Tipico has agreed a deal with Caesars Entertainment that will see the German operator gain access to Indiana and Iowa’s mobile betting markets, with scope to expand into additional states in future.
Tipico will operate sports betting in Indiana under the master license held by Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, while in Indiana it will operate on Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf’s license.
“We are excited to announce Tipico’s multi-state market access partnership with Caesars Entertainment, which marks an important step as we continue to expand our US footprint,” Adrian Vella, chief executive of Tipico US, said.
“We look forward to establishing our brand presence in the midwest, and introducing our highly scalable, proprietary multi-state sports betting experience to players in Indiana and Iowa.”
Through the deal, Tipico may also have market access for online casino gaming if this is permitted in these states. In January of this year, lawmakers introduced a proposal to legalize online casino in Indiana, though the bill has been stuck in committee for seven months.
The deal will last for 10 years, after which it may be renewed for another decade.
“This new market access agreement with Caesars Entertainment is another exciting step forward for Tipico as we continue to connect with more US bettors,” Tipico vice president of business development and strategy Stephen Krombolz, added. “Indiana and Iowa are key states in our early expansion plans but there is certainly more to come, and we look forward to announcing additional partnerships later this year.”
Tipico said it plans to launch in Iowa in Q4 of this year, while in Indiana it plans to launch in the first quarter of 2022.
After final approval and launch, Indiana and Iowa will join Colorado – where it recently announced that it would build a new technology hub – and New Jersey as US states in which Tipico is live.
The operator also agreed a deal earlier this year with USA Today publisher Gannett, that will see Tipico’s odds and like to its sites displayed across its media network. That agreement replaced a previous deal between USA Today and BetMGM.
In addition, Tipico revealed that it will also be launching an online casino product in New Jersey in the coming months and said it anticipates further state market access agreements before the end of 2021. Last year, Tipico entered into a new partnership with NetEnt to support its New Jersey launch.