IGT bringing sports betting tech to Puerto Rico through Ponce Plaza partnership
Global gaming technology provider to help launch US territory’s first casino brand-led retail and mobile sportsbook
International Game Technology (IGT) is expanding its operations to Puerto Rico through a partnership with Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino that will see the global gaming technology provider power both retail and mobile sports betting for the boutique casino property.
Central to the partnership is IGT’s PlaySports platform, a flexible all-in-one pricing, trading and risk-management solution that Ponce Plaza will leverage in rolling out Puerto Rico’s first casino brand-led sportsbook.
The deal builds on a longstanding supplier partnership between the two parties.
Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino GM Ramon Muñoz said: “IGT has been a valued Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino gaming equipment supplier for many years, and we are thrilled to expand our strategic alliance and entertainment portfolio with PlayBets by Ponce Plaza, our soon-to-launch IGT PlaySports-powered sportsbook,”
Ponce Plaza is one of a handful of casinos in Ponce, a city on the southern coast of the US territory. The property recently completed a $12m renovation of its facilities.
Muñoz added: “Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino has been serving the local community since 2008 and we could not be prouder to be the first casino operator in Puerto Rico to run and operate its own sportsbook and to give sports fans an amazing betting experience backed by a local operator who they know and trust.”
For IGT, the deal gives it exposure to the rapidly growing Puerto Rico market, which introduced online sports betting earlier this year and has since seen the arrival of US heavyweights BetMGM and Caesars. FanDuel and DraftKings have also struck market access deals.
“IGT PlaySports looks forward to helping Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino deliver the excitement of multi-channel sports betting to fans in the region through our proven technology and comprehensive services,” said IGT president of sports betting Joe Asher.
“By adding sports betting to their gaming enterprise, Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino will be equipped with a valuable new player acquisition tool that will drive new customers to the property and enhance the overall experience at the hotel.”
IGT PlaySports has become ubiquitous across the regulated sports betting space in the US, powering sportsbooks at more than 90 locations across North America.