Marketing / 08.09.23

Betting on Friendly Confines

Access Staff

VenuesNow (08/03/23) Muret, Don

The DraftKings Sportsbook at Chicago's Wrigley Field is the brand's inaugural brick-and-mortar betting space associated with a sports venue and offers the Chicago Cubs a year-round revenue source other than baseball. DraftKings and Wrigley Field Holdings financed the $25 million project, which is currently confined to bar and restaurant service; patrons are still allowed to place bets on their mobile devices, which is permitted across Illinois after the legalization of sports betting in 2019. DraftKings spokesman Stephen Miraglia said the company is applying for a sports betting license with the Illinois Gaming Board. “We want this to feel like a great Chicago neighborhood tavern and one of the first places you think about to go watch that major event,” said Eric Nordness of Marquee Development, the developer group owned by the family that owns the Cubs and Wrigley Field. “For us, it was about having the big 2,000-square-foot screen over a two-story space. We thought it was critical to differentiate it from other sports bars in the area.” The Cubs have not disclosed the financial terms of their marketing deal with DraftKings, but multiple gaming sites have estimated it as a $100 million sum over 10 years. Ticket holders for Cub games and concerts must leave the sportsbook and go through the stadium gates to get their tickets scanned, while fans in the ballpark that wish to visit the sportsbook must leave and enter through the new building's front door.

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Tags: Marketing , Chicago Cubs