Tipico has strengthened its brand visibility in the burgeoning North American sports betting market, entering into an agreement with Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Columbus Crew.

The agreement will see the German operator become a founding level partner as well as official betting partner of the club, based on the capital city of Ohio, receiving entitlement rights to the franchise assets such as the Tipico Beer Garden and Tipico Club as well as brand integration at the Lower.com Field stadium.

Tipico secures the deal ahead of its launch in Ohio, where it intends to offer mobile sports betting services to consumers in the midwestern state pending appropriate licensing and regulatory approvals once legalised sports betting goes live in the territory.

“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 Adrian Vella, CEO, Tipico US. 

“The midwest will play an important role as we continue our multi-state expansion in 2022, and we could not have asked for a better partner to help us introduce the Tipico brand and our proprietary technology to sports bettors in Ohio and beyond.”

The agreement builds on previous US-facing deals clinched by Tipico as it looks to gain momentum and establish a strong foothold in North America as the betting space continues to rapidly expand. 

Last year, the CVC Capital Partners-owned operator signed a five-year deal with digitally-focused mass media company Gannet, becoming the official sports betting and igaming provider of the company and integrating odds, props, free-to-play games and betting trends across its partners USA Today Network. 

When Tipico’s European operations are considered, the firm’s link up with Columbus Crew marks a further expansion of its sports focused – particularly football – marketing strategy, following on from the renewal of its longstanding collaboration with German football giants FC Bayern Munich.

Commenting on Columbus Crew’s deal with Tipico, David Jenkins, COO of the franchise’s majority investor Haslam Sports Group, added: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with a highly respected global brand and passionate soccer enthusiast in Tipico.

“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. 

“Providing a world-class experience for supporters is at the core of what we do and so we look forward to increasing fan engagement opportunities in Columbus and throughout Ohio through this partnership.”