Bears strike 1st sports-gambling partnership

There is no indication that PointsBet is looking to partner with the Bears on a sportsbook, like the Cubs are exploring.

The Bears have entered a sponsorship agreement with PointsBet sportsbook.

As legal sports gambling becomes increasingly intertwined with professional sports, the Bears on Friday named PointsBet their first betting sponsor. The terms of the deal allow PointsBet to use the Bears’ wordmark and logo on its app and website, and explore advertising with the team.

PointsBet said it expects to open brick-and-mortar locations, with Hawthorne Racecourse as the flagship. There is no indication that the company is looking to partner with the Bears on a sportsbook, the way DraftKings and the Cubs have explored. In that controversial proposal — sports gambling is legal in Illinois but technically outlawed in the city — the sportsbook would move into the so-called triangle property near Wrigley Field.

Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips said in a statement the deal “deal will bring fans a new way to interact with and cheer on the club.”

The website also announced it is partnering with former Bears kick returner Devin Hester, whom the company says epitomizes the speed of the app.

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