DraftKings Strikes Fifth Active NFL Deal, Partners With Baltimore Ravens

• Last Week, DraftKings Announced Partnership with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens
• Deal Marks DraftKing’s Fifth NFL Partnership, Ravens’ Second Gaming Partner
• Maryland Still Working Towards Fall 2021 Sports Betting Launch

Last Week, DraftKings Announced Partnership with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens

On Wednesday last week, sports betting and daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings Sportsbook announced its new partnership with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, confirming it will serve as the pro football franchise’s daily fantasy and official betting partner.

This means that now DraftKings branding will appear throughout M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Ravens, as well as on the team’s official podcast, plus they will become the title sponsor of Baltimore WBAL-1090 News Radio’s Gameday Insider pregame show.

DraftKings’ chief business officer Ezra Kucharz told the media:

The newly penned relationship offers something for every kind of sports fan and will allow them to engage with DraftKings’ digital content, free-to-play product, daily fantasy sports and, perhaps soon, sports betting, to ultimately bring them closer to the action alongside one of the top teams from the AFC North.

Deal Marks DraftKing’s Fifth NFL Partnership, Ravens’ Second Gaming Partner

This is not the first time DraftKings and the NFL have partnered up, with similar type deals already in place with four other NFL teams including the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Baltimore Ravens also have a similar gaming deal in place with BetMGM, a multi-year sports betting partnership that gives their branding a sponsored presence on Ravens’ digital and social platforms as well as at M&T Bank Stadium, including a private hospitality suite during games.

It’s all for the fans, according to Kevin Rochlitz, the Raven’s chief sales officer, who said this in Wednesday’s announcement:

When we began the process of carefully identifying partners in the field of sports betting and digital gaming, one of our top priorities was finding unique ways for Ravens fans to further engage with the team.

But none of that matters until legal sports betting officially launches in the Old Line State.

Maryland Still Working Towards Fall 2021 Sports Betting Launch

Ever since Governor Larry Hogan signed MD sports betting legislation into law back in May, industry leaders have been pushing for a fall 2021 launch date in time to take advantage of the upcoming NFL season which begins on Thursday, September 9.

Meanwhile, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC), the group that is tasked with awarding sports betting licenses, is still waiting for the official sports betting rules to be published in the Maryland Register.

Once that happens, official launch date will be set and licenses can begin being issued, but right now that does not look like it is going to happen any time before the start of the NFL season despite pressure from state leaders to get it done.

Gov. Larry Hogan told the press:

I pressed [the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission] hard about ensuring we get it done at least by the end of the NFL season when all the betting takes place…

But a 30-day public comment period regarding the official rules still must happen, so at this point, Maryland bettors will be lucky to place a legal wager on the NFL before the end of the year.