGM came to the United Kingdom. This meant they had competition from the domestic market and home companies moving onto new turf.

Firstly, the United Kingdom loves gambling and this is shown in the revenue. This is not just from a casino perspective but from its love of sports betting. This is extremely attractive to US companies, particularly as revenue from this in states like New Jersey has dropped in the last few years.

Secondly, it could be that the US has reached a brick wall. In 2024 many states recently made decisions on whether they should allow online casinos. Only seven states currently do and it is unlikely the others are going to change their mind soon. Thus, these companies need to find customers elsewhere and as the UK knows the brands, it is a great place to start.

This does mean increased competition for homegrown United Kingdom companies. However, with so few, it won’t matter that much. It will make a difference in the United Kingdom’s tech growth. With so many small companies providing software and features to the gambling industry, this can only be a boost to the employment sector particularly if it can be focused in our local area.

 
 
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