- FanDuel has announced a collaboration with MotorCity Casino on a partnership deal with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball and the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.
- FanDuel now has ‘official gaming partner’ status with both teams.
- The Michigan sports betting industry is booming with a highly competitive mobile betting market.
The Michigan sports betting ecosystem has become surprisingly competitive, a welcome relief from the bumbling efforts of other states like Tennessee and Connecticut. There are already more than a dozen different mobile betting options for players with more on the way. While it might not be on the way to become the gold standard of the US sports betting industry like New Jersey or Colorado, the Great Lake State is definitely right at the top of the second tier. With so many other states completely screwing up legal sports betting that alone is something to be proud of.
It has also made for a highly active sponsorship environment in the area and that continued on Monday as FanDuel–in collaboration with the MotorCity Casino Hotel—announced a partnership deal with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). It’s all in the family here, as Marian Ilitich–wife of the late Mike Illitch–owns the Motor City Casino, the Tigers and the Red Wings. FanDuel has a retail sportsbook at the Motor City Casino property and are now a major player in the state’s mobile betting industry.
Here’s what the press release announcing the deal says about the branding opportunities for FanDuel:
FanDuel Sportsbook will be prominently featured on static and digital signage at both Comerica Park and Little Caesars Arena – including the outfield wall and on dasher boards – and be featured on the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings Radio Networks, which reach fans across the state of Michigan.
Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group, had this to say about the partnership deal:
“After a very successful launch in Michigan, we are excited to continue our momentum by partnering in this way with two of the most iconic sports organizations in the country,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “To celebrate, we are offering a $25 registration bonus for all eligible Red Wings and Tigers fans that use the code DETROIT after registering for a FanDuel Sportsbook account.*”
The press release also described a number of the ‘synergies’ between the aforementioned teams, the MotorCity Casino and the FanDuel retail sportsbook:
The Tigers and Red Wings are also marketing partners with MotorCity Casino. MotorCity Casino is FanDuel Group’s sports betting and casino collaborator in Michigan, and the home of the state-of-the-art FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino in Detroit that opened in March 2020. Little Caesars Arena, home of the Red Wings, features the MotorCity Casino Club where fans in select seating locations will, when safe to do so, be able to enjoy a lively VIP experience with gourmet food and beverage options. For select Red Wings road games, MotorCity Casino, when safe to do so, will be hosting viewing parties featuring food, drink, giveaways, and the occasional appearance by a Detroit sports legend. Comerica Park features the MotorCity Casino Tiger Club. Baseball fans will also be able to grab a cold drink at the MotorCity Casino Hotel “Off Ramp Bar” located inside Comerica Park.
The Red Wings and Tigers have previously announced sponsorship deals with BetMGM and Pointsbet:
