Partnership to Include Creation of First Sports Book At a U.S. Professional Sports Venue
William Hill to Become Exclusive Sports Betting Partner of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics and Monumental Sports & Entertainment
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2019) – William Hill US, America’s leading sports book operator, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment, one of the country’s largest sports and entertainment companies that owns the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics, today announced the formation of a first-of-its-kind partnership that will introduce a new era of sports betting in Washington D.C., while setting an industry-wide precedent for fan engagement.
Subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, the partnership – which brings together two of the most innovative companies in sports – will include the creation of the first sports book at a U.S. professional sports venue, with the development of a William Hill Sports Book at Capital One Arena. William Hill also will become the exclusive sports betting partner of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics and Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
“Monumental is dedicated to bringing the latest technology and innovation into our arena and delivering extraordinary experiences to our fans. We are excited to partner with William Hill, the industry leader in sports betting, to become the first professional sports arena in the U.S. to feature a sportsbook,” said Ted Leonsis, chairman, founder, principal partner and CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “Through this partnership, we are thrilled to enhance the fan experience with innovative gaming opportunities and transformational dining and culinary options not just on event days, but year-round. Our partnership with William Hill compliments our vision of making our arena the premier sports and entertainment destination in Washington, D.C.”
“This sports book will be a flagship venue for the industry and will serve the sports fans of the Washington D.C. area unlike any other,” said Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US. “Partnering with Ted Leonsis and the entire Monumental team was ideal. They share our vision and principles for bringing innovative sports betting opportunities to fans in a responsible way. This deal sets a new benchmark for how the industry will serve fans and how fans engage in sports.”
Upon receipt of all required regulatory approvals, the sports book will be operated by William Hill, with a full-service food and beverage offering, complemented by all of the premium sports
betting facilities that are synonymous with the brand. The book, which will span multiple floors, will be open daily, year-round, and accessible to the public from F Street. During game days and certain in-arena events, ticketed and non-ticketed fans will have access to the sports book. The sports book also will be open on non-event days. Sports fans of legal age will also have the option to wager on a William Hill mobile app inside the arena, as permitted by the Washington D.C. regulations.
Construction to transform the space into a sports book is expected to begin pending regulatory approvals. The sports book is expected to become a year-round hub of activity for sports fans in the Washington, D.C. area. Fans will have the opportunity to come together to watch games, even when they aren’t live in the arena. For major events, there is the opportunity to turn the arena bowl into a 20,000-seat TV viewing area.
Powered by a heritage that dates back to 1934, William Hill established its U.S. presence in Las Vegas in 2012 and has grown to become America’s leading sports book operator by differentiating itself from the industry as an innovative pioneer in sports and sports betting. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that overturned PASPA in 2018, William Hill has led United States expansion of sports betting and now has operations in 10 states. The company currently accepts one out of every four sports bets placed in the U.S.
About the Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), located in Washington, D.C., is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. MSE owns and operates seven professional sports teams: the 2018 Arena Football League champion Washington Valor, AFL’s Baltimore Brigade, NBA’s Washington Wizards, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The company is also co-owner of aXiomatic, which has controlling interest in global esports franchise Team Liquid, and owns and operates Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also manages MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the state-of-the-art training facility for the Capitals and EagleBank Arena on George Mason University’s campus. In conjunction with the District of Columbia and Events DC, MSE is a partner in a new sports and entertainment facility in Southeast DC on the St. Elizabeth’s East campus that opened in September 2018. Facility highlights include MedStar Wizards Performance Center, the brand-new training facility for the Wizards, Go-Go and Mystics, and a 4,200-seat arena which will serve as the new home of the Mystics and Go-Go. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also co-owns and operates Monumental Sports Network (MSN) with the NBC Sports Group. MSN is the mid-Atlantic region’s top destination for exclusive fan experiences and original sports content across desktop, tablet, mobile and OTT streaming devices. Visit www.monumentalsports.com.
About William Hill
William Hill PLC is one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies, employing over 16,000 people. Its origins are in the UK where it was founded in 1934, and where the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. With headquarters in London and Leeds it has a national presence of licensed betting offices in Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is one of the country’s leading online betting and gaming services. In 2012, it established William Hill US with a focus on retail and mobile operations in Nevada, which is now the largest sports betting business in the USA. William Hill US (www.williamhill.us) currently operates 113 race and sports books in Nevada and the state’s leading mobile sports betting app. William Hill is operating in New Jersey at Monmouth Park Racetrack, Ocean Resort Casino, Tropicana Atlantic City, and online with the William Hill New Jersey sports betting app as well as in Indiana, Iowa, and West Virginia. William Hill is a licensed sports betting provider in numerous casinos in Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New Mexico, and serves as the exclusive risk manager for the sports lottery in Delaware. William Hill has licensed operations in The Bahamas, Italy, Spain and Sweden and serves online customers in the UK, Ireland and throughout the world from its digital hubs in Gibraltar and Malta. In February 2019, it completed the acquisition of MRG Group acquiring the Mr Green and Redbet brands and with it an expanded pan-European footprint in faster growing online betting and gaming markets.
