NHL Partners with American Gaming Association on Sports-Betting Campaign

As sports betting continues to become more mainstream, the National Hockey League and the American Gaming Association have announced a partnership to promote responsible gaming activity through a new public service campaign: “Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly.”

The league becomes the second professional sports organization in the United States to sign on to the AGA program after NASCAR earlier announced its support.

Through the partnership, the NHL will use league-owned, in-arena, and digital marketing inventory for co-branded videoboard images, public address announcements and animations of hockey-specific marketing materials to encourage fans to bet responsibly. The league will provide unique assets for each team that plays in a legal sports-betting market, including arena, desktop and mobile, and email applications.

“The National Hockey League is proud to partner with the American Gaming Association on this vital initiative to educate NHL fans about the importance of responsible betting,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL chief business officer. “The fan experience remains one of our highest priorities as more hockey fans than ever have the opportunity to legally and responsibly bet in their home states. Ensuring that our passionate fans know how to participate in this exciting new opportunity is important, and we’re thrilled to be working with the AGA to share the responsibility in this worthy education.”

The AGA’s campaign encourages fans to set and maintain a budget, keep betting social, know the odds and play with trusted, regulated operators.

“Teams and leagues are increasingly embracing sports betting as they explore new fan engagement opportunities during COVID-19,” said Bill Miller, AGA president and CEO. “Educating patrons about how to engage in this activity responsibly is critical to the success of the sports betting opportunity as it continues to expand throughout the country. We’re thankful for the NHL’s continued leadership on responsible sports betting. Their partnership on this initiative will be important for hockey fans everywhere as they cheer on their teams in coming seasons.”