William Hill's Michael Grodsky joined HBSE's Adam Davis and Hugh Weber after announcing its deal with the Devils.
As the owner of NBA and NHL franchises in neighboring states, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment has had a unique window into the dizzying early days of regulated sports betting.
The New Jersey Devils already have announced high-profile sponsorships with the sportsbooks of William Hill and Caesars Entertainment. And the Philadelphia 76ers, who play in what likely will be the next state to allow sports betting, are only a part of the casino deal with Caesars and don't have a sportsbook deal.
Those deals are a perfect example of what Harris Blitzer Chief Revenue Officer Adam Davis already has found, which is that operating one team in a state that allows wagers and another in one that doesn't can be tricky.
HBSE, which is projecting $5 million from the category this year, also had to shift from a long-standing strategy of stressing the value of exclusivity.
For William Hill, that's a branded main concourse sports bar at the Prudential Center tricked out to look like one of its sportsbooks, but with bets placed via users' mobile devices. Caesars will put its name on a premium club area, also on the main concourse. It, too, plans to use the space to drive sign-ups, but also to market its casino properties.
Unlike William Hill, Caesars built its deal out to include both the Devils and the Sixers. Caesars wasn't interested at that point in buying official data from the NBA, a requirement of any team sportsbook sponsor. So Harris Blitzer structured a straight casino deal with the Sixers.