Scientific Games Corp. and Hard Rock International have extended their online gambling relationship as the state of Ohio, where Hard Rock operates a casino in Cincinnati, moves full steam head toward online/mobile and retail sports gambling.
According to a joint announcement, Hard Rock will use Scientific Games’ technologies dubbed OpenSports and OpenGaming “across regulated markets in the U.S.” For now, the pair are doing business together in Iowa and New Jersey, according to the presser.
Hard Rock is expected to operate a new retail casino in Northwest Indiana as soon as next year.
Scientific Games is the exclusive sports gambling partner for the Hard Rock brand. Previously, Hard Rock was partnered with Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) in a deal that dated to 2018.
Hard Rock and GiG recently amicably parted ways.
“The Hard Rock brand is instantly recognizable on a global scale and to extend our partnership with them once again is testament to our product development capabilities across iGaming and sports in the U.S.,” Jordan Levin, CEO of digital for Scientific Games, said in a statement.
Hard Rock casinos in the U.S.
In addition to Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio, and Indiana (soon to be), Hard Rock operates commercial or tribal casino gambling in Mississippi, Florida, Nevada, California, and Oklahoma.
A Hard Rock brick-and-mortar casino is also under construction in Illinois.
New Jersey is the only of the aforementioned states with legalized online casino gambling, but Indiana is preparing to consider it. Nevada has online poker, but Hard Rock isn’t a poker brand.
Hard Rock isn’t the most well positioned of the U.S. casino operators in terms of online gambling, as Florida, California, and Oklahoma show few if any signs of authorizing the activity anytime soon. Mississippi is sticking to retail sports gambling for now.
Fortunately for Hard Rock, Iowa, Indiana, New Jersey, Nevada, and Illinois — and likely Ohio in the near future — have legal and regulated online/mobile sportsbooks.
As for Las Vegas-based Scientific Games, it’s already involved in the Indiana online/mobile sports gambling market through powering the product from Caesars Interactive Entertainment, operator of several gambling facilities in the Hoosier State.
Scientific Games powers sports wagering for William Hill, which Caesars is in the process of acquiring in a $3.7 billion deal.