Professional sports teams bring betting to the game with stadium sportsbooks

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Professional sports teams and gambling companies in the U.S. are increasingly bringing sportsbooks to the game, opening betting facilities in or near stadiums.

It might seem counterintuitive to spend millions on brick-and-mortar retail outlets when over 80% of U.S. sports betting is done via phone or computer. But the idea is not only to cash in on game day traffic, but to provide a place for fans to eat, drink, watch — and bet on — many types of sports all year long, even when the stadium is empty.

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This week alone, BetMGM opened a sportsbook at Nationals Park, the Washington, D.C., home of baseball’s Washington Nationals, and FanDuel announced plans for a sportsbook inside Chicago's United Center, where the NBA's Bulls and the NHL's Blackhawks play.

"People still want to wager in person," said Keith Wall, FanDuel's vice president of retail operations. "You have sports betting operating right where the fans are."

Matt Prevost, BetMGM's chief revenue officer, said retail outlets are designed as much for off-days as for game days.

"We look at this as an opportunity to engage with fans not only on game days, but we're also looking at people in the local neighborhood to engage with them," he said. "Retail is a great opportunity to put a face to a brand. It's a big part of our strategy."

This July 4, 2013, file photo shows a U.S. flag, in the shape of the country, in the outfield before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park in Washington. Professional sports teams and gambling companies in the U.S. are increasingly bringing the sports book