The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced a second sports betting partner Thursday, adding mobile-first global gaming operator Genesis Global Ltd.
The Hall of Fame Resort in December agreed to a partnership with Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive, which will operate a sportsbook at the Hall of Fame Village’s Fan Engagement Zone. That initial deal was announced the day after Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law HB 29, legalizing sports betting in Ohio.
Genesis Global is an international sports betting company that will serve as the official Ohio sports betting app partner for Hall of Fame Resort, which is responsible for the construction of a multi-million dollar entertainment district in Canton. The Hall of Fame Village project surrounds the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which hosts the annual Hall of Fame Game.
The latest partnership spans 10 years and entails Genesis supporting a Hall of Fantasy League, a fantasy football league created by Hall of Fame Resort. Both parties will also have opportunities for cross-marketing, branding and direct interaction with consumers.
@HOFRECOhas partnered with Genesis Global for a 10-year deal as the company's official mobile sports-betting partner.
Sports betting is one of the business units for Hall of Fame Village which will be an exciting addition to the campus in Canton, Ohio.https://t.co/xj1iRHi3kY
— TicketManager (@TicketManager) January 28, 2022
Building for the future
The Hall of Fame Village is considered one of the largest construction projects in Ohio. The 20,000-seat stadium and a National Youth Football and Sports Complex made up Phase I of the plans. Phase II is underway and includes a Constellation Center for Excellence, Center for Performance, Fan Engagement Zone, Hall of Fame indoor waterpark and a Hilton Hotel. A third phase in the planning stages.
“The legalization of sports betting in Ohio has only added fuel to what has been an exciting couple of months for our business as we continue making progress on our strategic objectives,” stated Michael Crawford, Hall of Fame Resort president and CEO. “We experienced — and continue to experience — a significant wave of interest from flagship operators like Genesis who want to partner with us to capitalize on the excitement of legalized sports betting and what we are building at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls.
“With the size of the global sports betting market expected to grow 40 percent by 2033 to $39 billion, partnerships like this ensure we have the infrastructure in place that we need to benefit greatly from this trend. We are excited to establish this relationship with Genesis, and look forward to leveraging the synergies between our brands to bring an innovative and seamless experience to our mobile sports betting customers and sports fans.”
Building something great. #HOFV pic.twitter.com/Vu7k1A46rX
— Hall of Fame Village (@HOFVillage) January 27, 2022
Global partnership
Genesis is headquartered on the Mediterranean island of Malta and is a global operator with more than 20 different online casinos. The partnership with Hall of Fame Resort is its latest move to continue expanding globally.
“Genesis is delighted to be working in partnership with [Hall of Fame Resort] to deliver a new online sportsbook presence in the U.S.,” stated Genesis CEO Ariel Reem. “This is an exciting opportunity that reflects Genesis’ approach to innovation, collaboration and commitment to growth in the U.S.”
