Caesars Sportsbook inked a partnership with some of the New York City’s largest sports and entertainment franchises as online and mobile betting is on the cusp of launching in the Empire State.
The entity of Caesars Entertainment announced a multi-year agreement between the online sportsbook and Madison Square Garden Corp., according to a press release. The agreement makes the company the official sports betting partner of the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers.
Caesars Sportsbook will have a branded hospitality suite inside the arena that will be open for most events taking place at the arena, including Knicks and Rangers games. The company will also receive prominent advertising space inside Madison Square Garden.
“Caesars Sportsbook is ready for expansion into New York,” said Eric Hession, Co-President of Caesars Digital in the press release. “To partner with these legendary New York brands for compelling creative content and branding uniquely positions us to reach the avid sports fans in the region.”
The partnership was announced about a week after a group that Caesars was a part of received one of two licenses to operate online sports betting in New York.
According to a report from the Queens Chronicle, the New York State Gaming Commission awarded an online sports betting license to a group consisting of Caesars Sportsbook and Wynn Interactive, which teamed up with Resorts World and Rush Street to operate an online betting operation.
The other license was given to a group comprised of the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings. Between all the licenses awarded, there will be nine online sportsbooks available to New York gamblers.
Online betting is legal in the three states that are in close proximity to New York City as New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania all legalized online sports betting in the last several years. Pro-gambling lawmakers from the Empire State argue that its citizens are traveling into neighboring states to place bets and that the local government was missing out on tax revenue by not legalizing the activity.
One of the most prominent lawmakers in the state, Sen. Joseph Addabbo told the outlet that he believes the New York mobile sports betting market will launch in time for the 2022 Super Bowl.