Connor McDavid Signs Endorsement Contract With BetMGM Sportsbook, First Active Player to Rep Betting Site

• Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has signed to be a brand ambassador for BetMGM
• He’s joining former Oilers captain and NHL all-time scoring champion Wayne Gretzky in working with BetMGM
• McDavid is the first active North American athlete to sign with a betting site

When Connor McDavid was the first player chosen in the 2015 NHL entry draft, he was viewed as someone who could change the game, and he’s doing just that by joining BetMGM as a brand ambassador.

The Edmonton Oilers captain is the first active athlete to sign to represent a North American sports betting site.

“I am very excited to partner with BetMGM as they continue to shape the future of sports betting,” McDavid said in a release announcing the move. “It’s also a real honor to be on the same BetMGM team with star athletes like Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Garnett, both of whom I admire very much.”

BetMGM Loading Up On Star Power

Gretzky joined BetMGM last year as a brand ambassador. The Great One captained the Oilers to four Stanley Cups. He is the NHL’s all-time scoring leader.

Like former NBA star Garnett, Gretzky’s playing days are long ago but their presence as sporting icons is ongoing. BetMGM also has gone Beast Mode, adding former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch to its list of brand ambassadors.

Wayne Gretzky Partners with BetMGM 🏒

More ➡️ https://t.co/EHzIWPX2tc

— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) June 2, 2021

In fact, the vast majority of athletes doing promotional work in the sports betting industry are past performers. There’s ex-NFL quarterback Drew Brees with PointsBet. Caesars has gone three-deep in former NFL QBs. Their hirings include Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as their dad Archie. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has taken on starring roles in ads for both PointsBet and WynnBET.

McDavid Will Provide Presence In Canadian Market

The online sports betting market is heating up in Canada. BetMGM’s addition of the star power that McDavid brings could help set them apart from what figures to be a crowded field.

Excited to join the @BetMGM family. pic.twitter.com/TICWla8ct2

— Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97) March 5, 2022

Privately-owned Ontario sports betting sites are set to launch in the province as of April 4.  Other provinces on the Canada sports betting landscape will be watching events in Ontario unfold. They could be making their own entry into the area of the marketplace of private operators before long.

Certainly, McDavid will provide BetMGM with plenty of brand recognition. The NHL All-Star center will be featured in BetMGM’s upcoming marketing campaigns, promotions, social media content and fan events.

Best There Is With Best There Ever Was

While the Oilers may be slipping in the Stanley Cup odds, McDavid’s status as the league’s best player remains unquestioned. By pairing him with Gretzky on their team, BetMGM are now suiting up the greatest player ever to play the game of hockey and the greatest player in hockey today.

McDavid burst onto the NHL scene in 2016, becoming the League’s youngest-ever captain at 19 years old. That same season he won the Art Ross Trophy as the League’s leading scorer, the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award as the League’s best player.  Only six seasons into his career, McDavid has won each of these awards multiple times. He is already is considered one of the sport’s greats.

.@BetMGM’s first foray with an active athlete presented an unexpected complication earlier this week when McDavid lost his two front teeth as a result of a stick to the face.

He was scheduled to be in Chicago on Tuesday for a photo shoot, but first had to undergo repairs. pic.twitter.com/xJxXfqtKAA

— Sports Business Journal (@sbjsbd) March 4, 2022

Currently, the Oilers center shares the NHL scoring lead with his Edmonton teammate Leon Draistaitl. Each has collected 79 points so far this season. BetMGM is listing McDavid as the +250 betting favorite in the 2021-22 Hart Trophy odds.

“The accomplishments that Connor already has earned on the ice is astonishing and we are excited to welcome him to the BetMGM family,” BetMGM’s Chief Revenue Officer Matt Prevost said in a statement . “We look forward to working together to engage BetMGM players across North America.”