Cowboys ink deal with slot machine company as NFL, teams cozy up to gambling industry
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The Dallas Cowboys have signed a multi-year deal with Las Vegas-based slot machine company Aristocrat Gaming. It will allow Aristocrat Gaming to show off promotional material all throughout AT&T Stadium, do in-game advertisements on the team’s jumbotron during games and more.
Though the deal won’t enable Aristocrat Gaming to set up its slot machines or establish any form of gaming inside AT&T Stadium, it’s all about driving traffic back to areas like Oklahoma where its NFL-themed slot machines are located in casinos like WinStar World Casino and Choctaw Landing in Hochatown.
For Aristocrat Gaming, it’s the company’s fourth deal with an NFL team as it has partnered with the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. WinStar was the first casino company to gain a partnership with an NFL team in 2018 when it became the Cowboys official casino.
The Cowboys’ wide net as the world’s most popular sports team and North Texans’ appetite for gambling made the deal a no-brainer for Aristocrat Gaming, said chief marketing officer Mark Wadley.
“From a business perspective, the Cowboys’ proximity to Oklahoma is really important to us. A lot of the fanbase that goes up to WinStar and other casinos in Oklahoma come from Dallas,” he said. “So the opportunity to communicate with them as they are making their trip to those casinos is really important for us.”
Texans spend approximately $5 billion in legal gambling in neighboring states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Nevada, according to Clyde Barrow, gambling policy expert at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Another estimate from the Texas Sports Betting Alliance predicts that Texans also illegally gamble $8 billion within the Lone Star State.
Aristocrat Gaming declined to disclose the specifics behind the deal like how much it’s worth or exactly how many years the partnership will last. But the partnership means that in-game signage and advertisements outside of the stadium are on the way for this upcoming NFL season.
Representatives for the Cowboys were not available for an interview at the time of publication. However, it’s the team’s next step in adding more content to the Cowboys brand, said Chad Estis, the team’s executive vice president of business operations.
“We pride ourselves on aligning with world-class partners, and Aristocrat Gaming has been a trailblazer in the gaming industry for decades,” he said. “We are thrilled to work with the Aristocrat team on activation and branding opportunities throughout the year and to have our Cowboys marks featured on their slot machines nationwide.”
The NFL has cozied up to gambling and sports betting in recent years through its contracts with Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel to become its first betting partners. Still, it’s risky to put a slot machine inside of an NFL stadium and not something Aristocrat Gaming is considering yet.
But Aristocrat Gaming is looking into unique and digital ways that could reel in a few gambling-hungry Texans, Wadley said.
“There’s no plans to put a slot machine in AT&T Stadium or no mobile apps that have been contemplated as part of this sponsorship,” he said. “In terms of in-game opportunities and promotions beyond the advertising, we’re working through those details with the Cowboys about what potentially could work.”
With most forms of gambling being outlawed in Texas despite strong pushes from entities like Las Vegas Sands and Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson, Aristocrat wants to drive traffic back to facilities where its NFL-themed slot machines are available.
So, in the future, fans may be able to scan a QR code that will take them to a website that will show them where the nearest slot machine is located, Wadley said.
“It’s really about inviting fans, players and people who choose this entertainment to know that when they go to WinStar, that those NFL-themed slot machines are on the floor,” he said.
This is a wholly separate deal from the one the Cowboys already have with WinStar. But it’s still a big win for the casino giant as it hopes more people will show up to its facilities across state lines, said Jack Parkinson, WinStar president.
“As the official casino of the Dallas Cowboys, WinStar World Casino & Resort is ecstatic to have Aristocrat Gaming as the newest member of the Dallas Cowboys family,” he said. “The top-performing NFL Slots make this partnership a natural fit and we look forward to bringing new experiences to our patrons as a result of this announcement.”
Aristocrat Gaming also declined to comment on whether this partnership is a way for the company to get its foot in the door if gambling ever becomes legalized in Texas.
“From our perspective, we just continue to monitor the situation and however the market shifts, we’ll support it from a regulatory perspective,” Wadley said.
It’s a good time for Aristocrat Gaming on top of its partnership with the Cowboys. The company is publicly traded in Australia and reported 6% revenue growth and its net profit after taxes was $764 million, according to its latest quarterly report.
“We are proud to be the newest partner of the Dallas Cowboys, one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment organizations with a proud championed history, much like Aristocrat Gaming’s,” said Hector Fernandez, CEO of Aristocrat Gaming. “With the success of the NFL Slots portfolio, we have been able to bring the excitement of fan-favorite teams like the Dallas Cowboys to casino floors across the country. We look forward to bringing even more innovative experiences to fans through this partnership.”
