NLL and PLL announce betting partnerships (January 15, 2020 / May 12, 2020)
2020 marked the first year that pro lacrosse fans could bet on pro lacrosse. The National Lacrosse League was the first to announce a betting partnership with BetMGM, but plans to introduce betting were put on hold when the league suspended and ultimately cancelled its season due to COVID-19.
Later in May, the PLL announced that fans would be able to bet on PLL games when they signed a deal with Genius Sports. Later, the league announced a betting partnership of its own by inking a deal with Draft Kings. These partnerships not only allowed longtime lacrosse fans able to bet on pro lacrosse for the first time, it also opened an opportunity to attract a new audience of sports bettors.
Las Vegas hosts NLL game featuring the San Diego Seals and Colorado Mammoth (February 1, 2020)
Speaking of gambling, the NLL made its first appearance on the Las Vegas strip in the form of a game between the San Diego Seals and Colorado Mammoth. The San Diego Seals finished on top with a 17-10 win that featured Seals captain Brodie Merrill scoring a full-field buzzer beater at the end of the second quarter.
The game itself was a success and laid the seeds for Las Vegas to add its own NLL franchise in the future. Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley already hinted that a franchise is in the works. Could Las Vegas be the home to the next expansion franchise? We’ll have to wait until 2021 to find out.
