New entrant to NJ sports betting; FanDuel, Draft Kings deals
This Oct. 25, 2018 photo shows employees at the new sports book at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City N.J., preparing to take bets moments before it opened. On Dec. 18, 2018, Canadian firm theScore announced it will enter New Jersey's sports betting market next year, and the NBA and FanDuel announced a gambling agreement. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
This Oct. 25, 2018 photo shows employees at the new sports book at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City N.J. counting money moments before it opened. On Dec. 18, 2018, Canadian firm theScore announced it will enter New Jersey's sports betting market next year, and the NBA and FanDuel announced a gambling agreement. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
The legal U.S. sports betting market continues to grow by the day, with separate deals announced Tuesday involving New Jersey, West Virginia and a national NBA partnership.
A Canadian company said it will enter New Jersey's sports betting market as an affiliate of Monmouth Park Racetrack.
Toronto-based theScore said Tuesday it will begin offering an online and mobile sports book in mid-2019, pending approval by state regulators. The company offers digital sports experiences through its web, social and esports platforms.
"Sports betting has long been part of our company DNA in how we've delivered content to fans," said John Levy, the company's founder and CEO. "Providing the ability to actually bet on games is the natural next phase for theScore."
The move is a boost for Monmouth, which will face new nearby competition in New Jersey next year when Freehold Raceway begins offering sports betting. Freehold is located in the same county near the Jersey shore, less than 17 miles (27 kilometers) away and will undoubtedly attract some of the same customers now patronizing Monmouth Park.
New Jersey's sports betting market is growing rapidly, with $928 million worth of bets having been taken by the state's casinos and racetracks since mid-June.
The announcement came the same day that the National Basketball Association announced a deal making FanDuel a gambling partner of the league. FanDuel will gain access to official NBA betting data, along with league marks and logos across FanDuel's sports betting offerings.
The NBA in 2014 became the first major professional sports league to partner with FanDuel and offered the league's first official daily fantasy basketball game on NBA.com and FanDuel.com. In 2017, FanDuel became the official daily fantasy partner of the WNBA, FanDuel's first partnership with a women's professional sports league.
Also on Tuesday, DraftKings said it is ready to enter the West Virginia online and mobile sports betting market, signing a licensing agreement with an affiliate of Penn National Gaming, the operator of Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia.
It did not say when it plans to launch. It still needs approval from state gambling regulators.
DraftKings already runs an online sports book in New Jersey and a retail one in Mississippi.
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