- Caesars Entertainment has announced a partnership deal with the NFL Buffalo Bills for their Caesars Sportsbook mobile sports betting platform.
- The deal makes Caesars Sportsbook an ‘Official Mobile Sports Betting Partner’ of the Bills.
- The Bills announced a similar partnership with FanDuel earlier this month.
The Buffalo Bills have been quick to jump on board the sports betting gravy train as short sighted and desperate operators throw money into the Empire State. Not only do the sportsbooks that launched in New York have to deal with the state’s absurd 51% tax rate they’ve also got to do some brand building in one of the most expensive media markets in the country. Earlier this month, the Bills announced FanDuel as their inaugural ‘Official Mobile Sports Betting Partner’ and now they’ve added Caesars Sportsbook to that roster.
The partnership between the Bills and Caesars is pretty typical for deals of this sort–sponsorship assets, rights to use official team branding, etc. Caesars also gets naming rights for a new ‘sports book style premium club lounge’ at Highmark Stadium. Details on that will be forthcoming before the start of the 2022 NFL season. ‘Sportsbook style premium club lounges’ have become quite the cottage industry for New York area pro sports venues of late.
Chris Holdren, Co-President of Caesars Digital, is happy to be working with the Buffalo Bills:
“This partnership gives us the opportunity to connect with one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. We’re ready to welcome Bills fans into the Caesars Empire and offer them access to best-in-class hospitality experiences through our Caesars Sportsbook app as we continue to expand our footprint across the state of New York and beyond.”
Dan Misko, Pegula Sports & Entertainment Sr. Vice President of Business Development, is pleased that his team now has an additional revenue stream:
“The Caesars Sportsbook app is a premier sports betting app that connects sports fans and delivers best-in-class experiences. We’re very excited to work together with Caesars to engage Bills fans throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario, bringing these unique experiences right to their fingertips. We look forward to the new attraction Caesars will bring to Highmark Stadium next season, and to working with Caesars Sportsbook for many years to come.”
Here’s the info on the partnership from the Caesars Entertainment press release:
The Buffalo Bills and Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) today announced a multi-year partnership to make Caesars Sportsbook an Official Mobile Sports Betting Partner of the Buffalo Bills. The partnership combines custom fan experiences ‘fit for a Caesar’, significant sponsorship assets, and provides Caesars Sportsbook naming rights to a new sportsbook-style premium club lounge at Highmark Stadium.
Details on the brand-new club in the northwest corner tower of the existing Business Class Club will be available prior to the start of the 2022 Buffalo Bills season. In addition to the new space, Caesars Sportsbook gains access to the use of official Buffalo Bills logos and marks, as well as access to a wide range of VIP experiences and hospitality assets to make available for Caesars Sportsbook bettors through the Caesars Sportsbook app’s integration with the industry-leading loyalty program, Caesars Rewards.
Broadcast and digital content across Bills’ properties, TV-visible in-game signage, and access to unique fan activations at Highmark Stadium, are all included in this partnership as Caesars Sportsbook will extend its outreach beyond Western New York to Bills fans in Southern Ontario. Bills fans attending the Wild Card playoff game against the New England Patriots can also enjoy a co-branded beanie giveaway.
The Bills will have the unique opportunity to milk the sports betting gravy train not only in New York but coming soon in Ontario which could end up being one of the best jurisdictions in North America for both players and gaming companies. Keep your fingers crossed.
