William Hill To Launch New Safer Gambling Campaign And TV Advert
Leading gambling operator William Hill has announced the launch of a brand new safer gambling campaign and television advert.
The new safer gambling campaign is comprised of an advert that will air ahead of this month’s European Championships and, according to CasinoBeats, celebrates the “differences” of the nations. Alongside the safer gambling ad, William Hill is reportedly releasing another television advert to match the operator’s relaunched brand.
The advert features several William Hill ambassadors, including Robbie Savage, Rio Ferdinand, Jermaine Jenas, and Sir AP McCoy, along with friends enjoying sport. The ad, directed by former professional rugby player brothers Nico and Michel Arribehaute, features Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, and it was filmed across 16 locations in London throughout April.
Charlotte Emery, the Chief Brand Officer at William Hill, said of the safer gambling campaign: “As a responsible operator, we understand the importance of safer gambling, and we hope the new safer gambling creative will encourage customers to enjoy our products safely.”
Touching on the upcoming new television ad, Emery said: “We wanted an iconic sporting song for the advert, and we were delighted to be able to get ‘Sweet Caroline’. It is a song that spontaneously gets friends singing together. It was the perfect song for our campaign. We were delighted with the passion and drive that Nico and Michel brought to the project. The fact they played rugby professionally gave them a unique understanding of the passion of sport. I am thrilled with the results. They nailed the brief.”
The launch of William Hill’s new safer gambling ad comes after the operator last year committed to using 20% of its advertising slots to raise awareness for safer gambling and informing gamers on safer tools like deposit, time, and loss limits. The news also comes as gambling operator Entain is reportedly considering making a bid for William Hill’s non-US assets after the company was acquired by casino operator Caesars Entertainment in April. Caesars is looking to sell all of William Hill’s non-US assets.
Betway Announces Partnership With MercedesCup
Meanwhile, fellow gambling operator Betway has announced a partnership with tennis event the Stuttgart Open or, due to its current sponsorship with Mercedes Benz, the MercedesCup, which is an ATP Tour 250 series tournament on the ATP Tour.
Under the three-year partnership, Betway will act as the official betting partner of the event alongside Emirates, Gazi, Lavazza, Liqui Moly, CG Elementum, and more. The partnership is the latest Betway has struck, following from the Mutua Madrid Open, the Estoril Open, and the Miami Open.
Anthony Werkman, the Chief Executive at Betway, said in a statement: “We are overjoyed to become the official betting partner of the MercedesCup as we continue to showcase our support of tennis around the world and we look forward to being part of such a historic event.”
Edwin Weindorfer, the MercedesCup tournament director, added: “In challenging times like these, we are very happy to have agreed on a sponsoring deal for the MercedesCup with a worldwide successful company like Betway. As a global player, Betway strategically focuses on tennis. This goes to show that the sport of tennis works very well as a communication platform.
“The MercedesCup takes centre stage in Betway’s international orientation – not least due to the comprehensive live TV broadcast offering, digital presence and innovation as well as the social media and fan engagement initiatives of the grass court highlight at the TC Weissenhof.”
In addition to the above, Betway has struck an agreement to act as the main sponsor to Furia, a Brazilian eSports team. According to GamingIntelligence, Betway will provide eSports fans with cross collaborations and activations through its BetwayTV platform.
Betway eSports director Adam Savinson said: “We are proud and excited to be announcing our partnership with Furia. Continuing our growth in the Brazilian eSports market, we’re committed to providing the dedicated fans [with] the best content and partnerships possible.”
Furia co-CEO Andre Akkari added: “We are very proud to announce Betway as our new partner. They are a global leader in eSports betting who promote safe and responsible gambling. It’s a very exciting time for both brands and we’re looking forward to working with them on some creative content campaigns for our loyal fan bases.”
Yggdrasil Launches New HippoPop Slot With AvatarUX
Yggdrasil has launched a new slot this week in collaboration with YG Masters partner AvatarUX. The dream-like slot, titled HippoPop, is the latest game to be made with the PopWins mechanic, where winning combinations pop to create two new symbols that offer increased chances for multiple wins.
According to Yggdrasil, the slot is inspired by Oaxacan arts and wood carvings, and it offers slot players a “psychedelic” experience. The game uses a 5×7 layout with 65,536 paylines, and it has an RTP of 96.1% as well as high variance, meaning players are likely to make infrequent large wins when playing.
HippoPop also comes with several special features, including a free spins bonus wheel, which is triggered by increases the base game’s reels to six symbols high. When this happens, players earn five spins and trigger the bonus wheel through which players can claim more spins. The game also features multipliers and wild symbols to help land more wins.
Stuart McCarthy, the Head of Partner Programs at Yggdrasil, said in a statement: “AvatarUX’s PopWins content has been a huge success and the titles were some of our top performers last year with players really enjoying the mechanics that offer an element of daring and excitement.
“HippoPop is another smashing hit in the PopWins series with a unique theme and exciting features that will have players entertained as they spin the reels to unlock the game’s powerful payout potential.”
Marcus Honney, the Managing Director at AvatarUX, added: “Along with a feelgood summer vibe and HippoPop’s quirky theme, it is also fused with advanced slot mechanics to create one of the smartest and most fun games of the year. The fusion of epic themes and powerful bonus mechanics makes HippoPop a must-have slot for online casinos looking to deliver in-demand games.”