The defending AFC champions are joining the Ohio sportsbooks landscape.
With Ohio set to go live on Jan. 1, the Cincinnati Bengals announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a multi-year partnership with Betfred Ohio, making it the team’s official sports betting partner.
“The Bengals continue to look for exciting new ways to enhance the fan experience and this partnership will provide additional opportunities to engage with our fans,” Bengals Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Brian Sells said in a news release. “We look forward to working with Betfred to create fun, fan-focused activations that add to the excitement on gameday.”
The Bengals applied for a Type-A sports gaming license last week.
Las Vegas-based Betfred USA, founded in 2019, is the U.S. subsidiary of the UK-based Betfred Group, which owns and operates over 1,400 betting shops in the UK with over 50 years of experience, according to the news release. Ohio will become the seventh state that Betfred Sports will operate in, joining Arizona, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington and Colorado.
Betfred to Launch App in Ohio
“This is an exciting opportunity to partner with the Bengals as we continue to expand Betfred across the U.S. and into Ohio with the launch of sports betting in the near future,” Betfred Group Chief Operating Officer Mark Stebbings said in the release. “The Bengals are a premier franchise with a passionate fanbase and a history of innovation that aligns with our brand. We look forward to engaging with fans across the state as we introduce them to unique betting promotions and content throughout the year.”
Betfred has plans to launch a betting app in Ohio, available for bettors anywhere in the state. The partnership with the Bengals includes a “variety of fan engagement activations, promotions and free-to-play gaming opportunities,” the release said.
Ohio will be one of the top states to offer sports betting when the calendar flips to 2023. The Buckeye State is one of just 13 in the country to have teams from each of the four major sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) while also offering a pair of Major League Soccer franchises (FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew) and top college athletics like Ohio State football and several Division I college basketball programs.
To take full advantage, make sure you stay up-to-date on the latest Bengals Super Bowl odds and Bengals playoff chances throughout the 2023 season.
Other Ohio Pro Teams Have Partnerships
The Bengals are not the first Ohio professional sports franchise to find its official sports betting partner.
Earlier this year, the Cleveland Browns announced a deal with Bally Bet Ohio, a multi-year agreement that will include a mobile Bally Bet Sportsbook app for Ohio players and a Bally Bet Sportsbook lounge inside First Energy Stadium.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made Caesars Sportsbook Ohio the official sports betting partner of the team in February of this year, with plans to open a retail sportsbook inside of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, per NBA.com.
The Cavaliers are also involved with Fubo Sportsbook Ohio, one of the newest gaming operators in the country. Fubo, which is operating in Iowa and Arizona, will be the Cavaliers’ official mobile sports betting partner with plans of sports lounge inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Columbus Crew and Tipico Sportsbook Ohio announced a long-term partnership in January, an agreement that will see it launch an Ohio sports betting app, along with assets inside Lower.com Field.
