Take a red line train to a Cubs game these days, and it’s as if you’re walking through a DraftKings tunnel on the way to Wrigley Field.
The red line “L” train has long been a popular mode of transportation to Wrigley, with the Addison stop just steps away from the park.
Once you get on or off of a train at Addison, it’s impossible to miss the double-digit number of DraftKings ads on the walls — and even the stairs.
The sportsbook’s investment in the Addison stop makes sense, as sources say the Wrigley Field DraftKings retail sportsbook will eventually be located between the train stop and the stadium, across the street from The Sports Corner bar and restaurant.
Here’s what Cubs fans see when they exit or enter the Addison stop (story continues below):
However, once inside of the park, DraftKings ads are scarce.
The company is clearly prioritizing the flowing foot traffic the Addison stop sees. But if you watch Cubs games on the Marquee Network, you’ll frequently see DraftKings banner ads behind home plate.
DraftKings became the exclusive sports betting partner of the Cubs in September 2020. It was tandem announced then that DraftKings plans to operate a flagship retail sportsbook at Wrigley.
With that said, it could be a while before we see retail sports betting at Wrigley. The stadium still needs to apply for a sports betting license with the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). And construction has not yet started on the facility.
At the earliest, we could see the sportsbook open some time in 2022. But it wouldn’t be surprising if 2023 was the actual launch year.
Do the White Sox have a sports betting partner?
Unlike the Cubs, the White Sox don’t have an exclusive sports betting partner. However, FanDuel ads are frequent at Guaranteed Rate Field and on TV.
It will be interesting to see if FanDuel and the White Sox ever strike an exclusive partnership. FanDuel has a similar partnership with the Chicago Bulls, and the Sox and Bulls share an owner in Jerry Reinsdorf.
As expected, there aren’t as many FanDuel ads at Guaranteed Rate as there are DraftKings ads at and around Wrigley. However, the Sox and FanDuel have an interactive segment in between innings on the jumbotron, where FanDuel live odds snapshot is shown during the game.
FanDuel also has an ad on the White Sox’s outfield fence. And, like the Cubs broadcasts, FanDuel ads behind home plate are frequent on NBC Sports Chicago.
Which, by the way, is an interesting dynamic. White Sox games air on NBC Sports Chicago, and NBC has a sports betting partnership with PointsBet.
So on pregame shows, postgame shows and even during the games, there are PointsBet ads and mentions of PointsBet odds.
Today’s Cubs, White Sox World Series odds
It’s been a tough last week for the Chicago baseball teams and Chicago baseball bettors. With that said, the 2021 MLB season has been a resounding success for both.
The White Sox are in first place in the AL Central despite injuries to Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Nick Madrigal and others.
And the Cubs, an afterthought coming into the season, are tied for first place in the NL Central.
There’s always plenty of talk in Chicago about what a “red line” World Series would look like. The Sox also have a red line train stop that takes fans directly to the stadium.
Here are the 2021 World Series odds at the six online sportsbooks in Illinois:
