MGM Resorts International is teaming up with U.S. sports bar restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings in the hope of offering sports betting to a new audience. As more and more states allow sports betting, the addition of sports betting in Buffalo Wild Wings seems as natural as spicy sauce on chicken wings.
I Am Buffalo, Hear Me Roar
MGM Resorts is sealing the deal on their Buffalo Wild Wings partnership under the name of Roar Digital, and plans to offer a sports betting experience through a specialized app. Players are currently able to use the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin’ Rewards app for free-to-play games and competitions, including trips to Las Vegas.
While the first contests don’t involve betting, customers will get to pick their favorite NFL players and make proposition picks – just in time for the pro football season. In states where sports betting is legal, customers of the popular sports bar chain will get to make actual bets through an app called BetMGM.
MGM CEO, Jim Murren teamed up with Buffalo Wild Wings president Lyle Tick to share the news. “As the largest sports bar in the country, Buffalo Wild Wings has the opportunity to pioneer sports gaming experiences for fans, and we are taking the first critical step on that journey through our partnership with BetMGM,” Lyle Tick said in the announcement.
Buffalo Wild Wings has 1,200 locations across the U.S., and is perfectly positioned to offer the combination of spicy wings, beer, live sports broadcasts, and sports betting where it is legal. Currently, 19 states have passed sports betting laws in the U.S.
Soaring On the Wings of Chickens
In recent years, casinos have been suffering from a lack of young blood. The majority of visitors to Las Vegas casinos are over 40 years old. According to Chris Grove, an analyst from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, the average sports bettor is usually a younger male, the type that frequents sports bars like Buffalo Wild Wings.
“The sports bettor isn’t necessarily a customer that a casino like MGM or Caesars has been focused on,” Grove said. A partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings would “allow casinos to expand beyond their core demographic.”
MGM CEO Jim Murren weighed in with his statement, “Adding access to MGM’s world-class properties and the BetMGM mobile app will create unique customer experiences and redefine how fans enjoy sports.”
In a true test of the glorious synergy of spicy wings and sports betting, Buffalo Wild Wings expects to open a few branches of its sports bars in MGM properties like Mandalay Bay. In states where sports gambling is legal, Buffalo Wild Wings customers can view custom sports book content on its TVs, including live odds from BetMGM.
Analysis
You had me at ‘spicy chicken wings.’ Just when we thought that the experience of beer and spicy wings with friends couldn’t get any better – they go and offer sports betting. The technical name for a business move like this is what is referred to as a “no brainer.”
Like pizza and beer, Homer and donuts, peanut butter and jelly, and wings and sports bars, some things are just made for each other. The natural evolution of a sports bar offering spicy chicken wings and live sports broadcasts – is live sports betting. Like Darwin himself would have said, ‘It’s only a matter of time.’
And it’s high time for us to combine the tongue-tingling taste of mango-habanero Buffalo wings with the spectacular sensation of sports betting – all under one roof. We will finally unite as one nation, under wings, and take to the sky, soaring on the spicy wings of chickens! Can I get a ‘hallelujah!?’
Buffalo Wild Wings customers were already gambling when they climbed the saucy ladder of spiciness. Sweet BBQ and Teriyaki are for wimps. Trying the hottest wings on the menu even comes with a warning: “BLAZIN’® warning: ask your server.”
The only thing that could go wrong during this sweet and saucy partnership of wings and bets is forgetting to wipe the Blazin’ sauce off your fingers before using the phone app. Or wiping your eyes.
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