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CLEVELAND (AP) — Upcoming action at a Cleveland Cavaliers game isn’t limited to dunks, layups, 3-pointers, and anything else on the court.
Bet on it.
When sports betting is legalized in Ohio at midnight Jan. 1, NBA teams will open a stylish two-story sportsbook inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse where fans can bet on games across the country .
Cavs, affiliated with Caesar’s Sportsbook, is the latest professional franchise to double down on the once taboo and now trendy burgeoning multi-billion dollar sports betting industry.
After decades of suspension on whether to accept gambling, the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB are all on board.
Nick Burlage, CEO of the Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, has one of the many big-screen TVs blaring the 10,000-square-foot space, which features a bar, gambling kiosks and windows. Pointing to it, he said, “Here is its destination.” .
“Everything is gamified.”
Cleveland’s in-arena sportsbook is one of the few currently operating nationwide, but more are planned as more states legalize gambling.
While widespread in Europe, the in-arena full-service sportsbook didn’t debut in the US until 2021, when the Washington Wizards opened at the Capital One Arena. Arizona immediately opened up betting services on games between the Suns, Mercury and Diamondbacks.
The New York Mets have a Caesars Sportsbook at Citi Field, but it’s just a lounge and club space where fans can place bets using a mobile app. will become the norm rather than the exception.
The Cavaliers were intrigued by their success in Washington and, after a lengthy legal battle, saw new economic opportunities in the downtown arena when Ohio became the 33rd state to legalize gambling two years ago. I was.
Our Cleveland facility operates seven days a week, seven days a week. Not only will he be open to fans over the age of 21 during Cavaliers games, but he will be open to all events in the arena, from concerts to professional wrestling to Disney on his ice.
Recognizing the changing interest of today’s fans, the Cavs and other teams are adapting to this new frontier in sports entertainment.
For some fans, just going to the game isn’t enough. They want involvement on other levels, and some are looking to invest more than their hearts into their home team.
“When we talk to our partners at DC, the game talk is, ‘What’s the parlay? What’s the over/under? What’s going on this quarter?'” Barlage said. “Fans are very educated on all these nuances of sports betting.
“It literally worked on the fan experience exactly as it said it would, so we want to be able to provide partners improvements and amenities that strategically capture that.”
The team hopes the sportsbook will attract avid gamblers and entice casual fans to drop a few bucks on the games.
“To be clear, we see this as a fan experience, a fan amenity and an opportunity to interact with our fans,” said Bharaj. “These are things that are true to us in this whole.
“On the betting part, if Caesars partners can help convert more people to sports betting, it will only help our ecosystem. We both want to do it responsibly. I don’t want to do it in an irresponsible way that creates this ripple effect.”
Cleveland’s Caesars Sportsbook, accessible within the arena’s giant glass atrium and through the street entrance for those without tickets to the event, looks like a casino floor in Las Vegas, but with blackjack and roulette. No tables.
Upstairs is a huge circular bar with windows that let in natural light and great views of Cleveland’s west side.
“It will feel like a high-end sports bar where you can place bets,” Barlage said, adding that fans will also be able to dine on a food menu made up of the arena’s best products.
If fans need a reminder, the wall just inside the front door of the sportsbook reads: Bed. Please support.
We know we may need to tweak times and other aspects in the near future, but in early 2023, we’ll have a tightly packed sports calendar with NFL playoffs, March Madness, Cavaliers games and more. Plus, the Cavaliers believe the initial curiosity will drive interest.
“The first five months of this thing can be very unique and special,” says Barlage. “Beyond that, we have to think about it, but then we move onto baseball and everything else.”
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