When legal sports betting in Ohio officially launches, one of the state’s more prominent wagering venues will be inside the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home arena.

The NBA team on Thursday announced a multiyear partnership with Caesars Sportsbook that includes plans to open a Caesars Sportsbook inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The 10,355-square-foot facility will include windows for cash betting, a full-service bar and VIP lounge, and wall-to-wall TVs, according to a Caesars release. The facility will be paid for by Caesars and the Cavaliers.

The agreement also makes Caesars an official sports betting partner and parent company Caesars Entertainment the official casino partner of the Cavaliers. Construction on the sportsbook, which will be located in the arena’s northwest atrium and be open year-round, is expected to start soon with a planned opening by the end of 2022, subject to state regulatory approvals.

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Caesars increasing sports presence

After a series of protracted legislative battles that stretched over three years, sports wagering finally won approval in Ohio in late December, and soon after was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine. The measure states that sports betting will launch in Ohio no later than Jan. 1, 2023. The law allows both mobile and retail betting, the latter in locations ranging from existing locations to casinos to bars and convenience stores, which will feature kiosks for the placement of moneyline, prop and parlay bets.

Caesars, which has a presence in Ohio through the Scioto Downs casino in Columbus, has one other sportsbook within the home arena of an NBA team: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., which opened in May of 2021. The company is also planning to open the a Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field in Phoenix, through a partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. Sports betting in Arizona launched prior to the most recent NFL season in September 2021.

“Building upon our already established roots with Scioto Downs in Columbus, we're excited to announce our partnership with the Cavaliers at an exciting time in their franchise's history,” said Chris Holdren, co-president of Caesars Digital. “As we prepare to launch sports betting in Ohio later this year, this wide-ranging partnership enables us to connect with the Cavs' passionate and highly engaged fan base. Caesars Sportsbook at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will be a first-class venue providing an exciting atmosphere for sports betting and more."

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Sportsbooks trend sweeping NBA

The Cavaliers are just one of several NBA franchises to find willing partners in the sports betting realm. On Feb. 15, Betway announced an agreement with the reigning league champion Milwaukee Bucks that includes signage within the arena and naming rights to a digital highlights package. The Bucks became Betway’s eighth partner in the NBA, joining the Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat.

The NBA itself has partnered with several online sportsbooks and betting apps including FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM, agreements that allow those companies to use NBA digital assets throughout their respective sports betting platforms. Similarly, the Caesars deal with the Cavaliers allows the sportsbook to use Cleveland’s official logos in digital content, and also includes TV-visible signage within the arena.