Sports Betting Partnering With College Athletics? Yes at Michigan State!

Ever since sports betting was legalized in Michigan, our state has become one of the biggest sports betting states in the nation. And now, sports betting enterprises are partnering with college athletics including MSU!

Fox 17 reported that Michigan State Athletics has signed a multi-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment to make Caesars Sportsbook their "Official and Exclusive Sports Betting Partner and iGaming Partner.”

According to a Caesars Entertainment’s press release, Caesars Sportsbook will provide “annual funds to support student-athlete responsible gaming education, student scholarships, as well as internship and professional development opportunities for MSU students pursuing a career in the sports industry.”

My, how our college athletics world has changed.

If you're a Caesars Sports book bettor, I guess now we'll see even more of those Caesars commercials, the 2022 football season at MSU will let Caesars Sportsbook bettors have access to premium seating in the Spartan Stadium, as well as an outdoor tailgating area and other benefits that will be offered through Caesars’ loyalty program.

Holy Cow! What happened to just being a loyal Michigan State fan? Money happened!

Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller said in the statement that this partnership “will help enhance gameday experiences for Spartan fans.”

Well, it will certainly enhance the MSU athletic department. Big time College Athletics is expensive, but also a huge revenue producer for a university, and they are always looking for sponsorships and partners. This is just a new wrinkle.

But, let me be fair. I am not condemning sports betting in any way. Thousands of Michiganders do it every day, and do it responsibly. Win or lose, it can be fun. But, it can have it's consequences, and that is why Caesars Sportsbook further plans on working with the Michigan Association on Problem Gambling to provide gaming resources to eligible sports bettors in the state.