This is the first time Hard Rock Bet app will be available in Florida for the entire length of the NFL season. That’s right — the first time despite having first signed its deal with the state of Florida in 2021.
Don’t think Hard Rock Bet is letting this opportunity slip by either. They’ve gone all out as football season — both in the NFL and college — begin. All in an effort to capitalize on their exclusive right to offer sports betting in Florida. Keep reading and we’ll tell you all about it.
Post Malone Is The Face Of Hard Rock Bet Campaign
The start of the NFL season is a tentpole betting event — for every operator, not just Hard Rock. Betting interest among the masses is high from now and really though March when the NCAA Tournament happens. This is the peak period to not only rack up revenues, but also new customers that might be new to legalized sports betting.
All this is to say everyone is running brand-new commercials right now. DraftKings has tabbed Kevin Hart and LeBron James for their ads. Jamie Foxx is still the face of BetMGM promos. Hard Rock is in the mix too, but they’ve taken a very, very unique approach to its advertising.
First of all, it’s led by Post Malone. Yes, the rapper/county/pop singer that blends music genres like tattoos on his body. He’s not exactly a “sports guy” in the way Hart or James is. Famous, yes, but is Post the person to be encouraging bettors to bet?
In this case, yes. That’s because Hard Rock’s ads aren’t even being geared at your hardcore bettor. No, no, they’re more targeted at casual players who might not be confident enough to place bets.
One of those ads reads like this via a narrator: “You can win big on Hard Rock Bet with a little bet or a Post Malone-sized bet, and you don’t need to know everything about every sport.”
An on-screen actor, who’s inside a pool, no less, replies back, “good because I don’t.”
We’re betting experts here, not marketing ones. But we honestly get it. The most hardcore of bettors probably don’t need to be convinced to use Hard Rock Bet. They’re either already using it or found another bookmaker while Hard Rock was fighting litigation and not allowed to offer betting in the Sunshine State. So going after lukewarm sports fans with an “average Joe” type personality in Post Malone’s makes 100-percent sense.
Of course, that’s not all Hard Rock Bet has done to cement itself as the only legal option in Florida’s sports betting scene. They also went a more traditional route and partnered with a team in the state, as we’ll detail next.
Hard Rock Links With Another NFL Florida Team
Hard Rock already has a strong association with one NFL team in the state — the Miami Dolphins. That’s because the stadium that hosts the Dolphins, well, it’s called Hard Rock Stadium. That naming deal was signed in 2016 for a whopping $250 million, and lasts until 2034.
But now Hard Rock has expanded to another team nearby. No, not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Jacksonville Jaguars. Right when the season started, the two sides announced that Hard Rock Bet is now the official sportsbook partner of the Jags.
This is your typical sponsorship deal. Therefore, you’ll see Hard Rock Bet branding prominently inside of EverBank Stadium — the home of the Jaguars. This will last all season long and possibly the years that follow (terms of the deal were not announced).
“Hard Rock Bet is thrilled to Roll with the Jaguars and engage fans in DUUUVAL and beyond with our top-rated app,” said Nick Menas, Hard Rock Digital’s Managing Director, Corporate Strategy.
“Roll” is the marketing slogan Hard Rock is running this year. Even the Post Malone ads were branded around the phrase, “roll with us.”
Hard Rock Playing Catch Up In Betting Marketplace
Hard Rock is pulling out all the marketing stops because, quite frankly, they have to. This is a competitive industry, and they are behind the market leaders, and behind big time. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars are way out in front of everyone else who offers mobile sports betting.
Matter of fact, it’s estimated that Hard Rock Bet owned less than 1 percent of the industry’s market share in the third quarter of 2023. But that’s bumped up to 2.5 percent now that they won their court case thanks to the Supreme Court and are finally allowed to operate in Florida as the sole platform. This was enough to triple the app’s market share in the whole country. The power of Florida, folks.
Though, we should mention Hard Rock isn’t just in Florida. No, no, they also own licenses in the following states — Arizona, Iowa, Indiana, New Jersey (they also offer iGaming here), Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. But make no mistake about it, Florida will be their golden goose egg due to exclusivity.
So expect more of a marketing blitz from Hard Rock over the next several months. They have some catching up to do, but certainly have the money and brand awareness to do so successfully.
