After the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban against betting on sports in America, each state was given the power to decide the fate of sports gambling for its residence. A number of states are already accepting bets on sports while as many as 20 other states have legislation somewhere in the pipeline that legalizes sports gambling for its residents.
In conjunction with the movement to legalize sports across the nation, the US’ four major sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) have been making overtures to align themselves with major casinos for sponsorship deals. With MGM Resorts already signed on for sponsorship deals with the NHL, NBA and MLB, it was time for Caesars Entertainment to make its move. Along with Caesars’ recent move to introduce online free play casino games, the company is also moving fast to change the face of gambling in the states through other channels.
The latest move comes as Caesars just signed an exclusive sponsorship deal with the NFL. This is a major undertaking, considering the NFL’s standing as America’s favorite wagering sport. In fact, the Super Bowl stands as the most heavily bet single sports event in the world every year.
With Caesars Entertainment’s continuing its commitment to focus on giving customers the best gambling experience possible, the company will be expanding its tentacles into the world of the NFL fan.
According to Senior Vice President for NFL partnerships, Sponsorship and Consumer Products, Renie Anderson, “We couldn’t be more excited to work with one of the world’s largest gaming and entertainment companies. Combining the NFL with Caesars’ expertise in world class entertainment will provide our fans unique experiences both here in the United States and abroad.”
On behalf of Caesars, President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Frissora stated,
“All of us at Caesars Entertainment are thrilled to be the first-ever casino partner of the NFL, the most prominent sports league in North America. Combining the league’s 180 million fans with our 55 million Total Rewards loyalty program members will expose millions of people to the exclusive and exciting year-round opportunities at our properties.”
It’s noteworthy that Frissora was scheduled to step down and retire in February of 2019. With this new deal in place, he is expected to stay on for a few more months to assure the deal goes forward smoothly.
Over the years, the giant gaming conglomerate has already built relationship with seven NFL teams. There are also major discussions moving forward on a Las Vegas stadium deal as well as becoming intimately involved with one of the NFL teams making a move to Las Vegas in 2020. That team is none other than the Oakland, soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders.
Finally, the 2020 NFL Draft is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas in April of 2020. Along with other major casino groups, Caesars will be called upon to host and sponsor a number of events during draft week. There’s a good chance success will give Vegas the opportunity to become the permanent home to the NFL draft.
