BetMGM and one of Puerto Rico’s top casinos, Casino del Mar, are partnering on a new venture to bring responsible gaming to the US territory’s athletes. The new venture will be using BetMGM’s ambassador, ex-NBA star Carlos Arroyo, who comes from Puerto Rico, as the face.
Arroyo became an ambassador back in March, and even then was talking about responsible gaming. The news of Arroyo heading home to educate professional athletes on the dangers of gambling comes as Detroit Pistons player Malik Beasley is under federal investigation for his gambling debts.
Speaking in the press release, Arroyo said:
“When I joined BetMGM as an ambassador, it was incredibly important to me that we worked together to spread the message of responsible gambling.
“By partnering with Hedake and EPIC Global Solutions to share lived experiences of problem gambling and sports betting integrity, we’re educating and empowering athletes across the island.”
Puerto Rico gambling industry goes from strength to strength
Puerto Rico opened up sports betting in 2019, and there’s been a sharp uptick in gambling within Latin America for several years now. We recently reported on Google opening up the Play Store to allow for even more gambling apps to populate the Brazilian version of the store.
BetMGM itself entered the market in 2023, but has no physical locations in the region.
In May, Puerto Rico actually gave a boost to its gambling industry, highlighting the revenue and number of casinos opened on the island. Earlier in January, Flutter Entertainment brought over FanDuel, beating DraftKings to the punch.
In fact, the island has seen massive success with its lottery. Over $770 million has reportedly been brought in as revenue between 2023 and 2024, a jump over prior fiscal years of $748.8 million and $603.6 million. According to iGamingToday, the lottery is set to reach another record year, as last reported numbers for 2024-25 hit nearly $600 million in under 10 months.
Featured image: Pexels, BetMGM, Wikicommons
