Marriott And MGM Resorts International On Monday, it announced a partnership to connect its loyalty programs and give customers more options to take advantage of.

Under the deal, MGM guests in the US can earn Marriott Bonvoy Rewards points and Bonvoy members, in turn, will have access to 17 MGM properties when they spend their points.

The 40,000 rooms MGM offers will increase Marriott’s global portfolio by 2.4%.

The partnership seeks to take advantage of frequent or business travelers, who can be fiercely loyal to certain hotel brands in an effort to cash in on the rewards. These loyalty programs are driving businesses and helping to differentiate themselves from competitors at a time when travel continues to recover from a pandemic shutdown.

“The value is in the quantity and quality of the customer,” MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle told CNBC in an interview Monday.

Bonvoy has more than 180 million members. If members want to use their rewards points for stays on the Las Vegas Strip, currently, their only hotel option is Hotel Cosmopolitan, which MGM bought in 2022.

When the new partnership launches this fall, Bonvoy members will be able to redeem their rewards at 12 more resorts in the strip and five more MGM resorts nationwide.

Marriott CEO Tony Capuano said MGM Resorts brings a wealth of intellectual property to the portfolio in addition to entertainment, upscale culinary options and other one-of-a-kind experiences.

“It is really an exciting opportunity for our members,” said Capuano.

Capuano said last month that the global hotel chain raised its revenue per available room forecast based on a 26% increase in group business this year.

The convention business has yet to fully recover from the lows of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the conference calendar is packed, and there is optimism that teamwork, along with increased international visits, may push the results even higher.

Las Vegas is one of the top destinations in the United States for conferences, conventions, and meetings.

When asked if the Bonvoy program would give MGM a competitive edge in the syndicated business against competitors such as CaesarHornbuckle said, “The answer is unequivocally yes.”

Meanwhile, casinos face tough year-over-year comparisons in the second half of 2023, and a partnership with Marriott could give MGM a competitive edge in sports betting business BetMGM, which is jointly owned. get.

MGM sportsbook customers will earn Bonvoy points on certain transactions, and Bonvoy members will see marketing of MGM sportsbooks on the Marriott website.

Adam Greenblatt, CEO of BetMGM, stated in a press release announcing the deal that it would create “a truly powerful rewards program that connects our players and Marriott guests to the comprehensive omnichannel BetMGM experience.”

— CNBC’s Don Gil, Jessica Golden and Casey O’Brien contributed to this report.

Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel, stands out in a crowd — despite her slight stature.

In a room full of executives in the sports or gambling industries, she is often one of very few women.

But Howe has the spotlight, and the megaphone, as CEO of the nation’s leading sports betting company. FanDuel announced this week that it increased its market share during the fourth quarter to 50% of legal sports betting in the US.

Howe joined Caesar CEO Tom Rigg and New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft are at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference this week to discuss the deepening relationship between the sports betting industries, the need for better technology for customer acquisition and retention, and the competitive landscape.

Howe’s gender is never shown.

But in many conversations – off stage and behind the scenes – it’s clear Howe is a role model for other women in sports and gambling. And here, you keep good company.

Renee Anderson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of the National Football League, which has been working for years to get more women on board as football fans. Anderson said that having women in leadership positions has made a difference.

“We’re really working to make sure we have the best people in the best places — if it’s on the field, in the locker room, in the boardroom — driving those positions,” Anderson told CNBC at the MIT Sloan Conference. . “We’re working to make sure we’re not just hiring [women]But we find them, we train them, we provide opportunities for women. We cannot be satisfied.”

Jessica Gilman, co-founder of the MIT Sloan Conference, is CEO of Kraft Analytics Group, a company that provides sports analytics for teams like the New England Patriots. She prioritized putting more women on stage.

“Thirty-eight percent of our speakers this year are women, and that’s my opinion, because analytics gives them different insights and a different voice when they’re in the boardroom,” she said. The result, she said, is a more diverse audience and a better talent pipeline.

Gilman, Anderson, and Howe are among dozens of accomplished women in sports and gambling, who network with each other but also mentor and advise younger professionals.

Sport is a microcosm of the wider world, Gilman said: “I hope more women, especially women in high positions, use their positions of power.”