Indiana Pacers Make PointsBet Sportsbook Team’s Official Sports Betting Partner

Posted on August 6, 2020 - Last Updated on August 13, 2020

The Pacers have a brand-new sports betting partner.

The team has signed a new multiyear partnership with PointsBet Sportsbook.

PointsBet’s logo will be on Indiana’s court from here on out, in between the baseline and the team bench.

The deal will also place the sportsbook’s branding throughout Bankers Life Fieldhouse on signs, phone charging stations and on the scorer’s table next to the court.

PointsBet came online in Indiana earlier this spring, and this new deal marks the next step in the company’s push to expand its brand awareness.

Rick Fuson, the president and COO of Pacers Entertainment, says PointsBet’s partnership with the team will be a recognizable one.

“This corporate partnership with PointsBet represents a real win for both companies,” Fuson said. “We look forward to welcoming them in as a very visible brand at the Fieldhouse and through our various channels.”

The sportsbook’s branding will also be present on the team’s digital platforms, including social media.

Indiana’s market is a priority for PointsBet

PointsBet is looking to ramp up its business in Indiana.

The sportsbook launched back in March, but COVID-19 didn’t give it a chance to get out of the gate. Sports shut down around the world less than two weeks after its first day of action.

Now that the NBA, MLB and NHL are all back in business, PointsBet will have its first real chance to make its mark in Indiana.

Recently, that’s meant a ton of Pacers action.

PointsBet ran a Crowd Booster promo for Indiana’s first game of the NBA restart last week.

That booster moved the spread up a point for every 100 gamblers who bet on the Pacers. The team started at +4.5 for the game, but shot all the way up to +33 before tipoff.

Giving away free money on the Pacers is definitely one way to get Hoosiers to sign up for the app.

Given that PointsBet is now one of the team’s partners, we can expect similar Pacers-related promos to come down the pipeline in the future.

DraftKings is already partners with the Pacers

Although a Pacers partnership is new territory for PointsBet, that isn’t the case for DraftKings.

Indiana’s most popular sportsbook signed a deal with the team back in February.

The move was part of a larger NBA play by DraftKings, which signed similar deals with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at the same time.

The company’s deal with the Pacers is incredibly similar to the one that PointsBet just finalized. It put DraftKings’ logo up throughout Bankers Life, and added the company’s branding to the team’s popular post-game show.

The difference between the two deals, however, is daily fantasy sports (DFS).

PointsBet doesn’t have a lot of skin in the DFS game.

That’s not the case for DraftKings, which specialized in daily fantasy long before the sportsbook arm of the company opened.

The company’s deal with the Pacers allows DraftKings to pump out special DFS events sponsored by the team. That’s something that PointsBet just isn’t able to match, at least for the time being.

Indianapolis Colts partnership on the table?

Partnerships with major sports teams can play a helpful part in legitimizing a sportsbook. That’s especially true for smaller sportsbooks like PointsBet that don’t have the same level of brand recognition as their competitors.

Now that the Pacers already have two different partners signed on, the question is, when will the Indianapolis Colts start making similar moves?

Since the Colts are Indiana’s only other professional team, a partnership with the organization could go a long way.

PointsBet could play the role of disrupter by bidding for the team’s partnership.

However, it will have to get past DraftKings and FanDuel, which will certainly be gunning for the same spot.

FanDuel might end up being the front-runner for a long-term deal, since it basically had a tryout with the team last season.

Back in October 2019, the Colts signed a partnership with FanDuel that only lasted for the 2019-2020 season.

Depending on how both sides think that trial season went, they might choose to re-up with each other since the relationship is already there.

Regardless of whether or not PointsBet ends up partnering with the Colts, the company is clearly committed to Indiana’s market. With a Pacers partnership in tow, the sportsbook is hoping to be a big presence in Indiana’s gambling market for years to come.

Jake Garza Avatar
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Jake Garza

Jake Garza is a US Gambling Industry Analyst for Catena Media. He specializes in Midwest sports betting and casino content. Prior to covering the legal gambling industry, he spent time as a professional sports writer, reporting on teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers. Garza is currently working as a Managing Editor for PlayIndiana and PlayOhio, with previous stops at other well-known brands such as PlayIllinois and PlayMichigan. He has been covering the gambling industry since 2019, and currently works with a team of other journalists to provide comprehensive coverage of the legal U.S. gambling industry.

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