NHL Fans Weigh In On Gambling Partnerships: Survey

The Edmonton Oilers recently announced a partnership with Play Alberta, which will now feature Play Alberta’s logo on the Oilers’ home jersey. Many fans were left in the ‘what the puck’ mindset, calling the partnership ‘cringe’ – all while acknowledging it to be ‘inevitable’. Earlier this summer, the Chicago Blackhawks also secured a gambling partnership, bringing the league’s total to six, or about 1 in 5 teams.

Following the new deal, this left us wondering: how would other fan bases feel if their team signed up for a similar play? Would they allow a gambling logo on their team’s helmets? How would they react to gambling branding throughout their beloved arena? We hit the ice rink and surveyed 3,000 NHL fans to find out.  

Key Findings:

• Anaheim Ducks fans lead in support, with 50% giving a thumbs up to gambling partnerships 

• Vancouver Canucks fans show the most disapproval, with 44.8% against gambling sponsorships  

• Over half (54.7%) of NHL fans are indifferent on NHL gambling partnerships  

• In-arena branding is the most favored of gambling sponsorship among fans  

Fan bases who stand behind gambling sponsorships

If an NHL team were to strike a deal with a gambling company, these fan bases are ready to back the move. Note: teams that already have gambling partnerships in the 2023-2024 season or upcoming season weren’t asked this question of the survey. 

Ranking #1, Anaheim Ducks fans are all in, with 50% giving the big thumbs up. What’s interesting is that most forms of gambling are illegal in California – including online sports betting and casino gaming. Yet, California-based teams dominate the top 10 rankings, with Los Angeles Kings (#4) and San Jose Sharks (#6) fans also supporting a potential partnership if gambling becomes legalized in the state.  

Florida Panthers fans rank #2, with 37.5% supporting a possible gambling sponsorship. Unlike California, Florida already allows sports betting. Buffalo Sabres fans rank #3 at 34.5%, despite New York also having strict limits on gambling.  

How about the teams that already have gambling sponsorships?

We also surveyed fans of NHL teams that already hold gambling sponsorships in 2023-2024 or for the upcoming season to see how they feel about it.  

The overall consensus? Most fans don’t seem to mind, with 50% or more ‘I don’t care’ rates from each fan base. However, Edmonton Oilers fans lead in disapproval, with 42.9% expressing their dislike for the partnership. On the flip side, Chicago Blackhawks fans show the most support, with 17.8% giving a thumbs up to their current partnership. 

Not in my ice rink! Fan bases opposed to gambling sponsorships

We surveyed fan bases whose teams don’t currently have gambling partnerships, and excluded those that already do. The results show some strong opinions, especially from Canadian fan bases.  

It’s no shocker that the Vancouver Canucks (44.8%), Calgary Flames (38.6%) and Winnipeg Jets (34.6%) rank as the top 3 fan bases opposed to gambling sponsorships. Gambling is still offside in B.C. and Manitoba, and while Alberta just legalized online gambling, the uproar from Edmonton Oilers fans makes it clear that their province rivals, the Calgary Flames, share similar sentiments.  

What’s really interesting is that all Canadian NHL teams (except the Oilers) are in the top five for opposing gambling partnerships. In true Canadian spirit, perhaps hockey is too sacred to be touched.  

Odds are in NHL’s favor: Fans actually don’t care in the end 

Overall, most NHL fans don’t seem too fazed by the rise of gambling sponsorships. According to our survey, 54.7% don’t care if their team strikes a deal with a gambling company. Since only a quarter are against the idea and 20% are for the partnership, we asked which types of gambling sponsorships they’d find acceptable, if any. Here’s what they said:  

Despite in-arena branding being the most visible form of sponsorship, 63.5% of fans have ok’d it. Social media branding (57.1%) and game-day partnership announcements (50.4%) also got a solid thumbs up from fans. 

Surprisingly, slapping a gambling logo on memorabilia didn’t score as well: only 28.7% are okay with logos on jerseys, 26.2% with logos on helmets, and 20.4% with branding on other team merchandise. It seems fans want to keep their team colors and gear true to their hockey roots. 

Only a mere 19.1% of fans are against any form of gambling sponsorship. Perhaps, hinting that most are open to this new era of sports betting partnerships.  

Conclusion

In the end, NHL fans don’t seem to mind the idea of a gambling partnership for their favorite team. In states like California, where gambling isn’t fully legalized, fans are still showing support for potential future deals. However, to stay on the good side of their fans, it might be wise to steer clear of putting logos on cherished jerseys, helmets, or other merchandise. Keeping sponsorships to arena branding or game-day announcements seems like a safer bet.  

Methodology

In September 2024, we conducted a nationwide survey of 3,000 NHL fans. The average age of respondents was 39.7 years old. The representative sample comprised of 64.1% male, 34.8% female, 0.8% non-binary, and 0.3% transgender. 

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