- Sports betting launched in Colorado on May 1, 2020.
- As of August 15 there are 12 sports betting apps available in Colorado.
- Over 20 different sports betting companies have or will launch a mobile app in Colorado during 2020.
Australia’s PointsBet opened a US office in 2019 and has been staking out a position in the burgeoning American sports betting marketplace. They’re already operational in New Jersey, Indiana and Iowa with several other states on deck. Among these states is arguably the hottest gaming jurisdiction in the US at the moment–Colorado.
PointsBet is clearly expecting big things out of Colorado which is a major reason why they’ve based their US operations in the Lodo section of Denver. Most recently, they’ve raised the stakes considerably by partnering with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to become the ‘official and exclusive’ gaming partner for several professional sports teams in Colorado as well as the Pepsi Center arena.
The multi-year partnership makes PointsBet the ‘official and exclusive’ gaming partner of the Pepsi Center along with the teams that play there–the NHL Colorado Avalanche, the NBA Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Here’s how the official press release announcing the deal explained the relationship:
PointsBet, a premier global sportsbook operator, and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, LLC (“KSE”) today announced their entrance into a new, multi-year partnership making PointsBet the official and exclusive partner of the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League, and their home arena, Pepsi Center. The agreement spans across the entire gaming category, including retail & online sports betting, daily fantasy, online casino, and free-to-play games. As part of the deal, PointsBet has also been named an official sports betting partner of KSE’s Altitude TV and Altitude Sports Radio, which will feature PointsBet data integration.
KSE EVP & Chief Operating Officer Matt Hutchings is excited about partnering with an innovative sports betting provider:
“PointsBet is renowned within the gaming industry for product innovation and its unique PointsBetting products, as well as for having the fastest app in the marketplace. Sports fans are hungry for the added dimension that fantasy sports and gaming add to their experience. We know that Nuggets, Avs, and Mammoth fans will be excited to have the opportunity to engage more deeply with their favorite teams via PointsBet. PointsBet demonstrated just how much they value Denver and the Rocky Mountain Region, when they chose to locate their United States headquarters here in Colorado. They recognize, as do we, that Denver is a fast-growing and dynamic city home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the world.”
Johnny Aitkin, CEO of PointsBet USA, is equally excited:
“It was instant from day one there were shared values between the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment team and PointsBet, with a clear focus for putting our fans and customers first. We’ve long stated that our goal is to become synonymous with Colorado sports betting, and this exclusive partnership with our hometown teams in the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Mammoth, plus premium entertainment spaces within their playing arena, is a momentous step in that process. We have defined ourselves via our proprietary, in-house technology on delivering the fastest and easiest sports betting experience in the USA, and Denver sports fans in-arena or at home watching games on the Altitude Sports Network will be provided many ways to elevate their viewing experience engaging with our market-leading PointsBet Sportsbook app.”
Part of the deal includes a betting lounge and other PointsBet branded amenities at the Pepsi Center:
As part of the multi-year deal, KSE will unveil a new in-arena destination at Pepsi Center to be live for the 2020-21 seasons, featuring three distinct areas: the PointsBet Sports Bar, an outdoor patio extension of the PointsBet Sports Bar, and the PointsBet Premium Club. Pepsi Center’s club level will also undergo a rebrand for the 2020-21 seasons, now to be called the “PointsBet Club Level” featuring signage from the sportsbook, brand ambassador placements, and more. KSE will also unveil significantly enhanced in-arena WiFi for the 2020-21 seasons, complementing PointsBet’s market-leading speed and ease of use across every customer touchpoint within the PointsBet app. On gamedays, PointsBet will display prominent, broadcast-visible branding and signage, including on the stanchions at Denver Nuggets games and on the ice and dasher boards for Avalanche contests.
PointsBet has yet to launch their mobile app in Colorado though it is expected to drop within the next few weeks. One of the unique elements of PointsBet’s app is that they offer spread betting under the branded name ‘PointsBetting’. Spread betting has been popular in Europe for a couple of decades now but is little known in the US. To explain it succinctly ‘the more you’re right the more you win, the more you’re wrong the more you lose’. You can find a more in-depth explanation at the PointsBet website:
WHAT IS POINTSBETTING
PointsBet has also partnered with the Double Eagle Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek to operate a retail sportsbook at the property. The launch date for the retail sportsbook remains ‘TBA’.
