5 September 2019

Buffalo Wild Wings partners with Roar Digital to bring sports gaming experiences to US fans nationwide

Innovative partnership aims to revolutionise sports bar experience with US national free-to-play
games and sports betting tests; Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars to open in MGM Resorts International Casinos

Buffalo Wild Wings is joining forces with Roar Digital, the sports betting and gaming 50/50 venture, jointly owned by MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings Plc, for a multi-year partnership – a first-of-its-kind alignment between a US national sports bar and a gaming leader. In accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, the partnership will deliver sports gaming experiences at a national scale inside Buffalo Wild Wings through Roar’s digital gaming platform, BetMGM. In addition, the deal is expected to spawn collaborations inside MGM properties and sports books, including a new Buffalo Wild Wings sports bar which is anticipated to open at Mandalay Bay in 2020. Roar Digital was established in July 2018 by MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings to address the rapidly regulating US gaming market.

While the strategic alignment between these industry leaders is focused on capitalising on future opportunities as states continue to pass sports betting legislation, consumers will begin to experience BetMGM at Buffalo Wild Wings as early as this week.  The partnership kicks off Thursday with a free-to-play football game available nationwide. Plans also include a sports betting test program in New Jersey later this year– with the goal of expanding to additional states as legislation is passed.

“As the largest sports bar in the country, Buffalo Wild Wings has the opportunity to pioneer sports gaming experiences for fans, and we are taking the first critical step on that journey through our partnership with BetMGM,” said Lyle Tick, President, Buffalo Wild Wings. “This is a landmark relationship between two preeminent experience brands that puts us in a position to innovate the current sports watching experience to bring the best of sports gaming to our guests.”

In-Restaurant Gaming: Nationwide Free-to-Play Game via BetMGM and New Jersey Sports Betting Tests
The first consumer-facing product to come from this partnership is Picks and Props, a free-to-play, mobile-only football game available nationwide starting Thursday when the pro football season kicks off. The game offers a seamless sports betting-like experience with no stakes attached. Players have the opportunity to win prizes like trips to Las Vegas to place a parlay bet for the Big Game that could pay out at $1million or to Borgata in New Jersey to compete in the first BetMGM sports betting competition. To play Picks and Props, simply download the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin’ Rewards app, then make game picks based on the spread, answer prop questions and choose top fantasy performers for the week. While fans can play anywhere, they must check in at a Buffalo Wild Wings sports bar between Thursday and Sunday to be eligible for prizes.

Buffalo Wild Wings and BetMGM also will collaborate on a sports betting test program in New Jersey later this year. The program will give consumers exclusive perks, such as enhanced odds and free bets, when the BetMGM app is accessed inside a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. Buffalo Wild Wings and BetMGM aim to expand the program to additional states as legislation allows.

Future Experiences
Buffalo Wild Wings and BetMGM will deliver a variety of additional consumer-facing initiatives as the partnership develops over time, including:

• Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars across the country will begin showcasing custom sports book content on TV screens inside the sports bars, featuring live odds provided by BetMGM.
• At least three new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants expected to open within MGM properties or in partnership with BetMGM as additional states come online – the first is expected to open in mid-2020 inside Mandalay Bay, which is adjacent to the site of the new Las Vegas pro football stadium.

Adam Greenblatt, CEO, Roar Digital, said, “Buffalo Wild Wings is a perfect complement to our best-in-class sports betting and iGaming products as they are leaders in serving up exciting and innovative game day experiences. This multi-year relationship will strengthen as states adopt sports betting regulations, with strategies already in place to drive customer adoption, engagement and loyalty.”

The partnership will be supported by co-marketing initiatives from Buffalo Wild Wings and BetMGM including joint efforts across digital and social media platforms.

Buffalo Wild Wings and BetMGM will work together to encourage responsible gaming practices in restaurant and via the BetMGM mobile app. For information on MGM Resorts’ innovative responsible gambling program, visit www.mgmresorts.com/gamesense.

ENDS

Enquiries:

About GVC
GVC Holdings PLC is one of the world’s largest sports-betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector.  The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Games Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. The Group has also entered into a joint-venture with MGM Resorts to capitalise on the sports-betting and gaming opportunity in the US.  The Group, incorporated in the Isle of Man, is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index and has licences in more than 20 countries, across five continents. For more information see the Group's website: www.gvc-plc.com

About Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings, founded in 1982, is the largest sports bar brand in the United States. Globally, there are more than 1,200 restaurants in 10 countries. Buffalo Wild Wings is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit BuffaloWildWings.com and InspireBrands.com.

About Inspire Brands
Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose current portfolio includes more than 8,400 Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-In, and Rusty Taco locations worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit InspireBrands.com

About Roar Digitial
Roar Digital LLC is the US sports betting and online gaming venture, owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings Plc (LSE: GVC). Based in New Jersey, the venture was established in July 2018 to create a world-class sports betting and online gaming platform in the United States, in order to take advantage of the new opportunities created by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the U.S. federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Utilising GVC's US-licensed, state-of-the-art proprietary technology platform, Roar Digital offers sports betting and online gaming via market leading brands including BetMGM, playMGM and partypoker. The venture will have exclusive access to MGM's U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses.