University of Maryland Sports signed a deal with PointsBet Sportsbook becoming the first MD university and the first Big Ten school to secure a sportsbook partnership.
Officials on Wednesday announced the multi-year partnership.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it’s reportedly worth “seven figures.”
This deal is historic for both parties. It also comes on the eve of what’s expected to be the official long-awaited launch of sportsbooks in Maryland on Thursday.
PointsBet making its way into Maryland
This partnership with University of Maryland Sports is the latest move in the US market for Australian-based PointBet. The company also recently became the first sportsbook to partner with an NCAA Power 5 athletic department. It set that milestone after it inked a deal with the University of Colorado.
The Maryland Athletics deal will bring fan-facing in-game and campus activations to Maryland’s XFINITY Center and at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium, according to the announcement.
PointsBet will also educate Terrapins staff, students and fans on responsible gaming (RG). The sportsbook will announce a philanthropic component of this partnership at a future date.
PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said the partnership will make a significant impact in the DMV community:
“Sports betting education and safe gambling is key to our long-term strategy, as is making a tangible impact on the communities we invest in. We are proud to work with such a high-profile, storied university to further these objectives.”
University of Maryland Chief Strategy Officer/Executive Associate AD Brian Ullmann stressed the RG aspect of the deal:
“We are looking forward to raising awareness, and educating our student-athlete and University community about responsible gambling.”
Additionally, Maryland’s digital channels and sports radio network broadcasts will feature PointsBet messaging.
Riverboat on the Potomac partnership
This is another big win for PointsBet, which previously made a big play in Maryland’s sports betting market.
In October, PointsBet secured a 10-year deal with Riverboat on the Potomac, an off-track betting (OTB) site and sports bar. Riverboat on the Potomac, located in Colonial, VA, on the VA-MD border, is one of 17 pre-named entities that are eligible to apply for a sports wagering license.
PointsBet will provide retail betting at the venue. Online sports betting, meanwhile, isn’t likely to begin until 2022 in Maryland.
Betting on University of Maryland sports teams?
Unlike states such as neighboring Virginia, Maryland’s sports wagering market is a bit more flexible.
Virginia law prohibits sports bettors from betting on in-state colleges and universities. That includes the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. It also prohibits sports betting on college events that take place within the state’s borders, as well as college prop bets.
Luckily for local sports bettors, Maryland lawmakers enacted no such limitations.
That means Maryland sports bettors can place bets on the Terrapins, as well as Navy, Towson, UMBC, Morgan State and other in-state schools.
