The NBA has signed with Toronto-based online gaming company The Stars Group, making it an authorized gaming operator of the league in the U.S. This is the first league sponsorship in the U.S. for the company, which owns PokerStars among many other gaming brands. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the multiyear agreement gives The Stars Group rights to use official NBA betting data and league marks across its digital sports betting offerings. The agreement is the second the NBA has struck with a gaming operator following this summer’s landmark deal with MGM Resorts Int'l. League execs declined to compare the pacts, but MGM’s rights designate the company as “the official gaming partner of the NBA” and does convey some additional assets compared to The Stars Group’s designation as “an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.” The Stars Group’s mobile betting offerings will be promoted across the NBA’s digital assets including NBA TV, NBA.com, the official NBA mobile app and the league’s various social media platforms. The NBA also will be promoted across The Stars Group’s gaming platforms. The Stars Group and the NBA will collaborate on responsible gaming programs and integrity monitoring. “We want to work with many companies like these and help them differentiate their offerings from the offshore operators,” said NBA VP and Head of Fantasy & Gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross. The Stars Group currently operates in New Jersey with its BetStars brand and plans to expand nationally as additional states legalize online sports betting.
