Revenue / 05.16.18

Opening the Floodgates — Sports Betting

Access Staff

Original article published in VenuesNow (05/16/18) by Don Muret

Officials with the Detroit-based architecture firm Rossetti say last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act unconstitutional has opened the floodgates to allow gambling into sports venues by permitting individual states to legalize betting in their communities. “We've been asked already by several clients to look at some really cool club areas that could have gaming going on at the same time as watching the event,” notes Rossetti president Matt Rossetti. However, broad federal legislation stipulating greater restrictions to state laws could still be imposed before teams can move forward. Furthermore, Staples Center president Lee Zeidman says facility managers must adhere to another set of regulations instituted by leagues and teams before installing gambling at their buildings. Many teams already have casinos sponsoring premium spaces, with certain agreements in which activation in-venue is tied to hospitality and branding and does not extend to gambling. The next process for teams is to add gaming to the game-day experience in branded clubs. “Our knowledge of gaming environments can easily translate into an arena/stadium environment,” says Rossetti's Kelly Deines. “It's about creating an experience that resonates for sports fans and adding entertainment value through gaming.”

Read the full story on the VenuesNow website.

Tags: Sports , Regulations , News , Stadium