The NFL's Chicago Bears and Penn Entertainment have announced a multi-year partnership in which ESPN BET Sportsbook is named an Official Sports Betting Partner of the Bears and the company's retail properties, Hollywood Casino Aurora and the new Hollywood Casino Joliet, are designated Official Casino Partners.
Multi-Year Deal
“We’re thrilled to announce this partnership in connection with the opening of our new state-of-the-art Joliet property and on the precipice of football season.” said Todd George, Executive Vice President, Operations, PENN Entertainment.
“Teaming up with one of the premier franchises in the NFL creates exciting new omnichannel marketing opportunities for our ESPN BET and Hollywood Casino brands. Through the partnership, we look forward to engaging a large and passionate audience at Soldier Field as well as across our online products and at the new property in the Chicagoland area.”
Is Williams a Good Quarterback?
Perhaps Penn has a point. As a realistic Super Bowl wager, few people are placing bets on the Bears. The Bills now have the shortest odds there at +700 (13.2% of money), while BetMGM has them at +4000 (1.8% of money). The Bears have a +3000 chance of winning the Super Bowl at ESPN Bet.
In their second preseason game, the Bears crushed the Bills 38-0 last weekend. To put things in context, the Bills were using their third and fourth starters.
On August 11, the Hollywood Casino Joliet opened
But in his first game with new coach Ben Johnson, sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams was outstanding against the Bills, leading the first-team offense on a seven-play opening drive for a touchdown. The former No. 1 overall pick went 6-for-10 for 107 yards in 13 snaps across two drives. Last week, I was in an Uber in Las Vegas with a man from Chicago who swore by his belief that his favorite team of all time is a true up-and-comer.
For the forthcoming season, are they Over or Under 8.5 wins? The Bears play the Chiefs in Kansas City on Friday to conclude their preseason.
Stadium Signage
The Bears are a young squad, but nobody is scheduling any parades.
In addition, there is the team's brand value. One of the NFL's most legendary teams is the Chicago Bears. Additionally, a new stadium in Arlington Heights is being planned.
The deal gives Penn access to digital media, marketing linkages, in-stadium signage, an in-game Hollywood Casino feature, and intellectual property rights.
The original riverboat location was replaced by the Hollywood Casino Joliet, which opened for business on August 11. Along with 43 live table games and 1,000 slots, the new resort also has an ESPN BET sportsbook.
In 20 U.S. jurisdictions, ESPN Bet is operational. FanCenter, a customized in-app portal that enables users to quickly locate wager markets based on their favorite teams, players, and ESPN Fantasy lineups, is a new feature for this season from ESPN Bet.
