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United Center partners with online gaming firm for sportsbook lounge at home of Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks
Sportsbook lounge needs approval from the Illinois Gaming Board
The United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Blackhawks, is partnering with an online gaming company to open a sportsbook lounge inside the arena.
The FanDuel Group and the United Center said Monday they will build a two-story venue close to the arena’s renovated atrium, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“As an industry leader in sports betting with a large and loyal existing customer base, FanDuel has proven a track record of innovation and excellence making them the perfect partner in developing the sportsbook at the United Center,” Howard Pizer, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Center Joint Venture said in a statement.
The lounge “is designed to give sports fans a brand new, fully immersive sportsbook lounge experience unlike any other.”
The addition of a sportsbook within the United Center would mark an expansion of the partnerships FanDuel enjoys with the Bulls and Blackhawks, which includes media, VIP fan experience and advertising throughout the arena and on broadcasts, according to the release.
Opening the sportsbook needs approval from the Illinois Gaming Board. Until then, the United Center and FanDuel will build a non-wagering space near the arena where fans can watch live sports while attending events.
The state of Illinois raked in more than $1 billion in gambling revenue from video gaming, sports wagering and casinos in the first 10 months in 2021, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.
[Chicago Tribune] – Connie Kim