The Return of Professional Sports: Lifting Spirits and the Economy

With most live entertainment on hiatus, the return of professional sports (including the NFL) is lifting the national spirit and delivering an economic boost to many parts of the country. Nowhere is that needed more than here in Las Vegas, where the pandemic has done damage to the gaming and hospitality industry and our communities.

Lifting Spirits

MGM Resorts has long advocated for professional sports in Las Vegas. We’ve played host to the most iconic boxing matches in the world, mid-season college basketball and hockey tournaments, the NBA G-League and NBA Summer League, USA Basketball and many great golf tournaments.

MGM Resorts strongly supported the NHL’s 2017 expansion with the Vegas Golden Knights, who now call our T-Mobile Arena home. In 2018 we became the owner of Las Vegas’ first professional basketball team, the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, who, in a normal season, play in our Mandalay Bay Events Center. Both teams have proven that Las Vegas is a spirited sports town. Our Las Vegas Aces are well positioned for a playoff run and we all are hoping they can bring a championship home. This couldn’t come at a better time to lift the spirits of our city, as Las Vegas navigates its way through these unprecedented times.

As a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, I am thrilled with the return of the NFL, even if my team couldn’t quite pull off a win at their season opener last Sunday. I along with the rest of my adopted hometown, got to celebrate the Raiders’ first game and first win of their inaugural season based here in Las Vegas. Las Vegas having a professional football team is a major triumph. In the midst of the ongoing pandemic and unprecedented, challenging times, our new team provides an exciting boost for our city’s identity and spirit.

Admittedly, for the sake of community health, opportunities for fan engagement this year will be less active than we had originally planned. Raiders home games will be played at Allegiant Stadium without fans in the stands. This is a necessary precaution for the safety of our families, community and guests, as well as the continued recovery of our local economy.

While we make the most of the season and are excited to root for our new team, we look forward to the day when we can gather together and cheer them on in person. At MGM Resorts, we’re particularly eager to host tailgate parties at Mandalay Bay and Luxor, which are a stone’s throw from Allegiant Stadium, to entertain large groups of fans on game days in our VIP lounge at the stadium and to offer hotel accommodations to out-of-state visitors who come to town in support of the away team. This will all happen when the time is right.

Opportunities for Economic Growth

In addition to lifting spirits, the return of sports has created a bright spot of growth for our city, industry and overall economy. At MGM Resorts, our online sports betting platform, BetMGM, is currently licensed for sports betting in seven states and has plans to be in 11 states by the end of 2020. When all of our resorts were closed at the height of the pandemic in April and May, BetMGM was still making revenue as customers placed bets on ping pong and Belarusian soccer, but that activity has significantly increased with the return of MLB, the NHL, the NBA and the WNBA.

Because we missed the thrill of watching football and other professional sports in person, fans are now, more than ever, looking for new ways to support and engage with their favorite teams and players. Sports fans are logging on with greater frequency and placing bets. There’s no better way for a fan to have skin in the game and to create excitement when watching a match at home on TV. As a result, mobile sports betting has been, and will continue to be, a success for MGM Resorts this year and for years to come.

As CEO of MGM Resorts, I’m keenly aware of all that professional sports have to offer. Their return benefits the economic recovery and morale of my hometown, our industry and sports fans everywhere. We look forward to continuing to welcome fans both online and in-person as we emerge from the pandemic into new, exciting territory with sports and sports betting.

Bill