Tipico courts controversy with MAAC basketball partnership
Operator defies emerging industry trend of scaling back college partnerships with March Madness-related deal
Tipico has been named the official sports betting partner of the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men’s and women’s basketball championships taking place in Atlantic City from March 7 to March 11.
As part of the deal, Tipico will showcase a half-court contest in both finals to win prizes as well as additional vouchers and VIP offers with signage at all MAAC championship games.
New app signups on site will also receive March Madness betting offers. However, no one attending the championships will be able to place bets via the Tipico sportsbook app due to New Jersey’s existing prohibition of wagering on all collegiate events held in-state.
Speaking about the deal, Tipico CCO David Paschkes highlighted the prestigious nature of the college championship and the potential benefits to Tipico.
“Taking the game-watching experience to the next level during this championship which leads into one of the most exciting times of year, March Madness, is our way of showing how dedicated we are to the fans,” Paschkes said.
“Basketball is one of the top sports to bet on, with March Madness seeing 30% more money wagered on it than the Super Bowl across the industry.
“It’s only natural for us to provide these fans with unmatched experiences and create slam-dunk moments as they enjoy their favorite game,” he added.
The deal comes amid a rising tide of operators rolling back partnerships with college-based institutions and increasing scrutiny from regulators in newly launched states, a tide which began with the exposé articles concerning Barstool Sports, authored by The New York Times newspaper in 2022.
In these articles, Barstool’s, and later on Caesars’, existing relationships and marketing practices were highlighted by the newspaper as potentially leading to a greater likelihood of problem gambling among college attendees.
Following this increased focus, sportsbooks including Caesars and US market leader FanDuel have walked back from continuing existing partnerships with colleges or pursuing any further college-related deals.
Ohio’s regulator has also pursued a tough line on college-based sportsbook activities, with Ohio issuing a fine to Barstool Sports just days after its launch in January. Massachusetts, which is set to launch online later this week (March 10), is also set to employ a policy of close scrutiny of operators in this area.
Elsewhere, Tipico has been named the official sports betting partner of TopGolf Cleveland, gaining exclusive naming rights to the main bar at the Cleveland-based facility.
Tipico took $10.6m in handle during the debut month of sports betting in Ohio, generating revenue of $1.7m in January.