Since sports betting became legal in New Jersey in May 2018, online gambling companies have been striving to push their brands to the top of the booming NJ sportsbook market. One of the ways they have done this is to ink deals with professional sports teams such as the New Jersey Devils.
The 17 New Jersey online sportsbooks include a wide mix of companies. There are well-known local brands such as Golden Nugget, MGM, and Caesars, major European firms such as William Hill, Bet365, and Unibet, daily fantasy operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings, and bookies such as Fox Bet and theScore that are owned by media giants.
All of the companies above have taken different approaches in trying to increase their exposure in New Jersey. One way is to enter into commercial partnerships with professional sports teams in the Garden State. There are only two professional sports venues in New Jersey: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, where the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets call home; and Prudential Center in Newark, home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
The Devils have been proactive in grabbing a piece of the sports betting pie. In the 2018-2019 NHL season the team entered into deals with Caesars, FanDuel, and William Hill. These deals were done before the start of the season or while it was going on. It was hard for the betting companies to set up a marketing plan in an effective manner with those time frames.
In the 2019-20 NHL season, four New Jersey betting companies have sponsorship deals with the NJ Devils:
• William Hill (Sports betting branded lounge and playing area signage)
• FanDuel (Television and cable)
• Caesars (sports betting branded club)
• Unibet (Radio and playing area signage)