Leading UK bookmaker Coral has unveiled its new brand campaign, “We’re Here For It,” featuring a series of TV ads focusing on horse racing and gaming. This campaign, the first by Wonderhood Studios since they became Coral’s lead creative agency, unites various types of racing, sports, and gaming fans through their shared passion.

The inaugural TV ad, “We’re Here For It – Racing Fan Derby,” is a 30-second spot filmed at Newbury racecourse. The promotional video showcases a unique race where jockeys include various horse racing enthusiasts, including dapper gentlemen, glamorous ladies, a stag do, and even a senior citizen, all set on victory.

The second ad is set in a Chinese takeaway, portraying a gamer playing on his phone with friends while enjoying Coral’s free-to-play games. It introduces the company’s in-play proposition, Rewards Grabber, and its industry-first product, Coral Coins. The ads will feature on TV, video-on-demand, and radio, with additional promotional efforts during the Cheltenham Festival.

During the festival, Coral will also have a branded takeover of Cheltenham Spa station, bolstering other marketing efforts like out-of-home advertising, print materials, and broadcast sponsorships with Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing. Jeremy Hemmings, interim chief marketing officer at Entain, Coral’s parent company, lauded the brand’s heritage and committed to upholding its customer-focused values.

Our new campaign platform is in recognition of this strong customer relationship and serves as a reiteration of our rock-solid market position.

Jeremy Hemmings, Entertain interim chief marketing officer

Coral has substantial experience with attention-grabbing campaigns. 2022’s Cheltenham Festival promotions saw the company pioneer using 3D technology in a horseracing display at the Piccadilly Circus. The eye-catching 783.5m² (0.19 acres) screen gave horse racing never before seen hype and attention, setting the stage for Coral’s future campaigns.

Coral Remains a Staunch Supporter of UK Horse Racing

High-profile marketing efforts have paid off for Coral, cementing its position as one of the UK’s leading operators. Coral Racing Club, the operator’s free-to-join racecourse ownership club for horse racing enthusiasts, recently announced that it had surpassed 50,000 in just three months after its creation. This achievement highlights Coral’s impressive insight into customer preferences.

2024’s campaign aims to showcase a richer, more entertaining personality for Coral, establishing its distinctive market position. Creative director at Wonderhood Studios, Guy Hobbs, noted that the ads aimed to celebrate the UK’s real racing and gaming lovers, regardless of their betting preferences. He hoped the videos would resonate with bettors and bolster Coral’s public-facing image.

We’re super excited to be delivering this fresh brand platform to inject some energy into an iconic British brand.

Guy Hobbs, Wonderhood Studios creative director

The team behind the visionary ads has worked for other leading brands like Aviva, Boots, BT, Google, and Subaru, demonstrating impressive passion, creativity, and ambition. This campaign is another tribute to UK horse racing, encouraging fans to engage with the sport during the Cheltenham Festival celebrations however they see fit. 

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Super Bowl LVIII, one of the most-anticipated National Football League (NFL) events for the year, is scheduled to take place on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. While there are plenty of festive activities planned throughout the week before the game, Sin City visitors may see hospitality worker picket lines in front of downtown and Strip hotel casinos.

Last week, the Culinary Union, representing casino workers in the city successfully negotiated a new five-year contract for the employees at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. While this was a major success for the union and the workers, negotiations with 20 hotel casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown continue and picket lines may be seen.

In a recent interview for The Nevada Independent, Ted Pappageorge, the Culinary Union’s secretary-treasurer, confirmed that picket lines can be seen in front of the properties just in time for the Super Bowl LVIII celebrations planned early in February. Pappageorge reaffirmed the need for a deadline, something that was announced by the Culinary Union earlier this month. At the time, the Union set February 2 at 5 AM as the deadline for the negotiations with the remaining 20 downtown and Strip hotel casinos.

Hospitality Employees Are Prepared to Go On Strike

Pappageorge spoke about the importance of the new contracts with the outstanding casino hotels, explaining that the workers there deserve the same benefits as the deals negotiated with the major operators in Sin City. He revealed that February 2 represents exactly nine months since the contracts of the hospitality workers expired.

While Pappageorge confirmed that the Unions want to avoid a strike, he said that “any responsible labor leader is going to do their best to reserve that right.” He confirmed that the workers at the resorts where contracts are outstanding are prepared to go on strike to secure better conditions, fair wages and job benefits.

“At the same time, these companies need to know things have changed since the pandemic. These companies are doing well and workers want their fair share and they’re prepared to strike to achieve that goal.“

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union

Last year, the Union reached agreements for new five-year contracts with Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts, the three leading casino and entertainment operators in Las Vegas. Recognized as a major win, the negotiations secured better working conditions, increased pay and job security for some 40,000 employees in the sector.

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The New Year’s Powerball drawing made one lucky player from Michigan significantly wealthy. At the time, one lucky lottery player hit the life-changing $842 million Powerball jackpot by guessing correctly all white balls 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball 1. If the lucky player selects a cash payout, he will be able to pocket some $425.2 million.

Now, a week later, the jackpot from the Powerball continues to grow. The drawing on Monday saw nobody guess correctly all white balls which were 7, 17, 28, 40, 45 and red Powerball 2.

After surviving the drawing on Monday, the jackpot from Powerball is estimated at $60 million for the upcoming draw scheduled for Wednesday. The cash option if a person guesses correctly all winning numbers and secures the jackpot is a mouth-watering $29.7 million, far from the $60 million but still life-changing.

Besides the jackpot from Powerball, a billion-dollar jackpot from Mega Millions was claimed recently. The jackpot, a staggering $1.6 billion was won from the game’s drawing back in August. At the end of last month, the Florida Lottery confirmed that the jackpot prize was claimed by a company called Saltines Holdings, LLC. Instead of selecting monthly payments, the company chose to receive a lump sum payment of nearly $795 million.

No Million-Dollar Prize Won from Monday’s Powerball Drawing

The latest drawing of the Powerball drawing saw nobody secure the grand prize but there was no one who collected a seven-digit prize too. Guessing all five white winning numbers would’ve granted a player a $1 million prize.

From the drawing on Monday, eight lucky lottery players guessed correctly all five white balls. This granted them a $50,000 prize each, while one user secured a $150,000 Power Play prize.

Some 175 lottery players won a $100 prize each by guessing correctly four white balls, while 66 winners collected a $300 Power Play prize each. It’s no surprise that the largest number of winners collected $4 each for guessing the red Powerball, a total of 136,098. Some 52,011, who guessed the red Powerball from the latest drawing secured $12 each.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning a prize from the game are 1 in 24.9.

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Hard Rock prepares for the launch of its new Rockford property in August and announced it plans to hire 400 more people.

As reported by the Rock River Current, an Illinois and Wisconsin-focused news outlet, Hard Rock Casino Rockford has many available management positions in food and beverage service, casino operations, transportation, retail, warehouse and other key areas of its operation. The company offers supervisor salaries of over $50,000 a year and manager salaries of over $70,000 a year.

In addition, a multitude of positions in casino operators are available. The company is looking for drivers, cashiers, security personnel, technicians and dealers, among others, offering starting pay of $18 an hour for non-tipped workers and $10-16 an hour for tipped staff.

A variety of other employees, such as chefs, cooks, bartenders, servers and hosts, among others, are also needed.

Hard Rock Casino Rockford is preparing to host workforce readiness workshops next year and run hiring events in the summer of 2024. Management positions will be officially posted in March. Supervisor positions, on the other hand, will be posted in April. Other job opportunities will become available in May.

Hard Rock Casino Rockford Wants to Hire “Rock Stars”

Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s president, Geno Iafrate, commented on the company’s workforce needs, saying that “the thing about the Hard Rock is it’s not just about filling the position, it’s about putting rock stars in the position.”

Iafrate admitted that hiring 400 people is no easy task, which is why it is never too early to start reaching out to the community. Through community connection events, the company will get the opportunity to meet the right people and find the exact “rock stars” it is looking for.

We want world-class hospitality folks. That doesn’t mean you have to have 25 years of hospitality experience. You have to have the right heart. You have to have a servant’s heart to work in the entertainment and in the hospitality space. We’ll teach you everything else.

Geno Iafrate, president, Hard Rock Casino Rockford

Hard Rock is already employing 350 people at its A Hard Rock Opening Act property, a temporary venue where people can play before work on the permanent Hard Rock Casino Rockford is complete. The permanent casino will thus have a total of 750 employees.

The final property will sport a spectacular 65,000 square feet gaming area that will be packed with 1,300 slots, 44 live gaming tables, 6 poker tables and a sportsbook. In addition to that, Hard Rock Casino Rockford will have a variety of food and beverage locations, as well as a 1,600-seat entertainment hall.

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In a move that adds intrigue to the recent acquisition of a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks by Las Vegas Sands Corp. matriarch, Miriam Adelson, it has come to light that an entity linked to the gaming giant purchased a significant parcel of land in Irving, Texas, just months prior to the high-profile sports deal.

Village Walk RE 2 LLC’s Acquisition Signals Sands’ Strategic Move Near Former Texas Stadium Site

The 108-acre property, located across from the former Texas Stadium site, was procured by a limited liability corporation named Village Walk RE 2 LLC in July, according to state records. The LLC’s address, 5420 S. Durango Dr. in Las Vegas, coincides with the business address of Sands, indicating a clear association between the two entities as reported by The Dallas Morning News.

While the intended use of the acquired land remains undisclosed, city officials in Irving have long sought a standout project for the area, envisioning a transformational development. The former Texas Stadium site, which was demolished in 2010, has been in use as a highway construction staging area.

Ron Reese, a spokesperson for Sands, affirmed the purchase, emphasizing the company’s enduring interest in the Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth region. Reese clarified that the acquisition was independent of the Adelson family’s Mavericks deal and was made with the anticipation of realizing Sands’ long-standing goal of constructing an integrated resort property in the D-FW area.

Efforts to expand gambling, including Sands’ envisioned resorts, have faced obstacles in the state legislature for years, but recent progress during the legislative session signals a potential shift. Sands remains committed to its vision of an integrated resort in the area and hints at future acquisitions in the region.

Irving Wants to Transform 108-Acre Property from Trucking Terminal to Urban Oasis

Irving’s economic development director, Beth Bowman, refrained from divulging details about the buyer back in July, but now acknowledges the transaction. She emphasized the city’s enthusiasm for developing the former stadium site into a mixed-use space, encompassing housing, retail, and entertainment.

The 108-acre property, previously a North Texas trucking terminal, is connected to the old Texas Stadium site by a new $45 million bridge. The city plans to develop over 400 acres, including the former stadium site, into a vibrant urban environment.

Mark Cuban, the current owner of the Dallas Mavericks, expressed interest in collaborating with Sands to build a new arena in Dallas, potentially integrated with a casino resort. However, legislative approval for gambling in Texas remains a prerequisite for realizing this ambitious vision.

As Sands continues to shape its footprint in the region, the recent land acquisition and the Mavericks deal have ignited speculation about the future of legalized gambling and sports betting in Texas. 

Analysts suggest that Texas, a substantial untapped market, could benefit from gambling tourism, with the Adelson family’s political and financial clout potentially playing a pivotal role in pushing for legislative changes.

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BetMGM provided some insights into the betting markets for the highly anticipated F1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023. As it turns out, Verstappen commands the bigger part of the F1 handle.

BetMGM is preparing for the historic race, believing that it could become the formula racing event with the largest handle in the company history. Now available in 26 markets, BetMGM operates nine retail sportsbooks within MGM Resorts International’s Las Vegas properties.

According to Matt Prevost, BetMGM’s chief revenue officer, the growth of motorsports’ popularity is nothing short of remarkable.

Race weekend in Las Vegas has the potential to shatter every company record for the sport. Popularity for automotive sports in the U.S. continues to grow and the activity we’re already seeing around this event is remarkable.

Matt Prevost, CRO, BetMGM

BetMGM Provides Insights into the Betting Markets

Publishing some insights into how bettors feel about the event, BetMGM remarked that Max Verstappen’s odds to win moved from -350 to -275. Charles Leclerc’s odds, on the other hand, moved from +2200 to +1600. Fernando Alonso’s odds, meanwhile, changed from +4000 to +2500.

BetMGM also published information about the handle percentage recorded by Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Sergio Perez. Verstappen remains confidently ahead of his rivals, commanding 58.6% of the total handle. Far behind is Norris with 12.6%, followed by Sergio Perez at 6.8%.

BetMGM’s biggest liability, however, is not Verstappen but Logan Sargeant. Next up are Lando Norris and Sergio Perez.

In terms of the highest ticket percentage, Lando Norris takes the lead with 15.8%. He is followed by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez with 12.7% and 10.9% respectively.

Finally, the company published information about most bet props. The Sergio Perez to finish top 3 market is currently at +160. The any other driver to win the race versus Verstappen market, meanwhile, is at +200. Finally, the Mercedes car to win the race prop stands at +1200.

Speaking of BetMGM, MGM Resorts’ Bellagio Fountain Club will offer premium experiences during the event, including state-of-the-art dining, cutting-edge viewing experiences, the chance to see the race live and a post-race commentary panel featuring the top racers.

However, some of the arrangements surrounding the event, including the pedestrian bridge view blocks and the disruption of homeless people’s lives have attracted criticism from Las Vegas citizens and tourists.

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Australia braces as the Melbourne Cup looms. The four-day Race that Stops a Nation is set to kick off on November 7, bringing tons of excitement to fans of racing and bettors alike. The $8.4 million feature race is set to take place at Flemington Racecourse and will be presented by 25 broadcasters in 209+ countries and territories.

The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) is set to produce a bespoke world feed for expectant audiences. This year’s broadcast will have the international racing community in mind, helping the club popularize the event among the global community.

 In the meantime, HBA Media, VRC’s dedicated global distribution agency, has improved distribution with eight major networks showcasing all the action.

FOX Sports will headline VRC’s international programs in the USA, allowing Americans to follow the exciting action. TransVision Indonesia, Premier Sports and FanCode will meanwhile air the Melbourne Cup in Indonesia, South East Asia and India, respectively.

In addition, Sky Sports Racing, ESPN, SportsMax and SuperSport will provide coverage to audiences in the UK & Ireland, South & Central America, the Caribbean and Africa, respectively. Meanwhile, DMI will continue to showcase the cases in the Middle East.

Full coverage details and the full list of broadcasters are available on HBA Media’s official website.

Executives Are Excited for the Event

David Campbell, VRC’s executive general manager of VRC Media, shared his thoughts, saying that the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup will be the highlight of the carnival. He added that the partnership with HBA Media will allow his team to connect with the international racing audience.

This year we celebrate 30 years since Vintage Crop became the first internationally trained horse to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup and since that historic moment the VRC has been able to build our global footprint and ensure that the Melbourne Cup Carnival has a strong presence on the world stage.

David Campbell, executive general manager of VRC Media, VRC

HBA Media’s chief executive officer, Henry Birtles, also commented on the matter, expressing his team’s delight to guarantee the event a global footprint

The VRC’s continued investment in live and on-demand international content is an invaluable asset, and we are delighted that a global audience will be able to experience the full Carnival in all its splendor.

Henry Birtles, CEO, HBA Media

Birtles added that this year’s event marks a decade of partnership between HBA and the VRC and thanked the club for its continued support.

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The project, which is due to open on November 20, 2023, and received a formal go-ahead from the Nevada Gaming Commission earlier this week, will be one of the biggest developments in the Silver State and bolster the local job market as well as create more opportunities for holidaymakers to enjoy gambling and relaxation.

Hiring Going according to Plan at Durango Casino & Resort

The resort is said to be planning to employ 1,450 people and have an additional 400-500 tenant partners, putting the total new jobs number at 2,000, an important economic boon to the local economy. There have so far been 25,000 job applications sent to the Durango Casino & Resort.

The hiring process has so far been going well enough, as the property has already hired 55% of its needed workforce. A “tremendous number of people” will also be hired over the next four to six weeks, estimates Durango general manager David Horn.

The resort will also come with 28 suites and 209 hotel rooms. As to the gaming space, there will be 83,000 square feet of gaming floor, along with 63 table games, a high-limit gaming salon, and 2,300 slot machines.

The Durango will focus mostly on catering to local residents and visitors, but international visitors could also be on the menu. There is no clear strategy as of right now, other than the Durango will try to stand out to all tourists interested in visiting the Silver State.

The Nevada Gaming Commission hailed the fact that Durango has received 25,000 job applications and was now sifting through them to ensure that all candidates get a fair chance. This comes at a time when Red Rock Resort & Station Casinos and the Culinary Union have been at each other’s throats over a fight to unionize at the property.

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The professional British heavyweight boxer Joe Joyce has unveiled a new partnership with BetVictor. The announcement comes a week before Joyce’s highly anticipated match against Zhilei Zhang. With much on the line, the clash between Joyce and Zhang is one of the hottest events of the year.

Under the agreement, BetVictor’s logo will feature at the fight night and will appear across the equipment of Joyce’s team. BetVictor will continue to support the professional boxer throughout the fight week prior to the clash, producing exclusive content for boxing fans.

The promotional content will build up hype for the fight and BetVictor’s exclusive promotions for the event.

Commenting on the partnership arrangement with BetVictor, Joyce said that he is very excited and proud to join forces with the company and “have them in his corner” for his rematch against Zhang. Joyce added that he is bullish on “righting the wrongs” of his previous fight against his rival.

I’m intending to right the wrongs of the first fight and go on to challenge for world titles, so I am grateful for their support for one of the biggest fights of my career.

Joe Joyce, professional boxer

BetVictor Is Excited to Support Joyce

Sam Boswell, BetVictor’s head of sponsorship, also commented on the matter, expressing his company’s delight about the tie-up. Boswell lauded Joyce as a “boxer who has a proven ability at the top level.” The BetVictor representative praised the athlete’s determination to become one of the best in the world and promised to promote him through a variety of activations.

Alongside traditional partnership activations, we will have great content following Joe in fight week across our social media channels plus plenty of promotions for both new and existing customers around the rematch on the 23rd of September.

Sam Boswell, head of sponsorship, BetVictor

Lastly, S-JAM Boxing’s head of commercial, Harry Phillips, said:  “We are delighted to partner with BetVictor as Joe’s official betting partner.” Philips lauded BetVictor as one of the most influential sports betting operators in Europe and a company that believes in Joyce as much as S-JAM Boxin does.

A few months ago, BetVictor renewed its sponsorship arrangement with the World Snooker Tour, reaffirming its support of professional snooker. Under the deal, BetVictor agreed to sponsor a total of eight events throughout the 2023/24 season.

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The Kentucky Sports Wagering Advisory Council has published a Wagering Catalog outlining all the sports upon which wagers may be conducted. The publication follows a meeting of the council and comes ahead of the launch of sports betting in the state.

Recommended by Hans Stokke, the director of sports betting at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the list includes a large number of events although some were still left out.

For example, Kentucky bettors will be able to wager on all of the biggest sports leagues in the USA, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, WNBA and OGA. Wagers on a number of collegiate sports are also allowed.

In addition to that, sports punters will get to place bets on a variety of other events, such as tennis, cornhole, darts, billiards, snooker, chess and cycling. The Olympics are also on the list.

Interestingly, players will be able to wager on motorsports such as NASCAR, NHRA and IndyCar races, among others, but not on international Formula 1 events.

Many Events Made It on the List, Some Did Not

In the meantime, operators will also be allowed to accept wagers on combat sports such as boxing and the UFC. However, slap fighting and other combat sports failed to make it on the list because of their inherent brutality. Stokke in particular was reluctant to approve disciplines that “result in mayhem.”

LIV Golf, the controversial golf tour backed by Saudi Arabia, also made it to the list. However, its addition may be reevaluated if it merges with the PGA Tour.

Fans of video gaming also have a reason to rejoice as Kentucky is set to greenlight betting on eight of the biggest esports titles. These include the Call of Duty League, CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, the NBA 2K League, the Overwatch League, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and VALORANT.

Unfortunately, fans of pickleball aren’t as lucky as the sport failed to make it to the list. However, Stokke reassured proponents of the discipline that it may get added in the future once his team is “more comfortable with the governing bodies that pickleball is subject to.”

Speaking of which, the list is likely to grow in time as more disciplines and women’s leagues are likely to be added in the future. However, the state plans to only include events that are overseen by a governing body that ensures their integrity.

Kentucky sports betting launches in a week. Starting September 7, retail sportsbooks will be able to accept wagers. A mobile launch will follow on September 28, although players can register in advance.

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