A full-scale migration, rebranding, and service upgrades were announced this month by three sportsbooks in the highly competitive U.S. sports wagering market.
Hard Rock Rebranding
On Monday, Hard Rock International announced that Hard Rock Bet has taken the stage in Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. The sports wagering service has been operating in five states under Hard Rock Sportsbook since its launch.
A large group of sports betting apps already use the “Bet” name like Bally’s Bet, WynnBET, PointsBet, to name a few.
“Starting today, players in Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia will see the new branding in the product, featuring Hard Rock’s iconic guitar logo as the app icon,” the company said on the Hard Rock Bet website.
For Hard Rock online casino players in New Jersey, Hard Rock plans to integrate their online casino and sportsbook experience as Hard Rock Bet.
“Hard Rock Bet will continue to introduce new features ahead of the debut of the integrated online casino and sportsbook experience in New Jersey later this summer. More information on Hard Rock Bet and the New Jersey transition to follow.”
The new Hard Rock Bet look can be found at HardRock.Bet.
Barstool Sportsbook & Casino Upgrade
PENN Entertainment, Inc. released a new and improved Barstool Casino & Sportsbook following a full-scale migration to the company’s proprietary online gaming technology platform (PENN Interactive Gaming Platform). The migration to PENN’s custom technology stack in the U.S. is a major achievement that brings all components of its online gaming operation in-house and significantly enhances the Barstool Sportsbook product offering.
The migration to the platform was completed simultaneously across all 16 jurisdictions where Barstool Sportsbook operates during the Major League Baseball All-Star Break.
“The platform deployment and product upgrade complete PENN’s long-term strategic objective to achieve technology independence, which includes the acquisition of Score Media and Gaming Inc. and the launch of Penn Game Studios in 2021,” the company said in a press release.
“Custom built for the North American market, the vertically integrated technology stack increases platform stability and is designed to be easily scalable to expand into new markets and meet evolving regulatory requirements.”
Users should experience streamlined navigation and search across sportsbook markets and casino games, more wagering markets, faster load times, and improved cash-out availability, just to name a few upgrades.
“Having full control of our product and roadmap will lead to improved operational efficiency and the ability to quickly introduce new features, bespoke promotions and wagering markets,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and president of PENN Entertainment.
Snowden said the upgrade will put the company in a better position to compete in the online gaming space.
“Deploying our technology infrastructure puts our experienced in-house team, who built the platform from the ground up, in full control of the end-to-end customer journey and all product development. With this proven technology powering a significantly enhanced Barstool Sportsbook, we are primed to deliver a world-class online sportsbook and casino experience to customers in the U.S.,” said Benjie Levy, Head of Penn Interactive and President and COO, theScore.
BetMGM Consolidates Accounts
BetMGM announced last week they have consolidated player accounts in seven jurisdictions to make it easier for users to wager where the app is available.
“It’s now easier than ever to wager with BetMGM in Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming,” the company said in an email to users. Before the change, users would have a separate account for each state to wager on the app.
“Your account details have been consolidated,” BetMGM said. “Your combined withdrawable balance from all the states is now available in one account. Your account goes where you go. If you access one of the above states for the first time, you will need to accept the terms and conditions before playing.”
BetMGM is also available in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
According to the BetMGM website, “Accounts are being consolidated into a single account, which means simpler and more convenient wagering everywhere you use BetMGM. With your single account, you’ll now have one set of login credentials and account settings, along with a single cash balance you can access in all states where BetMGM is available.”
