- PointsBet launched mobile and online betting in Illinois in mid-September.
- The Australian based betting company has also opened a retail sportsbook at Hawthorne Race Course.
- PointsBet is the NFL team’s first official betting partner.
After locking up big partnership deals with several pro sports teams in Colorado, Australian based PointsBet has set their sights on Illinois. PointsBet launched their online and mobile betting in the state in mid September and more recently have opened a temporary retail sportsbook at Hawthorne Race Course.
They’ve also signed a high profile partner in their effort to gain market share in the state. PointsBet has announced a deal with the Chicago Bears to serve as the NFL team’s first sports betting sponsor. In addition to promotional benefits, PointsBet will gain usage of the team’s intellectual property and branding. Chicago Bears President & CEO Ted Phillips is excited to move into sports betting:
“As we break into the sports betting category for the first time, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome PointsBet to the Bears family as a Proud Partner. This deal will bring fans a new way to interact with and cheer on the club.”
Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO, had these comments on the deal:
“The PointsBet team is incredibly excited to become the first legal sportsbook partner in Chicago Bears history. We are teaming up with a first-class organization, supported by extremely passionate fans. Since launching our fast and differentiated mobile sports betting app in Illinois, we’ve been thrilled by the reception from Chicago sports bettors. We’ve always viewed Illinois to be a supreme market opportunity for the PointsBet brand, and we look forward to increasing our presence alongside famed partners in the Chicago Bears.”
The press release outlined the forthcoming PointsBet retail presence in the Chicago area:
In addition to recently launching the PointsBet mobile app and digital product for Illinois sports bettors, PointsBet’s convenient retail presence in Chicago will soon debut at four sites that flank every corner of Chicagoland. Hawthorne Race Course (Stickney, IL) represents the flagship retail location, and additional off-track betting (OTB) premium sportsbooks will debut in Prospect Heights, Oakbrook Terrace, and Crestwood.
In the press release announcing the partnership PointsBet promised ‘the best price in market for all Chicago Bears games this season’. They weren’t kidding. The sportsbook has posted a promotional line for Thursday’s game against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers listing the Bears as a +86 point underdog in honor of the team’s 1986 Super Bowl victory. This has become something of a specialty of PointsBet this year as the press release explains:
This marks the third time this season that PointsBet Illinois has offered a “Can’t Lose” Bears Booster. For Week 1 at the Lions, the Bears spread was boosted five points with every 200 bets placed from its starting position of +3, resulting in a final line of +100. For Week 2 vs. the Giants, PointsBet’s On the House Bears Booster started and remained at +89, representing the distance of brand ambassador Devin Hester’s longest punt return for a touchdown.
PointsBet is expected to launch their mobile app in Colorado by the end of the year.
