It is not unusual to hear about a sportsbook partnering with a professional sports team. But it looks like Rush Street Interactive (BetRivers) will be testing new waters by partnering up with a team from what can best be described as a niche sport—the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League.
The Rattlers and BetRivers Partnership
Arizona is set to launch sports betting in time for the NFL season, barring any legal roadblocks that may arise. By law, the state has approved sports betting licenses for up eight professional sports franchises or facilities. While the Rattlers play in a lesser-known league, they qualify as a pro sports franchise.
Ron Shurts, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Rattlers, had this to say about his team’s new partnership via a press release:
“Arizona is home to the greatest fans in the country, and we are thrilled to help them enjoy online sports betting through our long-term partnership with RSI and the BetRivers team….”
The BetRivers logo was present at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, during last weekend’s opening-round playoff game. Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the IFL playoffs this season, won with relative ease, 69-42.
They will face the Duke City Gladiators in the second round on Sunday, September 5, at the Footprint Center.
More About The Rattlers
The Rattlers have been one of the more successful indoor football teams since they were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League. They went on to win championships in 1994, 1997, 2012, 2013, and 2014. But they left the AFL in 2016 and joined up with the Indoor Football League.
In their first season in the IFL (2017), they earned the right to play in the IFL championship game, the United Bowl—which they won. As the No. 1 seed and the team with the second-most productive offense in the league and one of the better defenses, there is a good chance they win their second IFL title this season.
Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of RSI, referenced the Rattlers history of winning when he talked about the new partnership:
“…Arizonans are accustomed to receiving a championship-caliber product on the field with the Rattlers, and we look forward to offering them a similarly high-quality product off the field through our award-winning BetRivers platform and top-notch customer service.”
BetRivers In Arizona
The BetRivers app is expected to go live when Arizona sports betting launches on September 9. As for a retail sportsbook, it is still in question if there will be one and where it will be. Since the Rattlers play at the same arena as the Phoenix Suns, BetRivers will not be able to open a sportsbook inside the Footprint Center since FanDuel is already doing so thanks to a partnership with the Suns.
BetRivers is already active in seven states but has received access to several additional markets along with Arizona (Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico). They are a retail sports betting leader in a few states and one of the top sportsbooks in several others.
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