Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG), the sports betting offshoot of merchandising giant Fanatics, recently announced a deal with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Columbus Blue Jackets that will include a retail sportsbook next to the team’s Nationwide Arena by the end of the summer.
Dubbed the Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus, the venue will offer wagers on all available markets, from football and basketball to baseball, boxing and of course hockey. At 5,000 square feet, the sportsbook will include four betting windows, 14 kiosks, dozens of TV monitors as well as a restaurant.
“The Columbus Blue Jackets are constantly seeking new and exciting ways to engage with our fans,” Blue Jackets Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Cameron Scholvin said in a statement. “We believe this collaboration with Fanatics Betting and Gaming on a world-class sportsbook location just outside the doors of Nationwide Arena in the heart of the Arena District does just that.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Blue Jackets to bring a world-class retail experience to the arena district in downtown Columbus,” Ari Borod, chief business officer for FBG, said in a statement.
“The Jackets are one of the youngest teams in the league, and we are excited to leverage our partnership to grow with them and complement our online sports betting experience that is currently being beta-tested in Ohio.”
The Columbus location would be the second retail sportsbook for FBG, which is attempting to disrupt an extremely competitive U.S. sports betting market by leveraging its existing merchandise client base. The company’s online Fanatics Sportsbook has now been licensed in four states, and is currently undergoing beta testing in Ohio.
