Hard Rock Sportsbook expands US footprint through Indiana and Tennessee launches

Hard Rock Sportsbook is continuing its US expansion by launching its mobile app in Indiana and Tennessee. The product went live in both states on Tuesday, in which the Hard Rock brand currently operates a number of retail properties. “Hard Rock Sportsbook plans to engage its players with one-of-a-kind integrated in-person and online experiences rooted in Hard Rock's legendary entertainment,” the Seminole Tribe’s gaming and hospitality brand said in a press statement.

Indiana is home to the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, where a retail Hard Rock Sportsbook location opened in May. Meanwhile, Tennessee has three Hard Rock Cafes (Nashville, Memphis, and Pigeon Forge), and the Bristol Casino, located just across the Virginia state line. The Bristol Casino opened as a temporary venue back in July, ahead of the permanent property’s opening –slated for 2024–, thus becoming Virginia’s first casino.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

"We are excited to offer the legendary Hard Rock experience to our mobile sports betting players throughout Indiana and Tennessee," said Marlon Goldstein, Executive Managing Director & CEO for Hard Rock Digital. "The successful debut of the Mystery Wheel is the latest example of the unique interactive experiences that can only be found at Hard Rock Sportsbook as well as our commitment to building the most entertaining app in the market."

Hard Rock’s renowned entertainment brand is set to serve as the foundation for the company’s mobile betting products, which are focused on making the “Hard Rock experience” available on the go. “In addition to an easy-to-use, frictionless experience, the Hard Rock Sportsbook app offers innovative promotions, fast deposits and withdrawals, and hundreds of games and props to bet each day along with same game parlays and prop parlays,” the company claims.

TENNESSEE AND INDIANA PLACE YOUR BETS AND GET THE PARTY STARTED

— Hard Rock Sportsbook (@HardRockSB) September 6, 2022

Amid its multi-state rollout, Hard Rock Sportsbook has now also introduced in-app streaming and the Mystery Wheel, described as “a new interactive rewards experience” where players can earn up to $5,000 in free bets. The Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app is available for download through the App Store (iOS) or the Google PlayStore (Android) and can be utilized within Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee, and Virginia with plans to expand to additional states “soon.”

Hard Rock Sportsbook also serves players online in New Jersey and Iowa through the Hard Rock Sports & Casino in NJ, and the Hard Rock Sportsbook Iowa apps, respectively. The product is overseen by Hard Rock Digital, Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming’s vehicle for interactive gaming and sports betting.

The Hard Rock Sportsbook has further plans to enter new markets in the future, including Ohio and Illinois. The online betting product was briefly live in Hard Rock’s home state of Florida in 2021, with plans to follow with retail sportsbooks at the Seminole casinos in the state. However, shortly after launch, the tribe’s compact with the state was challenged by a lawsuit, which halted Hard Rock Sportsbook’s operations. The legal issue is still ongoing.

In an interview with Yogonet in June, Matt Primeaux, Executive Managing Director, President of Hard Rock Digital, explained the company’s strategy for its product, claiming Hard Rock Sportsbook is taking “a different approach” than its major competitors. “We are building a robust, sustainable business and aren’t interested in simply buying market share at an irrational price,” Primeaux noted at the time. “Rather, we’re investing in the foundation of the business for the long-term — in product, marketing technologies and cultivating an innovation-minded team.”