When Major League Baseball holds its opening series in Japan next month, some of the players will have an unusual look as patches on their uniforms will promote MGM Resorts International.
The casino giant is the title sponsor of the series, an opportunity for MGM to raise its profile in a key new market. Japan legalized casino gambling last year, and MGM is currently jockeying for position.
As part of the sponsorship deal, the Oakland Athletics will wear MGM patches during their games against the Seattle Mariners at Tokyo Dome on March 20 and 21. Terms of the agreement with baseball and its players union, a separate addition to the marketing partnership that MLB and MGM signed in November, weren’t released.