Phoenix Mercury, Bally announce multi-year partnership

The Phoenix Mercury are in the sports betting game.

Women’s sports on the rise! 📈

History was made yesterday when the @phoenixmercury announced a new sponsorship agreement with Bally Corporation, worth a reported $66 million.

This is the largest and first ever sports betting deal in professional women's sports history. pic.twitter.com/TrjbzGF8E3

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 1, 2021

The team announced Wednesday a new sponsorship agreement with Bally Corporation. According to Deadspin, the deal is worth a reported $66 million over 15 years. Not only is it the largest team sponsorship agreement in the history of women’s sports, but it’s also the first-ever sports betting deal with a pro women’s sports team.

“It makes a lot of sense for us to try to get sports betting access in Arizona, but there’s also an opportunity to sort of bring parity to women’s sports,” Soo Kim, chairman of Bally Corporation’s Board of Directors, told Deadspin. “We make business decisions to make good business decisions, but this is a good business decision that also happens to be trailblazing and more inclusive and has a good societal impact.”

The additional online sports betting market will bring Bally’s total to 15 states. They currently manage 14 casinos in 10 states. 

Upon receipt of a sports betting license from the Arizona Department of Gaming, Bally’s will be able to operate online betting and a retail sportsbook “in the vicinity of the Phoenix Suns Arena.” Currently, the Suns have an agreement with FanDuel to place a sportsbook inside of the teams’ shared stadium in downtown Phoenix.

The PGA Tour and Arizona Diamondbacks also have partnerships that will bring sportsbook locations to their respective homes.