The Baltimore Ravens and Caesars Sportsbook reached a naming agreement for a portion of the M&T Bank Stadium in a new 5-year deal.

The Baltimore Ravens and Caesars Sportsbook announced a 5-year partnership this morning, providing the newly-launched Caesars Sportsbook with naming rights throughout the club level of M&T Bank Stadium and additional exposure via signature animated displays across all of the stadium’s LED boards.

Maryland sports betting at M&T Stadium?

When Maryland online sports betting is launched fans will be able to place bets in M&T Bank Stadium on the Caesars Sportsbook app.  The deal expands upon Horseshoe Baltimore’s longstanding relationship with the team and comes as the Ravens and Horseshoe Baltimore develop a new entertainment district along the Warner Street corridor linking M&T Bank Stadium to the casino.

Caesars Sportsbook will eventually have a retail sportsbook as well at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.

“By growing our longstanding partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, we are able to provide our guests with even more of the legendary experiences the Horseshoe brand is known for,” said Horseshoe Baltimore Senior Vice President and General Manager Randy Conroy in a release. “Our customers bleed Ravens purple, so we’re excited to be able to offer them greater access to the team than ever before.”

No Maryland sports betting by start of NFL season

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission recently published its sports betting rules in the state register and have opened a 30-day public comment and review period, a necessary step towards issuing sports betting licenses. However, Maryland sports betting, in person or online, will not be available by the start of the NFL season.

The first round of licenses have yet to be awarded, but will first be allocated to entities originally included in the approved sports betting bill. When licenses are issued in-person sports betting should begin fairly quickly.

However, the timeline for the opening of the online sports betting license application process has not yet been determined, an MLGCA spokesperson recently told Saturday Tradition.

The application process for online sports betting licenses will be competitive, the MLGCA spokesperson told Saturday Tradition, and without a set application procedure from the Sports Wagering Application Review Committee (SWARC) it’s hard to set a timeline on when licenses will be awarded. The 12-to-24 month estimate could be accelerated in the future when the application procedure is determined, the spokesperson noted.

The role of SWARC is to establish the license application process, award all sports wagering licenses, establish special considerations for Class B and online sports betting licenses and ensure the allocation of licenses are spread equitably across the state.

SWARC has yet to set a timeline or process for sportsbook operators to apply for online sports betting licenses.