Caesars Makes Fiesta Bowl the First College Athletic Event With a Sportsbook Partner

It was only a matter of time before the NCAA jumped on the US legal sports betting bandwagon. On Monday, Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced that they have partnered with one of the true iconic collegiate athletic events on US soil, the Fiesta Bowl in what is the first deal of its kind reported in the American market.

Caesars has been busy as of late blazing new trails for the US legal sports betting scene. Last month, the wagering behemoth announced that they have become the first sportsbook to secure naming rights for an iconic sporting venue in US sports, the Louisiana Superdome, and Monday came the announcement of their sponsorship for a previously untouchable collegiate event.

“We’re thrilled to work with the Fiesta Bowl Organization on this landmark partnership to bring college football fans closer to the game and build awareness around the importance of responsible gaming practices,” said Dan Shapiro, chief development officer of Caesars Digital, in a statement. “These fans are unrivaled in their passion, and we look forward to offering Caesars Sportsbook to them this fall. Our offering provides a leading user experience where every wager gives players more through our award-winning Caesars Rewards.”

From Reluctance to Reality

It wasn't all that long ago that the NCAA held across-the-board negative views on the subject of legal sports betting. At the NCAA’s annual convention in Orlando in July 2019, Mark Emmert, current president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association said sports betting would “threaten the integrity of college sports in many ways unless we are willing to act boldly and strongly.”

The day of bold and strong actions came Monday and now one of the two National Semi-Finals games in College Football has a sportsbook as its title sponsor. It is a monumental step for both the wagering industry and college sports on North American soil.

“This is a new frontier in the college football space, and the Fiesta Bowl is again out in front with this fan-focused partnership,” said Fiesta Bowl Chief Marketing Officer Jose Moreno. “There was significant interest in the marketplace to partner with the Fiesta Bowl; where Caesars stood out was with its similar community mindset and a creativity toward setting a new standard. We are teaming with an industry leader who is dedicated to working with us to elevate our offerings for college football and all sports fans across Arizona.”

What the Deal Entails

The Caesars/Fiesta Bowl deal is said to be a multi-year agreement. Financial details are not yet available. But it is expected that Caesars will be pouring a ton of resources into the event and will be making what has been called "significant" contributions to the charities affiliated with the Fiesta Bowl.

Caesars will run a branded 800-seat lounge at the home of the Fiesta Bowl, which will entertain some Heavy Hitters of the sports world along with the rabid fan bases of the two teams involved. Caesars will take on a sponsorship role for the usual Fiesta Bowl pregame, in game and post game festivities, as well as provide in-stadium and mobile betting opportunities on the contest.

The Caesars presence at the Fiesta Bowl will give birth to a host of educational wagering events for new and existing customers of not only the Caesars sports betting brand but also ones of their competition. As with other similar partnership deals in the professional sports realm, the sports betting provider's aim will be to enhance the viewership of the game and provide new and unique fan-focussed opportunities for those viewers.

Perhaps the biggest benefit for the NCAA and Caesars is the revenue potential for the event. “Every sports entity is under pressure to increase revenue," said Nick Carparelli, the Bowl Season executive director. " It’s logical that we’re now seeing the gambling category open up, especially as we’re seeing the laws in most states open up on gambling. I certainly expect more of this. Any time somebody does something for the first time, it’s going to open up some people's eyes to the opportunity it presents.”

Changing the Game

Caesars have become a true renaissance company operating in the US legal sports betting scene. Their bold takeover of the massive William Hill presence in the US market this past spring was just a sign of things to come. Caesars now has retail 50 retail locations in 16 states and now has a mobile sportsbook in some of the biggest markets in the country - Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, with Arizona, Louisiana and Maryland coming on board soon.

They have naming right to the most iconic sports venue in the US, the Louisiana Superdome, official sports betting partnerships with NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB and a few of those sports' iconic teams and now they are title sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl.

Look for the college sports betting partnership flood gates to open after Monday’s announcement. “It’s game-changing,” says Jose Moreno. “It’s only a matter of time before the other bowls get into this space.”