Cubs prepping for debut of DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field

The Cubs next week will open a two-story sportsbook at Wrigley Field that “stands to house one of the first betting operations at a major U.S. professional sports venue,” according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS. The 17,000-plus-square-foot DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field features a “restaurant, bar and sports-viewing venue with a 2,000-square-foot, curved video wall.” The venue will open to the public on Tuesday, though DraftKings is “still awaiting final approval and a license from the Illinois Gaming Board to begin accepting retail bets there.” Having a sportsbook at the ballpark challenged the team in how to incorporate it in a way that “didn't cannibalize a family friendly appeal of Wrigley Field” that the Ricketts family has “tried to maintain as a key piece of the Cubs brand.” The physical structure of the sportsbook “should help,” as it is “only accessible from a single point of entry along Addison Street.” That means fans inside Wrigley during games would “only be able to go in the sportsbook if they leave the ballpark.” They then would not be able to re-enter the park. A Cubs spokesperson said that the “separation between stadium and sportsbook is meant to comply with Major League Baseball rules, which prohibit sportsbooks from operating where a game ticket is required for entry.” DraftKings is “not putting a timeline” on when on-site retail betting will be allowed, though patrons “would be able to place bets on their phones while there” (CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS, 6/20).

NOT JUST FOR BASEBALL: In Chicago, Mike McGraw noted the new venue “seems like a nice place to hang out on an NFL Sunday, with a huge wall of TV screens and the ability to show 25 games at once.” The sportsbook will be “open year round, regardless of whether the Cubs are playing or even in-season.” Guests need to be 21 to enter. The second floor of the sportsbook will be “reservations only,” and there are “two areas for larger private parties.” The lower level will be for “both reservations and walk-ins.” There are “no plans to have walls covered with odds and point spreads” as is typical in Las Vegas sportsbooks ( Chicago DAILY HERALD, 6/20 ).