The National Football League has inked its first casino sponsorship with the US entertainment giant, Caesars Entertainment. A press release put out by Caesars, however, made it clear that the deal does not include sports betting. The group said that it would be “providing unique experiences for NFL fans by using its casino properties, celebrity chefs, premier music artists and a wide range of entertainment elements.” It was explained that Caesars would use its casinos to promote top NFL events such as the Super Bowl.
The $30 million a-year multiyear deal stresses that Caesars may not include any NFL branding on sports betting products, nor may it use the brand at properties that offer sports betting.
Despite the fact that the US Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports betting, and the fact that other major sports leagues have signed sponsorship deals for sports betting, the NFL is hesitant to enter the realm of sports gambling. However, it seems that the sports league wants to be well connected with a top US entertainment brand if and when it makes the move towards legal sports betting.
For now, the senior vice president of the league, Renie Anderson, remained noncommittal, only saying that the NFL was not “rushing into anything.”
“We’ll continue to look at the industry as it evolves, but it still has a lot of evolving to do” he added.