Bally’s Corporation Makes a Play for Beach Volleyball

Bally’s has bought out the Association of Volleyball Professionals as part of the interactive gaming giant’s plan to expand further in sports gambling in the US.

Gambling Expansion in the US Continues for Bally’s with Volleyball  

Bally’s Corporation is making a move on volleyball in the US after the corporation announced that it had acquired the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). AVP is the country’s biggest beach volleyball organization, hosting domestic events and representing athletes. Bally’s move in the segment signals a commitment to a greater diversification of its product offering, a process that it started with several partnerships with Sinclair for the creation of more dedicated gaming content.

Bally’s omnichannel growth and diversification strategy continue to dictate future plans for the company. The addition of volleyball will allow it to incorporate various interactive content and gamify the sport, driving fan engagement, popularity for volleyball, and more. To this end, Bally’s has secured all of AVP’s assets, which will allow the company to use the association’s trademarks and promoter agreements, as well as member revenue, video and digital photo assets, proprietary tournament, league management software and more.

AVP and volleyball fans will benefit from Bally’s existing network of partnerships and not least the Sinclair-owned Bally’s Sports Regional Sports Networks (RSNs), which will bring more eyeballs to competitions hosted by AVP and potentially boost revenue, awareness, and even involvement with the sport. 

A New Opportunity for Beach Volleyball’s Growth in the US

Commenting on this move, Bally’s SVP of strategy and interactive Adi Dhandhania welcomed the acquisition arguing that it’s an important step forward for the company’s sports gambling expansion in the United States. 

“The entire AVP team has done a tremendous job developing the league and transforming it into what it is today, and we look forward to exploring creative ways to amplify and gamify such a dynamic and high-growth sport, providing beach volleyball fans across the nation with unique and interactive content,” Dhandhania argued. 

Now former AVP chief executive and owner Donald Sun has welcomed the move and argued that forming an alliance with a “forward-thinking partner like Bally’s” creates fresh opportunities for the organizations to offer its athletes better competitive opportunities and elevate the state of the game. 

Bally’s is on the offensive across numerous jurisdictions, expanding rapidly in the sports betting segment by bringing dedicated interactive coverage. The company is well-established in the land-based gaming space as well as the interactive industry.