With the clock ticking down to the arrival of legalized sports betting in Arizona, IGT has been preparing for its first foray into powering retail sports wagering at a professional sporting venue.
By way of a technology partnership with B2C sports betting provider FanDuel Group, the firm’s PlaySports platform will power the soon-to-open and highly anticipated FanDuel Sportsbook at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Equipped with 26 IGT PlaySports Kiosks, the sprawling 7,400 square-foot sportsbook venue has been designed to deliver a premium-quality sports betting experience within the Footprint Center, which accommodates more than 18,000 sports fans and is home to the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Arizona Rattlers. It is among the first NBA arenas in the US to feature an on-premise retail sportsbook.
IGT PlayDigital Senior Vice President Enrico Drago explained: “Delivering IGT PlaySports-powered sports betting at a professional sporting venue as large and impressive as Phoenix’s Footprint Center is a milestone achievement and the beginning of an exciting new wave of sports betting expansion for IGT.
“The hundreds of thousands of sports fans who pass through the Footprint Center annually will have the chance to elevate their sports engagement by conveniently betting via PlaySports technology at the state-of-the-art FanDuel Sportsbook.”
IGT and FanDuel Group have a legacy of success in retail sports betting, with Arizona marking the 10th US state where the two companies have partnered to deliver high-performing retail sportsbooks.
Drago added: “In-arena sports betting is only now gaining its momentum across the US and is sure to increase growth for operators and boost entertainment and engagement for sports fans.
“Given the versatility and scalability of the IGT PlaySports technology stack and our suite of self-service betting peripherals, IGT is well-positioned to maximize this expansion opportunity and power world-class sportsbooks in Arizona and beyond.”
The FanDuel Sportsbook at the Footprint Center is expected to open to the public on September 9, 2021.
