Caesars Sportsbook Partners with Michigan State for Sports Betting and iGaming

Michigan State University and Caesars Entertainment have agreed to make Caesars Sportsbook the official sports-betting and iGaming partner of Spartan athletics.

What's in the Deal

Under the terms of the multi-year partnership, Caesars will receive “TV-visible signage” at basketball, football and hockey games.

In addition to other priorities, Nevada-based Caesars, a publicly-traded gaming company, will receive naming rights to a “new premium seating area inside Spartan Stadium set to debut during the 2022 football season.”

The Big 10 university is in East Lansing, about 90 miles west of Detroit.

Eric Hession, co-president of Caesars Digital, said in a statement that Michigan State “has a proud tradition of excellence.”

“Partnering with an internationally recognized brand in college athletics is a great opportunity for us," he said.

The partnership is facilitated by the university’s third-party, multi-media rights holder, Playfly Sports, according to a Caesars news release.

Scholarships Included in MSU-Caesars Agreement

As part of the partnership, Caesars Sportsbook will offer student scholarships and fund responsible gaming education for student-athletes at the school.

Caesars also will offer professional development opportunities to Michigan State students seeking a career in sports professions.

Alan Haller, Michigan State’s vice president and director of athletics, said the school is excited about the opportunity, while recognizing “the importance of Caesars' commitment to responsible sports gaming education both for the student-athletes and the university community as a whole.”

College Sports Teams Join Forces with Gaming Companies

The arrangement between Caesars and Michigan State is part of a trend pairing sports betting companies with professional and collegiate athletic teams.

In the fall, Caesars announced another collegiate partnership, this one with Louisiana State University, a traditionally competitive SEC team in Baton Rouge.

Last year, the University of Colorado partnered with PointsBet.

In Nevada, the University of Nevada, Reno and UNLV formed partnerships in 2020 with William Hill, a gaming company now owned by Caesars.

BetMGM Sportsbook in Arizona to Open by 2022 Football Season

At the professional sports level, BetMGM announced on Thursday it expects to open its 17,000-square-foot sportsbook at State Farm Stadium in Arizona in time for the start of the 2022 football season. This will be the first sportsbook at an NFL stadium.

State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, is in Glendale, west of downtown Phoenix.

On Thursday, a Twitter user identified as Pat Wodes expressed enthusiasm for the sportsbook, writing, “Looks like it’s going to provide an amazing fan experience.”

His tweet was in response to one from Elisa Richardson, head of BetMGM’s public relations and communications department.