Darren Woodson (from left), Troy Aikman and Pudge Rodriguez will promote the casino in the Dallas market.Getty Images (3)
An Oklahoma tribal casino that draws 80% of its customers from the Dallas metroplex has added endorsement deals with local legends Troy Aikman, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and Darren Woodson to a sponsorship portfolio that already includes the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers and the AT&T Byron Nelson PGA Tour stop.
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts will make the three anchors of a “Where the Players Play” campaign that will break in time for football season, with the retired stars of the Cowboys and Rangers appearing in TV and digital spots, promoting the brand through social media and making appearances in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in Oklahoma.
Aikman, an Oklahoma native who spent each of his dozen NFL seasons with the Cowboys and now works as an analyst for ESPN, and Rodriguez, who spent 13 of his 21 MLB seasons with the Rangers, are Hall of Fame members in their respective sports. Woodson, who was with the Cowboys for all 12 of his NFL seasons, was a HOF finalist this year.
The four-year deals, worth a combined seven figures, are the latest step for a casino operator that said it has increased its sports spending eightfold since 2017. Along with the three deals with Dallas’ major pro teams, Choctaw holds naming rights to the former Globe Life Park and sponsors the Dallas Marathon, Dickies Arena and several rodeo events.
“This was really a natural evolution for us,” said Erica Kosemund, senior director of gaming brand and partnerships for Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, which operates eight casinos in the state. “This isn’t just a one-time deal. This isn’t just a campaign. This is a long-term partnership that we’re excited to grow and develop with these guys.”
Located about 90 miles north of downtown Dallas in Durant, Okla., Choctaw’s flagship location includes more than 1,000 rooms, 16 restaurants, 20 bars and lounges, a three-acre pool area and a 3,000-seat theater. But it does not have a sportsbook. Like Texas, Oklahoma remains bereft of legal sports betting.
Bills in both states failed earlier this year. With Aikman, Rodriguez and Woodson signed for four years, there’s a chance that either or both states could open in time for them to promote it.
“It did play a role in this consideration,” Kosemund said. “We are absolutely in support of the legalization of sports betting, no matter whether it’s in Texas or Oklahoma first.”
Dallas-based RPM Sports and Entertainment worked with Choctaw on the deals.
