Who Is Connor McDavid?
McDavid, 29, is more than a familiar face. The Richmond Hill, Ontario, native was selected first overall by Edmonton in the 2015 NHL Draft and is widely regarded as one of hockey’s elite players. In 2025-26, he recorded 48 goals and 90 assists for 138 points, earning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer. He has won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP three times and the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by fellow players, five times.
For BetMGM, McDavid offers something harder to buy than a short-term acquisition boost: a recognizable Canadian sports figure who can help the brand stand out as dozens of operators compete for attention. The Alberta government estimates unregulated operators previously captured about 70% of the province’s iGaming market. Licensed companies must now win those customers while highlighting safeguards and persuading players to use regulated platforms.
Who Is BetMGM?
BetMGM is the online sports betting and casino joint venture formed by MGM Resorts International and gambling technology group Entain. Founded in 2018, it combines sports wagering with online casino products. It entered Ontario’s regulated market in 2022 and launched in Alberta on the first day of the new market this July.
The McDavid renewal gives BetMGM a familiar face as it looks to build its presence in Alberta, where customer habits and market shares are still taking shape. The sportsbook has already reported encouraging early results in the province. On its October 13 earnings call, CEO Adam Greenblatt said several Alberta performance indicators were ahead of Ontario’s early trajectory. Chief Financial Officer Gary Deutsch added that Alberta accounted for about 20% of the new players BetMGM acquired in the third quarter.
McDavid's History With BetMGM
McDavid’s relationship with BetMGM began in March 2022. The partnership has largely focused on responsible gambling rather than using the player to sell betting odds or sports betting bonuses.
Regulator rules prohibit active or retired athletes from appearing in Ontario iGaming ads except in messaging intended to promote responsible gambling. Under the renewed multi-year agreement, McDavid will continue appearing in responsible-gambling content across broadcast, digital and social platforms, with the campaign expanding to new audiences and markets.
BetMGM says its campaigns have produced measurable results. The company reported that its 2024 “Carried Away” ad was followed by a 38% year-over-year increase in Ontario players using deposit limits and a 55% increase in players using stake limits. Its “Mullet Over” campaign, launched in December 2025, was followed by a 27% year-over-year rise in accounts with deposit limits.
Those company-reported figures do not prove the ads alone caused the changes, but they give BetMGM a rationale for keeping McDavid central to the effort.
What Does the Partnership Mean for Alberta's iGaming Market?
The new ad will promote familiar safeguards: players can set deposit and stake limits, take a time-out, or choose self-exclusion through BetMGM’s tools. That focus also gives the partnership room to travel across provincial rules. Alberta’s framework requires centralized self-exclusion and measures intended to keep advertising from targeting minors and vulnerable people, while Ontario has specific restrictions on athlete endorsements. A responsible-gambling campaign lets BetMGM promote player safeguards without turning McDavid into a conventional betting pitch.
In the short term, McDavid’s return should strengthen BetMGM’s visibility as Alberta’s licensed operators battle for market share. Longer term, the deal highlights how gambling brands may compete not only through bonuses and odds, but also through trusted ambassadors, brand recall and visible player-protection tools.
The test will be whether responsible-gambling messaging remains meaningful as the market expands, rather than becoming a reputational layer around a larger customer-acquisition push.
