It’s not just the Delaware River that separates Pennsylvania from New Jersey.
Or the fact that Pennsylvania is a beautiful state with a storied history and numerous claims to cultural fame while Jersey is, well, Jersey (just kidding).
No, if there’sone obvious thing that New Jersey has over their slightly more western brethren, it’s sports betting.
Lots of it.
Pennsylvania is doing their best to catch. For example, SugarHouse is operating a New Jersey sports betting app despite being located across the river. Meanwhile, PA sports betting won’t take effect for weeks, maybe even months.
But that hasn’t stopped at least one gaming entity from making early forays into the world of professional sports.
The Sixers & sports betting
The Philadelphia 76ers may be scuffling at the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, but team owners are already sitting pretty.
Sure, at least some of that is due to the fact that the 76ers are averaging the second-highest attendance for home games across the league.
But it’s also because Harris Blitzer Sports, owner of both the 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, struck a deal this month with Caesars Entertainment.
Reports suggest it’s a multi-year deal, though financial specifics have not yet been released.
The partnership makes Caesars the first gaming group to sign agreements with both NBA and NHL individual teams since the Supreme Court sports betting decision.
The NBA is actually something of a trailblazer in this arena, having been the first major sports league in the U.S. to partner with a sportsbook operator.
The league as a whole has a non-exclusive deal in place with MGM Casinos, making it the “official gaming partner” of the NBA and WNBA.
The deal allows MGM to use NBA logos on oddsboards, something that hadn’t been legally acceptable prior.
As the deal wasn’t exclusive though, it leaves teams like the Sixers the opportunity to expand into the online gambling space as they see fit. Which is exactly what Harris Blitzer seems to be doing.
Details on the Caesars and 76ers promotion
A whole lot of marketing meant to introduce casual and serious Sixers fans to Caesars Online Casino, which has a sportsbook built in.
Currently, Caesars has two sportsbooks in Atlantic City, at Bally’s and Harrah’s.
The partnership means that the Sixers and Devils will promote Caesars at their home venues, while Caesars will promote both teams at all of their more than four dozen venues across the globe. That includes Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino, Racetrack in Chester, PA. and, of course, plenty more.
Caesars will promote their non-sportsbook offerings to Sixers and Devils fans, so keep an eye out next time you take in a winter sporting event in the tristate. However, don’t be surprised if the deal downplays sports betting elements of Caesars Online Casino. After all, leagues are still touchy on the subject.
And it just wouldn’t be a sports franchise marketing deal without some hokey contests attached.
For Sixers fan, that means a chance to win a complimentary stay at Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino or an all-expenses-paid weekend getaway to The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Both prizes will be offered as part of in-game deals, “Score for the Shore”, and the social media-based “Live Like a Caesars VIP.”
For Devils fans, that means the chance to win $1 million during the second intermission of 10 select regular season games.
The Prudential Center, where the Devils play their home games, will also play home to a new 5,000-seat restaurant and bar called Caesars Club, making that a whopping two things that New Jersey can lord over the more comely Keystone State.