Bears partner with Rivers Casino on sponsorship deal

The Bears are 50-1 to win the Super Bowl — and they will help you place that bet.

In another sign of changing times, the Bears announced Tuesday they have agreed on a multiyear partnership that will make BetRivers the exclusive sportsbook of the Bears and Rivers Casino in Des Plaines the exclusive casino of the Bears.

“We are incredibly excited to announce BetRivers and Rivers Casino as our first multi-year exclusive partner in the Sportsbook and Casino categories,” Bears president Ted Phillips said in a statement. “We look forward to connecting with our fans in fun and unique ways through these avenues and couldn’t be prouder to be building this relationship with a hometown company.”

The Bears, like the NFL in general, have long resisted gambling-related connections. But the NFL has embraced gambling in recent years as public attitudes have changed. Last season, the Bears’ sponsorship agreement with online sportsbook PointsBet was their first ever sports betting partnership.

BetRivers and Rivers Casino will have in-stadium signage and “digital, social and print assets” as part of the deal, the Bears said in a press release.

For what it’s worth, Rivers Casino is owned by Churchill Downs Inc., which also owns Arlington Park. The Bears announced Thursday they have put in a bid to purchase the Arlington Park site in Arlington Heights, with the presumed intent of building a stadium there.