Columbus Crew partnering with sportsbook operator Tipico
The Crew added another business partner with a long-term deal with sportsbook operator Tipico.
Sports gambling is not yet legal in Ohio. However, Tipico will launch its mobile sports betting app once sports betting is legalized in the state, according to the club’s press release.
“As they make their foray into Ohio, our long-term agreement with Tipico represents an exciting development for Crew supporters and sports fans in Central Ohio and throughout the state,” said Haslam Sports Group Chief Operating Officer David Jenkins in a statement.
Gov. Mike Dewine signed House Bill 29 into law on Dec. 22, which made Ohio the 33rd state to legalize sports
gambling, but the Ohio Casino Control Commission is still in the process of crafting necessary rules and regulations and estimates it won’t start accepting applications for businesses that want to offer sports betting until this summer or fall.
As part of their partnership, Tipico has the naming rights to the Lower.com Field beer garden behind the Nordecke supporters’ section on the north end of the stadium, as well as the VIP seating area previously named Rail Club on the east side.
Tipico also said it plans to announce giveaways and promotions for registered users.
“We are incredibly excited to team up with The Columbus Crew, a premium brand with championship DNA, to introduce our Tipico sports betting experience to players in the Buckeye state,” said Tipico CEO Adrian Vella.
Tipico is the exclusive sports betting and igaming provider for Gannett and integrates its odds, props, free-to-play games and betting trends throughout the network and more than 200 affiliated properties. The Dispatch is a Gannett-owned publication.
The Crew’s first full season at Lower.com Field will get underway Feb. 26 when the Crew hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 3:30 p.m.
Columbus finished in ninth place in the Eastern Conference last season, failing to qualify for the postseason after having won MLS Cup the year before. jmyers@dispatch.com @_jcmyers
“Scream” is a confident movie that begs you to compare it to the other sequels in the slasher franchise, even daring you to mention it in the same breath as the original.
Good. It should. Because it’s even better than the original “Scream,” which came out in 1996.
Until the end.
Also, to be fair, I am not a big fan of the original – clever, influential, middling scary but not all that, you know, good. So the bar was not astronomically high.
The new film (in theaters Friday) has the same name as the first one, which is something the new film notes. In fact, it notes everything. It does little but reference the previous films (this is the fifth in the franchise), but it does so in smart, fun ways.
See SCREAM, Page 9B