The days of the “Big Game Party” at casinos are over, at least for Caesars Entertainment properties.
Back in 2003, the National Football League shut casinos out of using the term “Super Bowl” in their promotions, and sent letters to casinos threatening lawsuits if viewing parties or other promotional events used the term or charged admission to events centered around watching the Super Bowl game on big screens.
The league even shut the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority out of buying network time during the Super Bowl for its “What Happens Here, Stays Here” commercials, because the league was determined to avoid any association between the NFL and gambling.
Last year’s removal of the federal ban on sports betting by the U.S. Supreme Court has thawed the relationship between the NFL and other sports leagues with casino companies. Thanks to a landmark partnership agreement Caesars signed January 3 with the NFL—which includes payments to the league for data to be used in sports betting—15 Caesars Entertainment properties across the U.S. conducted official Super Bowl Parties, with official logo merchandise, Super Bowl hats and shirts, NFL wall décor and other official NFL-themed party favors.
Other casinos were still expected to avoid use of the Super Bowl term or items linking viewing parties to the league, but the Caesars agreement is expected to lead to other partnerships between casino operators and the league, so it may be the beginning of the end of the “Big Game Party” at casinos.
