Fan Experience

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse sportsbook opens as sports betting goes legal in Ohio

Featured image credit: Caesars Entertainment

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has become the location of Caesars Entertainment’s third sportsbook at a US professional sports venue, with the opening of a new facility at the home of NBA basketball franchise the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The new, 10,355-square-foot Caesars Sportsbook accepted its first legal sports wagers on New Year’s Day as legal sports betting launched in the state of Ohio, with a January 2 ceremonial grand opening marking the first time the sportsbook was operational during a Cavaliers home game.

The sportsbook’s location within the FieldHouse glass atrium offers a view of the Cuyahoga River and allows for natural sunlight to shine throughout the space. It also provides a connection to the more than 200 ticketed events hosted at the venue each year, including Cavaliers and Cleveland Monsters (American Hockey League) games.

The sportsbook features wall-to-wall flatscreen televisions, five betting windows, and 15 self-service betting kiosks with an extensive food and beverage menu and a lounge-like atmosphere across two stories.

“We expect Caesars Sportsbook at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to be a go-to entertainment destination for sports fans in Ohio,” said David Grolman, senior vice-president and chief retail sportsbook officer at Caesars Sportsbook. 

“This unique retail sportsbook anchored to a franchise with tremendous pedigree provides potential customers with a rewarding experience they can’t find anywhere else.”

Caesars Entertainment entered into a multi-year partnership with the Cavaliers in February 2022, with the deal to include the opening of a retail sportsbook at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The deal named Caesars Sportsbook as an official sports betting partner of the Cavaliers, with Caesars Entertainment becoming the team’s official casino partner.

“The launch of legalised sports betting in Ohio and the grand opening of Caesars Sportsbook at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a historic moment for our franchise, Northeast Ohio and the entire state,” said Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Rock Entertainment Group CEO, Nic Barlage.

“It is with great pride and responsibility that we open the first sportsbook in a sports venue in Ohio. Located within the heart and fabric of downtown Cleveland and connected to the over 200 events that the FieldHouse hosts each year, this sportsbook will be an asset and amenity for our community, and we’re excited to bring it to life alongside our great partners in Caesars.” 

The new offering at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse adds to the industry’s first in-arena sportsbook – Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field in Arizona, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In August, the Memphis Grizzlies became the latest NBA franchise to announce the launch of a sportsbook lounge at its home arena through a multi-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment.