The rise of in-stadium betting
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Sports betting had its biggest day of the year on Sunday, and will continue to be front and center as legalization spreads across the country.
Driving the news: Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which will host this weekend's NBA All-Star festivities, recently announced plans to open an in-arena betting lounge in partnership with Fubo Sportsbook.
- The lounge won't accept in-person bets; rather, it will give arena-goers a place to watch games and use Fubo's mobile betting app once online sports betting goes live in Ohio in 2023.
- These lounges are popping up at venues across the country, as are in-stadium sportsbooks, which allow customers to place bets in person.
State of play: The Caesars Sportsbook at Washington, D.C.'s Capital One Arena was the first in-stadium sportsbook in the U.S. when it opened last May. Since then, seven more have either opened or been announced.
- D.C. has three of the eight, representing four teams (Wizards, Capitals, Nationals, D.C. United) and three operators (Caesars, BetMGM, FanDuel).
- State Farm Stadium, home of the Cardinals, will have the NFL's first in-stadium sportsbook (BetMGM) when it opens next fall.
- DraftKings is building a sportsbook in Wrigleyville, right outside Wrigley Field.
The bottom line: As sports betting emerges from the shadows and steps into the light, it's seeping into every aspect of fandom.
