Diamondbacks fans, if you weren’t aware that Caesars runs a sportsbook, that is about to change. On top of a Chase Field sportsbook, a new deal with Arizona’s MLB franchise for the gambling giant will put the brand front and center not only at the stadium but in many other ways too.
The two partners have plans to renovate a current sports bar into a retail sportsbook as well as launch Caesars’ revamped online sportsbook in Arizona as well. It’s the latest such announcement in the inevitable rollout of partnerships between gambling companies and sports teams in the state.
Details of the Chase Field Caesars deal
The deal is worth $60-$70 million for the D’Backs. It covers the next decade. The plan is to renovate a bi-level, street-side sports bar on the complex. While that bar is currently only open on game nights, the new sportsbook will be open year-round.
There’s no concrete timeline for the finished product. While the renovation is ongoing, it’s possible that Caesars could run a “pop-up” sportsbook somewhere else at Chase Field. William Hill Sportsbook, which Caesars recently acquired, has done the same thing at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It has used the stadium’s box office as a makeshift retail sportsbook there.
Among the unknowns are the exact aesthetics, features, and layout of the space. However, it’s likely that it will have all the trappings that are standard to retail sportsbooks. Multiple televisions, a full bar, limited food service, and VIP seating are the norms.
No word yet on the number of betting windows or self-service kiosks. The AZ Dept. of Gaming will set limits for those in forthcoming regulations, as the state’s new gambling law doesn’t address that. Another element that’s sure to be heavily featured throughout the space, as well as the rest of the stadium, is Caesars’ logo.
In fact, getting its brand in front of Diamondbacks fans is the greatest return on this investment for Caesars. It puts the online sportsbook on potential equal footing with other sportsbook operators entering the state.
Caesars keeping pace with competitors in Arizona
Caesars landed a coveted spot with this deal but wasn’t the first to do so. FanDuel Sportsbook already has a similar deal in place with the Phoenix Suns, while DraftKings Sportsbook broke into the market with TPC Scottsdale. The retail presences have added benefits of driving people to the online products.
Through its acquisition of William Hill, Caesars’ online sports betting product is ready to compete with the top betting apps. This deal with the Diamondbacks gives Caesars market access into Arizona statewide for online wagering.
There’s no telling when that will be available for AZ bettors right now, though the start of the 2021-22 NFL season remains the goal. Arizona law doesn’t allow for Caesars and the Diamondbacks to geofence the area around Chase Field as an exclusivity zone, but there’s another way that Caesars could use the property to drive traffic to its sports betting app.
That same geofencing technology could recognize when app users are inside or within a certain proximity of Chase Field. The app could then offer special promotions only available within those parameters.
While Arizonians await news of what other sports betting brands the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Coyotes, Phoenix Mercury, and the Phoenix Motorway could bring to their cell phones, they now know that Caesars will be among them. The only MLB stadium with a swimming pool in the outfield will soon be among the few with a sportsbook on-site as well.