BetMGM has launched its debut advertising campaign in the UK as the MGM Resorts and LeoVegas sportsbook is set to make its mark across the pond.
Three-time Grammy winner Chris Rock is the star of the advert as he travels on a golden speedboat from the fountains at the Bellagio Las Vegas to the River Thames in London alongside an MGM lion.
The campaign, which marks BetMGM’s first non-North American foray, will be broadcast across live sports, television, digital channels, social media and radio.
Sam Behar, UK Director of BetMGM, commented: “We are incredibly excited to launch BetMGM in the UK and give customers something new. This campaign leverages the heritage of MGM Resorts’ best-in-class Las Vegas entertainment to deliver a unique proposition to the UK market.
“Alongside standout promotions and our A-list ambassador Chris Rock, this campaign clearly demonstrates BetMGM’s commitment to bringing a fresh and entertaining approach to the market. It’s showtime.”
MGM will be a direct competitor of Entain – the 50/50 joint venture partner in the US – on its home soil, where the London-headquartered firm operates the Ladbrokes and Coral brands of retail and online sportsbooks. Both brands are household names in the UK with high visibility on high streets and online app stores.
Nevertheless, MGM is using the LeoVegas sportsbook technology to power BetMGM in the UK and has unveiled its first campaign to onboard new users.
The campaign was developed in collaboration with the London-based creative agency Recipe for the campaign.
“It’s been a real privilege to support the launch of BetMGM in the UK,” added Dan Jacobs, Chief Creative Officer at Recipe.
“From minute one, the ambition from everyone was to stand out in the market. Chris Rock, in a gold boat, with a lion, in the Fountains of Bellagio does exactly that.”
Despite the UK launch with LeoVegas’ technology, the BetMGM platform in the US and Ontario will remain unchanged and it will remain on the Entain platform. Entain recently purchased Angstrom Sports to boost the BetMGM product in the US.
