The Baltimore Ravens and Horseshoe Casino Baltimore are literally neighbors located at the Southern Gateway of the city. Now the two have furthered their ties in the Maryland sports betting business with a five-year agreement that will see the Caesars brand splashed across M&T Bank Stadium where the NFL team plays its games, the gaming company and team announced Wednesday.
The closer association between the two won’t end there. Whenever the casino unveils its sportsbook — “which is currently under development” where there had been a restaurant — the betting parlor will be a Caesars Sportsbook. The sportsbook is pending regulatory approval and no further details were provided. The Horseshoe Baltimore is a Caesars Entertainment property.
Sports betting, both retail and online, is approved in Maryland and eventually dozens of licenses to operators, large and smaller, may wind up being issued. But at the moment, the process to expand Maryland gambling is going through a Sports Wagering Application Review Commission as well as the state Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Retail betting is expected to happen before online wagering.
Details of the Ravens Deal
Meanwhile, the enhanced relationship between the Ravens and the Horseshoe Baltimore will also be marked by special events that underscore the connection between the football team and the gambling company.
For instance, the Horseshoe Baltimore will host an annual event for up to 100 guests on the M&T Bank Stadium club level, as well as additional pre-game club level events with former Ravens players. The casino will also be the title sponsor of “Ravenstown Saturday Night,” which includes a reception held on the stadium’s club level on an evening before a Ravens’ Sunday home game where guests participate in a Q&A with the alumni players and tour the locker room and field.
The new agreement amplifies what has been a longstanding relationship between the Horseshoe Baltimore and the Ravens. Years ago, the Horseshoe became the exclusive official casino partner of the team with even a bar inside the casino named “Poe’s Nest” after the team mascot.
“By growing our longstanding partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, we are able to provide our guests with even more of the legendary experiences the Horseshoe brand is known for,” Horseshoe Baltimore Senior Vice President and General Manager Randy Conroy said in a news release. “Our customers bleed Ravens purple, so we’re excited to be able to offer them greater access to the team than ever before.”
Fans won’t be able to miss the arm-in-arm relationship between gaming company and football team. The agreement gives Caesars Sportsbook naming rights throughout the club level of M&T Bank Stadium, more exposure via signature animated displays across all of the stadium’s LED boards, and the ability to reach the football public with fan experiences, through broadcasts as well as digitally.
More Keys to the Partnershp
Other highlights:
- What Chris Holdren, co-president of Caesars Digital, described as “extraordinary access to Ravens games, signature events at M&T Bank Stadium, Ravens training camp — even the team’s away game trips and the Super Bowl.”
- Caesars Sportsbook will be the title partner on the Ravens’ digital pre-game show airing live prior to each regular season home game on baltimoreravens.com, mobile app, Facebook page and other platforms.
- Caesars Sportsbook will serve as the title sponsor of the Flock Pick 6 game on the team’s website and mobile app and will be the exclusive title sponsor of all digital content related to the NFL Draft on baltimoreravens.com for two weeks leading up to the draft.
’Bold Expansion’
The casino and M&T are within walking distance of each other and for some time, it has been the hope of city boosters that a pedestrian corridor between those two places on Warner Street would continue to evolve helping to lift a section of the city that’s been referred to as the “Southern Gateway.”
“This agreement represents a bold expansion of the winning relationship we already share with Caesars and Horseshoe Baltimore,” Baltimore Ravens Chief Sales Officer Kevin Rochlitz said in the announcement. “We are constantly exploring ways to create additional opportunities to engage with our fans and introduce our team to new audiences, while supporting the city we call home. In collaboration with Caesars and Horseshoe Baltimore, we are not only continuing to develop unique fan activations but also transforming the city’s Southern Gateway into a diversified entertainment district unavailable to sports fans in other NFL markets.”
Caesars Entertainment previously announced that it intends to pour significant resources into marketing and growing its sportsbook business overall, particularly online, where the competition across the country is fierce. One advantage the company touts is that bettors can earn credits with every wager in its national loyalty program, Caesars Rewards. Those credits can be used for benefits such as free dining at Caesars properties throughout the country.
Other Ravens Partnerships
While the partnership with the Horseshoe Baltimore and Caesars Sportsbook is arguably the Ravens’ most expansive gaming-related business deal, it’s not the only one for NFL betting in Maryland.
The NFL team has been active exploring such opportunities. In May, the Ravens announced a partnership with BetMGM as its Official Gaming Partner. That agreement also includes cobranded promotions for fans and BetMGM signage throughout M&T Bank Stadium, on digital media, and integrated social media content.
Also, in August, the Ravens announced that DraftKings was its official daily fantasy sports partner.
The Ravens’ Super Bowl odds among the best in the league.
