NHL hires former AGA executive for legal advice on sports betting

The National Hockey League (NHL) announced Monday that it had hired former American Gaming Association (AGA) executive Sara Slane as a consultant to help the league capitalize on legal sports betting, which continues to expand into markets where its 31 teams are located.

She formed a global gaming strategies firm after leaving her post at the AGA earlier this month. According to CDC Gaming Reports, Slane Advisory will advise the NHL and its teams on sports betting strategies, the cultivation of new partnerships in the gaming and sports betting marketplace, and gaming legislation.

Last season, the NHL announced its first-ever sports betting partnership with MGM Resorts International. The league also reached multiyear strategic relationships with daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel and William Hill US, the nation’s largest sportsbook operator.

“Our new partnership with Slane Advisory is another example of our commitment to working collaboratively with the sports betting industry and developing a best-in-class approach to partnerships,” said NHL Chief Business Officer Keith Wachtel.

In an interview, Wachtel said the league has done “three nice deals,” each covering two to three years. The real prospect, he said, is in finding ways to monetize long-term opportunities.

The NHL was one of the earliest professional leagues to embrace legal sports wagering after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, allowing states to individually regulate sports betting.

Since the ruling, legal sports betting is underway in 10 states – Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Arkansas and New York – and has been approved in Washington D.C., Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire and Tennessee, although those jurisdictions have yet to launch.

Nine NHL teams are located in states with legal sports betting, which will grow to 10 if North Carolina governor Roy Cooper signs the sports betting bill currently sitting on his desk.

“The opportunity is only there for one-third of our clubs right now,” Wachtel said. “It’s exciting to talk about, but the scale is not there yet. That’s why we’re bringing on Sara. We need someone who understands the business and can help us and help out teams in creating partnerships and evaluating the space.”

“Sports betting is the new frontier for the industry and Commissioner Gary Bettman has understood the value of partnership since sports betting became legal nationwide,” Slane said. “I look forward to executing additional deals that benefit both industries and maximize this once in a lifetime opportunity. I am thrilled to work with the NHL and drive additional gaming partnerships to the League and its clubs.”

Wachtel said the league wants to leverage Slane’s “deep knowledge and expertise within the gaming ecosystem as we continue to cultivate relationships across the sports betting landscape and further fan engagement.”

He said her focus would be on U.S. sports betting opportunities. The NHL has seven teams in Canada, but the country does not offer Las Vegas-style legal sports betting. Much of the country’ s gaming activity is either online or through parlay cards.

“We’re watching Canada closely,” Wachtel said. “We see that market as a good opportunity.”

Two NHL teams reached partnership agreements with William Hill last year.  The New Jersey Devils and its home arena, the Prudential Center, signed a multi-year marketing agreement that includes a William Hill themed sports lounge inside the arena. The sportsbook operator also agreed to a deal with the Golden Knights that mixes hockey and legal sports wagering.

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis plans to open a sports bar and sportsbook in a tavern adjacent to the team’s Verizon Center once Washington D.C. establishes sports betting regulations.

The NHL is also looking at ways to increase the amount of player and league data. During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, the NHL tested a puck and player tracking technology during two Golden Knights’ games. The league has a goal of utilizing the data produced by the equipment in game broadcasts and virtual or augmented reality experiences – and for sports betting.

Slane, 39, joined the AGA in 2014 and was senior vice president of public affairs. She was the industry’s spokesperson and advocate on public policy issues.