It’s not uncommon for a professional stadium to feature in-house sportsbooks. With more states legalizing the industry and various venues seeing the value in sportsbook partnerships, it’s becoming a growing trend.
And there’s a possibility that Massachusetts is one of the next states to follow this trend. Specifically, TD Garden could be a prime location for a sportsbook, considering both Celtics and Bruins fans alike call it home.
Interest surrounding the subject is increasing since Massachusetts online sports betting was introduced last month. Let’s take a closer look at what sportsbook could be a good fit and what a retail sportsbook in the Garden would look like.
FanDuel previously inked alliance with Bruins
As more established sports venues move towards housing retail sportsbooks, TD Garden could be next in line. In fact, the downtown Boston area already has a FanDuel presence thanks to the Boston Bruins.
On March 15, the same day that Massachusetts officially legalized mobile sports wagering, FanDuel Massachusetts announced a multi-year partnership with the Boston Bruins. Talk about not wasting any time.
The agreement named FanDuel as the hockey team’s official betting partner.
The partnership led to FanDuel’s image and branding appearing throughout TD Garden. Additionally, FanDuel logos are frequently featured on much of the team’s social media content.
Numerous partners to have NBA and even NHL
TD Garden is home to the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. Both the NHL and NBA have their own betting partners, and it’s worth noting that FanDuel is one of them.
Last April, the NHL announced multi-year sponsorship deals with both FanDuel and BetMGM. The agreement marked the first American sports betting alliance for the league.
Additionally, the NBA named FanDuel and DraftKings as the co-official betting partners in late 2021.
“DraftKings and FanDuel are at the center of the ongoing convergence between media and sports betting, and together, we are excited to bring these new content experiences to our fans,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Senior VP, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, at the time.
No wagering partner to have Celtics… but
Take a look at the social media feeds of the Boston Celtics, and you’ll see a lot of DraftKings Massachusetts content.
While DraftKings isn’t Boston’s official sportsbook (there isn’t one at this time), the company is the team’s official daily fantasy sports partner. DraftKings sponsors the Celtics’ starting lineups and often hosts watch parties during games. The two entities entered into a multi-year partnership in early 2020.
According to a press release about the partnership, DraftKings is a sponsor from a fantasy sports perspective, not sports betting.
“Daily fantasy sports players are amongst the most highly engaged NBA fans,” said Boston Celtics Team President Rich Gotham in the release. “We’re happy to collaborate with our hometown partner, DraftKings, to engage Celtics fans through a variety of team development and game day activations, including the unveiling of our starting lineup across social platforms.”
Furthermore, when DraftKings announced their partnership with the Celtics in February 2020, they also partnered with the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. For the other two Eastern Conference foes, the DraftKings partnership was more focused on betting.
Given DraftKings’ history with the Pacers and 76ers, a Celtics’ sportsbook or official betting partnership announcement would make sense.
Who could possibly be TD Garden’ s under one building sportsbook user?
Factoring in the current sponsorships, both at the team and league levels, FanDuel seems to be the most likely candidate for a retail sportsbook at TD Garden.
While the Celtics have ties to DraftKings, the NBA, NHL, and Bruins all have partnerships with FanDuel.
It’s unclear how long the Celtics’ deal with DraftKings is, but theoretically, a switch to FanDuel wouldn’t be that difficult, especially considering the sportsbook’s ties to the league.
FanDuel also makes sense given the fact that it is a top player nationally. Reports from state gaming regulators at the end of 2022 showed that FanDuel’s market share was around 42% nationally.
Exactly what would the TD Backyard sportsbook seem like?
Each retail sportsbook, even under the same brand, will have its own unique look and feel.
In Chicago, there is a FanDuel Sportsbook located inside the United Center, home of both the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks.
The FanDuel Lounge at the United Center spans 1,300 square feet and features numerous LED screens showcasing every sport. There are also plenty of food options available, ranging from smoked gouda bacon dip to wagyu hot dogs. And let’s not forget about the variety of cocktails offered.
Other sports franchises across the country also have retail sportsbooks within their venues.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, and Washington Capitals all have sportsbooks at their respective home venues.
Adam Hensley is a reporter from Des Moines, Iowa, with experience covering online gambling and betting for Dipendenza Media. His articles have been published by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, and various websites within the USA Today Network. Hensley graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 and spent his college career working for the Daily Iowan’s sports department as both an editor and reporter.
