United Soccer League actively seeking US betting partner

The United Soccer League (USL) is actively seeking a sports betting operator to partner with to expand its reach across the US and offer localized access to sports fans. The USL currently has 35 regional professional teams across the states including Queens, New York, Phoenix, Arizona, and San Antonio, Texas. Fourteen of the clubs are in states that are either live with betting or pending legislation.

The league is looking to strike a deal with a digital-first “challenger brand”, USL SVP digital, emerging technology and strategy Lizzie Seedhouse told EGR North America. “We’re looking for a partner that may also be a challenger brand, one to ruffle some feathers, and they really need to have market access across multiple states,” Seedhouse said. “We’re really poised to take advantage of the space and we want a partner that will grow and scale with us,” she added. Seedhouse said the league can tap into its localized fanbase to give a potential partner access to key regions in states primed for betting, particularly New York and Texas. “Engagement works both ways, our fans are likely to think sports betting is acceptable and are going to support their team by betting, and equally the people that are betting on USL that might not know a lot about the league are more likely to watch it,” Seedhouse said. Seedhouse says that although the USL is a much lesser known league in the US, it has a loyal fanbase and is poised to grow upon accessing the betting space. It currently has a data and integrity deal in place with Stats Perform for operators to price up its matches.