Major League Baseball (MLB) has expanded its footprint within the world of sports betting business, signing a new sportsbook partnership with Betcris.
The deal is the US’ top baseball league’s first wagering partnership within the LatAm region.
Betcris used to serve players in the US, but left the market in 2007 following the introduction of iGaming transaction-related federal laws.
MLB’s partnership with Betcris will be similar to the ones it already has with US sports betting operators.
LatAm an important strategic market for MLB
In the US, MLB is partnered with various major gaming operators – including FanDuel and FoxBet.
But in addition to its main US market, the league is also looking further afield for growth.
MLB Executive Vice President of Gaming and New Business Ventures Kenny Gersh believes that Betcris is the right operator to help appeal to users in this part of the world. He had the following to say.
“Some of MLB’s most loyal fans reside in Latin America, so it was important to partner with the right gaming operator in the region to engage those passionate fans and also help us reach new audiences.
“Betcris has taken great strides in recent years to listen to their users and continually offer great services and we believe their experience will only further elevate the engagement opportunities for our Latin American fans.”
Through the LatAm partnership with MLB, Betcris will gain access to the league’s official data feed. On top of this, it will also be able to use MLB’s logos and league marks.
Betcris hopes to return to the US market in the future
In 2007, lawmakers in the US targeted online gambling transactions through federal law. According to Betcris, the operator has not taken bets from players in the country since.
The US sports betting landscape is much different now, with the repeal of PASPA in 2018 opening up the market again.
As reported by ESPN, Betcris CEO JD Duarte says that he wants to “get into the US at some point, hopefully soon”.
Betcris is a member of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), which it joined in May 2020. The operator was the first local one in the LatAm region to join the association.
