Just days after its entry into the Virginia gaming market, Bally’s Corporation (BALY:NYSE) has disclosed a multiyear agreement designating it as authorized gaming operator of Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Rhode Island-based gaming company’s third sports betting partnership, following similar deals with the National Basketball Association (NBA) earlier this month and the National Hockey League (NHL) in February, the strategic partnership provides Bally’s with immediate access to official MLB league and team marks, logos and data. The company plans on incorporating these assets across its rapidly-expanding portfolio of sports betting products while also including them in the innovative content it is creating for fans of the American professional baseball organization.

That content will be made part of live MLB game coverage spanning 19 regional sports networks, which accounts for more than 50 percent of the U.S. MLB clubs.

Fan benefits:

President and Chief Executive Officer for Bally’s Corporation, George Papanier said in an official Bally’s Corp. press release that the agreement between it and MLB “offers exciting benefits for baseball fans nationwide.”

“We are honored to have the opportunity to put the Bally’s stamp on America’s national pastime and look forward to providing an innovative and engaging sports betting experience. We can’t wait for the season to begin,” added Papanier.

Also part of the agreement, the leading U.S. omnichannel provider of land-based gaming and interactive entertainment will collaborate with MLB on “best-in-class practices” to preserve the integrity of the professional league’s games.

Added entertainment:

Executive Vice President, Gaming & New Business Ventures for MLB, Kenny Gersh, also commented on the new partnership stating in the press release that as the league prepares for the fast-approaching 2021 season, “working with Bally’s will present our fans with yet another unique avenue to engage with baseball.”

Gersh added that Bally’s “knows how to provide added entertainment for sports fans across the country, so we look forward to collaborating on new ways of engaging fans around our games.”

All 30 Major League Clubs will play on MLB Opening Day scheduled for Thursday, April 1, when the Toronto Blue Jays debut against the host New York Yankees at 1:05 ET, followed by the 2020 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers visiting their National League West rival Colorado Rockies at 4:10pm ET.

Virginia entry:

Bally’s latest partnership follows the company‘s entry into Virginia‘s gaming market, after being issued a temporary permit by the Virginia Lottery that will allow it to conduct online sports betting in the Commonwealth. The move grows the gaming’s company’s national footprint into 13 states, including Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia, upon completion of all pending acquisitions.

Sports betting went live in Virginia in January after being second only to Washington to legalize the activity in 2020. Upon launch, leading sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM wasted no time in launching in the southeastern U.S. state. The 21st state to allow sports betting, according to Bally’s, recent projections estimate that the Commonwealth’s legal sports books could generate as much as $412 million in handle annually.