The greatest NFL players of all time are enshrined in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Every football player’s dream is to receive their gold jacket and have their bust placed in Canton.
Sports betting has swept the nation and has been legal since 2018. In just three years, sports betting will too be enshrined in Canton.
Rush Street Interactive announced on Thursday that it would open a sportsbook at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio.
The location is perfect for a sportsbook as thousands of visitors sweep through the museum every year. Many of these people will be interested in placing retail sports wagers during their visit.
Excitement for the Sportsbook
Rush Street Interactive agreed to a ten-year deal with Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company. This is the only resort and entertainment media company with its sole focus on professional football.
All sports will be offered to wager at the sportsbook, but football will be a centerpiece which is no surprise based on the location.
Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of RS, was quoted in the press release.
He said, “We are excited to partner with the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, a unique sports and entertainment company with exceptional reach in professional football and beyond. HOFV shares RSI’s drive to create fun, memorable experiences for customers as well as our passion for building a one-of-a-kind destination that will delight the millions of guests that will visit the Hall of Fame Village campus each year. We look forward to offering a best-in-class sportsbook commensurate with the prestige of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Village that fans across the country and world can enjoy.”
Ohio sports betting was just legalized, so Rush Street and the Hall of Fame did not waste much time announcing the deal.
Hall of Fame Village
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is more than just a museum. It features the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium and the Hall of Fame Village Sports Complex. The plan is for the property to expand to attract visitors worldwide and local residents.
The Hall of Fame will be expanding with a performance center, an indoor water park, a Hilton Hotel, retail and office buildings, fan engagement areas, and the new sportsbook with restaurant and retail shopping.
Rush Street Interactive will be able to use the Hall of Fame’s signage and branding to promote the property. They will also be able to utilize Hall of Fame football players to promote the sportsbook.
Michael Crawford, President and Chief Executive Officer of HOFV, seemed ecstatic about the swift deal following the legalization of Ohio sports betting.
He said, “With the legalization of sports betting in Ohio, we see a variety of opportunities and benefits across our company’s multiple business lines. We considered many different retail sportsbook operators, but selected RSI because of its outstanding reputation, impressive sportsbook results in other markets, and the quality and experience of its team. We are thrilled to work with RSI to bring a retail sportsbook to the Hall of Fame Village’s Fan Engagement Zone and provide guests and fans a new and enhanced way to interact with their favorite sports, all conveniently from our campus.”
