US casino giant Wynn Resorts Ltd. on Monday kicked off a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to promote its online sports betting division ahead of the start of the NFL season.
The company premiered a new TV ad directed by and starring actor Ben Affleck, who is also an avid gambler himself. The spot also features basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, whom Wynn tapped as a brand ambassador for its sports betting brand earlier this month.
In addition to Shaq, Affleck has also selected his The Way Back co-star Melvin Gregg for the add. The commercial, which has a 2:20 extended cut version, follows Affleck and Gregg in their journey to the sportsbook at Wynn Las Vegas where they interact with Shaq and other sports fans and wagering enthusiasts.
Wynn provides retail and online sports betting services as well as online casino products through the WynnBET brand. The company has unveiled plans to spend more than $100 million on various marketing initiatives this football season to promote its wagering unit, showing just how seriously casino operators are now taking the fast-growing US sports betting space, particularly the digital vertical.
Following the 2018 annulment of a long-standing ban on wagering by the Supreme Court, more than half of all US states have legalized the practice. According to gambling information site PlayUSA, the betting handle generated from legal bets on professional and college football could reach $20 billion this season, up three times from the 2020/2021 season.
WynnBET to Be Unveiled as NFL Official Betting Partner
WynnBET is anticipated to soon be unveiled as the newest NFL sports betting partner, joining the league’s original three partners BetMGM, PointsBet, and Fox Bet as well as recently announced ones DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
As part of its partnership with the above companies, NFL will feature up to six sports betting ads during each broadcast. The league’s original betting partners enjoy additional rights such as the use of NFL logos in their promotional content, sponsorships with NFL media properties, and the use of game highlights. The league is expected to trouser more than $1 billion over the next five years from these three deals alone.
WynnBET is currently available in six states, including Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia. The app recently obtained a license in Arizona and is expected to go live there on September 9, the first day of legal sports betting in the state.
WynnBET has also recently integrated the Wynn Rewards program into its digital sports betting and online casino platform to provide customers with unique additional features and rewards at all Wynn properties based on their wagering activity.
Source: Ben Affleck Directs and Stars alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Melvin Gregg in WynnBET Multi-Media Campaign, PR Newswire, August 30, 2021
