Amazon has announced that its Amazon Web Services (AWS) has partnered with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the owner and operator of several Toronto-area sports teams, to deliver betting and gaming experiences and products to fans.

Under the deal, MLSE – which owns the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, the NHL’s Maple Leafs, MLS franchise Toronto FC, and Canadian Football League outfit Toronto Argonauts – will have access to AWS cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve both gameplay and fan experiences.

Amazon Kinesis, AWS’ real-time data and video analysis tool, will power MLSE’s planned ‘Game within the Game’ digital experience, which will feature augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) elements and allow fans to track their favourite players, access enhanced game insights in real-time, take part in free-to-play gaming, and participate in on-demand sports betting.

“AWS supports many of the world’s most exciting sports organizations with the most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud offerings,” Matt Garman, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Amazon Web Services, said. “We help organizations like Formula 1 to redesign their cars, the National Football League to train their players, and the National Hockey League to pull fans deeper into the game with a growing roster of real-time stats.

“We’re thrilled to grow our global sports community with MLSE and help them build a winning suite of analytics and machine learning capabilities. Together with AWS, MLSE will continue to strengthen iconic Canadian sports franchises like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and Toronto Argonauts, and help them connect with fans on a more personal level than ever before.”

As Ontario’s new regulated iGaming and sports betting market opens up on April 4, Christian Magsisi, VP of technology & digital at MLSE, told SportTechie that the technology the company is developing in partnership with AWS “could enable existing sportsbooks to provide new and enhanced experiences”.

“Our partnership with AWS will work on enhancing fan experiences, and this will include areas such as mixed reality and advanced analytics, that have an intersection with free-to-play gaming and sports betting in the future,” he added.