BetMGM Taps Chris Rock to Bring iGaming and Online Sportsbook Platform to UK

Posted on: September 24, 2023, 10:49h. 

Last updated on: September 26, 2023, 02:23h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

BetMGM is taking a page out of the DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook playbook in contracting a globally known comedian and actor to headline its marketing campaign.

In the wake of its newly launched operations in the United Kingdom, BetMGM has partnered with Chris Rock to advertise the platform across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. BetMGM is also available in Ireland.

A-lister Jamie Foxx has long been the face of BetMGM in the US. But with Foxx battling an undisclosed health ailment, which has prompted plenty of speculation on social media, BetMGM has turned to Rock, another well-known actor-comedian.

BetMGM in the UK is fully owned by MGM Resorts International and operated by MGM’s subsidiary, LeoVegas Group, which it acquired last year. The platform’s iCasino and online sportsbook debuted in the UK on Aug. 17, which kicked off MGM’s global ambitions to enter international online gaming markets.

Rock Cruises to the UK

Rock is serving as the BetMGM ambassador overseas through an integrated campaign that includes television commercials, billboards, and social media messaging. In the first 30-second ad, Rock takes a gold speedboat, with an MGM lion in tow, from the Bellagio Fountains to London’s Thames River and the Tower Bridge.

We’re here in the UK to make every game an occasion,” Rock says in the commercial.

The spot includes responsible gaming messaging, as the UK Gambling Commission now requires. In part of the gaming regulator’s Responsible Gambling Code for Socially Responsible Advertising, Betting and Gaming Council members agree to reference BeGambleAware.org and feature an “18+” mark.

“With tools that help you play safe, get ready for the golden era in sports and casinos,” Rock declares. “BetMGM. It’s showtime.”

Rock joins fellow comedian Kevin Hart in being the face of one of the “big four” US-based sportsbook and iGaming operators — BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and FanDuel.

Hart has headlined DraftKings’ marketing campaigns for several years. In March, DraftKings Casino debuted “Hart-Race Hold’em,” a heads-up version of Texas hold’em. In the interactive table game, Hart has over 1,100 unique one-liners and sayings to rattle his opponents.

Caesars Sportsbook also utilizes an actor and comedian, although one a bit less known than Rock and Hart in JB Smoove. The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor appears as Caesars in the Caesars Sportsbook campaigns.

FanDuel has taken a slightly different approach in not predominantly using one celebrity to be the face of its advertising. The platform has instead utilized a series of “influencer partners.” Among the FanDuel Rolodex are three-time golf major winner Jordan Spieth, four-time Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski, and 11-time NBA All-Star Charles Barkley.

Promo Kickoff

To commemorate the launch of BetMGM UK, the platform is running a free-to-play Premier League challenge called “Golden Goals.” New and existing customers are given the chance each week to predict six Premier League scores for the week. Those who do so will win £2 million.

If no one in a week predicts six correct scores, the player/players with the most correct scores will win a share of £2,000.

Entry into the Golden Goals game is free and not subject to deposit, wagering, or withdrawal requirements.