Is New Bears Partnership for the Bettor Not the Better?

Sports book PointsBet has partnered with the Bears as the team's first sports-betting sponsor in a sport where Pete Rozelle once suspended players for gambling

There was a time when something like this would have had Pete Rozelle suspending the entire Bears operation.

The Bears on Friday announced a partnership with PointsBet, a sports book. This will be the team's first sports-betting sponsor.

Pete Rozelle suspended Alex Karras and Paul Hornung for gambling on games but times have changed. And this opens a whole new potential dimension of issues.

"As we break into the sports betting category for the first time, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome PointsBet to the Bears family as a Proud Partner," Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said through a team statement. "This deal will bring fans a new way to interact with and cheer on the club."

PointsBet claims to be offering the best pricing for all Bears games this season across both pregame spreads and money-line bets.

PointsBet gains usage of the Bears logos and brand visibility. Bears fans will be given a sign-up code for PointsBet's app.

"The PointsBet team is incredibly excited to become the first legal sportsbook partner in Chicago Bears history," PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said in a statement. "We are teaming up with a first-class organization. Since launching our fast and differentiated mobile sports betting app in Illinois, we've been thrilled by the reception from Chicago sports bettors.

"We've always viewed Illinois to be a supreme market opportunity for the PointsBet brand, and we look forward to increasing our presence alongside famed partners in the Chicago Bears."

PointsBet recently announced a partnership with former Bears return man Devin Hester.

Such relationships present plenty of questions regarding fan connectivity and transparency.

For instance, is the team going to withhold injury information and other key inside data from media and other fans only for release to their new gaming partners and gamblers?

What is the tie between individual players and the gambling outfit?

Other teams have already moved into this, as the Bears are not the first. Still, it remains an unexplored area of potential dange as everyone steps into the  uncharted world of legalized sports betting.  

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