Regulated sports betting is an unqualified hit in the United States and gaming operators of all sizes are looking for the best ways to acquire and retain players. One way of achieving that goal is to invest in sports betting content, which is exactly what Wynn Resorts appears to be doing with a recent investment it made in Blue Wire, a Sanf Francisco-based sports podcasting platform.
According to a recent report on the Verge, a Las Vegas news blog, Wynn Resorts is shelling out $3.5 million to build a Blue Wire studio inside of its casino on the Strip. The podcasting studio will be similar to the studios used by ESPN’s College Gameday or the Today Show, which allow live audiences to walk by and observe in the background.
Craig Billings, president of Wynn Resorts provided some details about how the podcast studio will work and said that it will be “activated” in time for March Madness. That said, the Blue Wire studio in the Wynn will not formally open until summer. (And it seems to be a safe bet that it will be at its busiest during American football season.)
The deal is a big move for Blue Wire, whose credibility in all things sports betting related will be upped considerably, as well as its visibility to thousands of sports-minded Vegas tourists. Wynn Resorts will benefit from increased excitement around its sportsbooks, as well as earning equity from podcast advertising.
The future of regulated sports betting for operators is clearly going to involve some sort of interaction with sports betting content producers, which makes this a sign of what is to come for the US gambling business.