The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks have signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Circa Sports that will see the Las Vegas sportsbook emblazoned on the franchise’s home jerseys beginning next season.
Circa Sports will be the official jersey patch sponsor whenever the Blackhawks wear their red jerseys at United Center. The sports betting brand is the first game jersey partner in the team’s history.
“Sports betting has continued to grow in popularity among our fans and offered new ways for them to engage with our game,” Blackhawks President of Business Operations Jaime Faulkner said. “We couldn’t be prouder to be adding Circa Sports to the Chicago Blackhawks roster of partners as they share in our goals to grow interest in our game and offer fans exciting and original experiences.”
Circa Sports operates in Illinois via the Circa Sports Illinois mobile app as well as a physical sportsbook located at American Place in Waukegan. It also has a notable property in Vegas, Circa Resort & Casino, an adults-only casino resort that boasts the world’s largest sportsbook.
In all, it has an online betting footprint in Illinois, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, and Kentucky, where it launched last month.
“Growing up as a hockey fan, I’m overwhelmed with the opportunity and the responsibility that goes along with partnering with an Original Six team and a team with the most iconic home jersey in sports,” added Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens. “We are ecstatic to showcase the new Blackhawks jersey with such a young and exciting team.”
Circa Sports will debut on the Blackhawks jersey this week at the 2024 NHL Draft.
Betting partnerships more visible in NHL
Hockey teams adding sponsor logos onto their uniforms has been an increasingly common sight in recent times since the NHL introduced a rule allowing it for the start of the 2022-23 season. Five of the NHL’s founding six teams now have a sponsorship patch on their jerseys.
Betting companies have become fairly prominent among those sponsors. Circa Sports already had a jersey sponsorship partnership with the Vegas Golden Knights in their home state, while the Washington Capitals have an extensive deal with Caesars that includes a jersey logo. The Arizona Coyotes have been sponsored by Gila River Resorts & Casinos.
The NHL itself, meanwhile, has partnerships with various sportsbooks including Caesars, FanDuel, BetMGM and PENN Entertainment’s theScore Bet and ESPN Bet.
