Tribe-owned Perchanga Resort & Casino has announced a multi-year partnership with NBA team the Los Angeles Clippers, as California residents prepare to vote on both a tribal and a commercial sports betting measure.
The new partners unveiled the deal at 9 October pre-season game at the Crypto.com arena, making Perchanga the exclusive tribal casino of the LA Clippers. The specific provisions of the deal include community events, Clipper watch parties and in-game promotions, as well as in-arena signage, digital and social media activations, broadcast integrations and hospitality elements.
Perchanga sponsors a number of South California-based sports organisations such as the Angels Baseball, the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers, SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Lakers, and University of Southern California Athletics.
“We’re very excited to partner with the LA Clippers and support our broader Southern California community,” said Andrew Masiel, Sr., president of the Pechanga development corporation. “This partnership will also means more opportunities for Pechanga’s guests to truly unique events and experiences in L.A. sports. Our Tribe’s roots run deep through Southern California and like us, the Clippers are committed to using their platform to make a meaningful difference.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Pechanga Resort Casino and work together to serve our fans and community,” added Clippers chief global partnerships officer Scott Sonnenberg. “It was an honor to celebrate with them at our preseason game last night.”
The announcement happens just weeks before California residents head to the polls to determine the fate of sports wagering in California. Two rival measures, Prop. 26 and Prop 27, will be on the ballot – each offering radically different visions for what the sports betting framework will be in the Golden State.
The tribally-backed Prop. 26 would legalize sports betting on tribal lands and four named race-tracks, instituting a 10% tax on the profits derived from such activities. This retail-only vision contrasts with the operator-supported Prop. 27, which would legalize online sports betting state wide, with profits going towards support for the state’s burgeoning homeless problem.
Both measures look unlikely to pass according to polling by the Berkeley Institute of Government Studies; showing 31% and 27% of California’s would vote yes on Prop. 26 and Prop 27. respectively if the election was conducted today.
This may be a factor in why the consortium of operators backing Prop 27., including DraftKings and FanDuel, have pulled funding from the ballot measure, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.