NFL Hall of Famer and Chicago Legend Mike Ditka Joins BetRivers, The Bears Official & Exclusive Sportsbook Partner, As Brand Ambassador

Rush Street Interactive (RSI) Signs Celebrated Chicago Bears Coach to Exclusive Brand & Content Deal

News provided by

Aug 10, 2021, 09:00 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Rush Street Interactive, Inc. (NYSE: RSI) ("RSI"), a Chicago based company, is proud to announce the signing of Mike Ditka, NFL Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears player and coach, to a multi-year agreement. Ditka will be an NFL brand ambassador exclusively for BetRivers.com, the Bears Official and Exclusive Sportsbook Partner.

Ditka, who played 12 seasons for the Bears, was the first pure tight end ever elected to the Hall of Fame. He is one of only two NFL legends to have won a Super Bowl as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach. Ditka has also been a national NFL Analyst for ESPN and called NFL games as color commentary for NBC.

"We are honored to partner with one of the greatest coaches in NFL history; someone who has deep roots in Chicago and is one of the most important figures in modern sports and culture," said Richard Schwartz, President of RSI, which operates BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com branded sportsbooks. "Mike Ditka was successful at every level of the game, from player to coach to analyst, and we're thrilled for him to bring his knowledge and passion to our sports betting arena at BetRivers.com."

The partnership makes the head coach of the celebrated 1985 Bears, famed for being one of the greatest football teams ever after winning Super Bowl XX, an exclusive NFL brand ambassador of the BetRivers brand. Coach Ditka will also serve as a BetRivers.com spokesperson and will be engaged in great upcoming promotions and events on BetRivers platforms. With RSI's new streaming capabilities, Ditka will have the power to stream to our BetRivers bettors directly from our app. Ditka will provide his insight and unique perspective on the NFL on @BetRivers social media, additional digital and traditional media platforms. NFL fans will also enjoy "Da Coach's Picks of the Week" as well as "Beat Da Coach", a weekly web video that will focus on upcoming Chicago Bears games during regular and postseason.

"As a coach my philosophy has always been one thing—to win," said Mike Ditka. "BetRivers strives to develop trusting relationships with its players. I'm really looking forward to helping strengthen those bonds even further by offering advice to its players on how to win."

Schwartz added, "Mike Ditka certainly knows how to win the big game. He was an NFL champion with the 1963 Bears, and is a three-time Super Bowl champion, winning as an assistant coach for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, and coaching the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX, and we're now proud to have him on our winning team."

Aside from Chicago, Ditka also has deep roots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Iron Mike" says he got his nickname from being born and raised in the "steel" town area. Ditka played for the University of Pittsburgh from 1958 until 1960. In 1997, his #89 jersey was retired by the college. He was inducted into the University of Pittsburgh Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

About RSI

RSI is a trusted online gaming and sports entertainment company focused on regulated markets in the United States and Latin America. Through its brands, BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com, RSI was an early entrant in many regulated jurisdictions and is currently live with real-money mobile, online and/or retail operations in ten U.S. states: Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa and West Virginia. RSI is also active internationally, offering its online casino and sportsbook in the regulated gaming market of Colombia on RushBet.co. RSI offers, through its proprietary online gaming platform, some of the most popular online casino games and sports betting options in the United States. Founded in 2012 in Chicago by gaming industry veterans, RSI was named the 2020 Global Gaming Awards Digital Operator of the Year and the 2020 EGR North America Awards Casino Operator of the Year and Customer Service Operator of the Year. RSI is committed to industry-leading responsible gaming practices and seeks to provide its customers with the resources and services they need to play responsibly. For more information, visit www.rushstreetinteractive.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. RSI's actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, RSI's expectations about its arrangement with Mike Ditka, what RSI's anticipated offerings and benefits arising from that arrangement will include and its future performance with respect to that arrangement. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside RSI's control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, without limitation, changes in applicable laws or regulations, unanticipated product or service delays, and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in RSI's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and in RSI's other filings with the SEC. RSI cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. RSI cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. RSI does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

SOURCE Rush Street Interactive