Hard Rock still loves the classics — in-person retail sports betting at their Gary casino, that is. But the day after Labor Day, the company debuted the Hard Rock Sportsbook, their app for the newest way of wagering on sports — online.
A Hard Rock press release said that the company looks to attract players by integrating in-person experiences and online wagering, according to casino.org.
Hard Rock’s Digital CEO and executive managing director, Marlon Goldstein, commented on the sportsbook’s launch. “We are excited to offer the legendary Hard Rock experience to our mobile sports betting players throughout Indiana.”
The Hard Rock Sportsbook joins a list of several Indiana online betting apps.
Indiana Hard Rock Sportsbook betting app features
All Indiana adults 21 and over can avail themselves of Hard Rock’s new sportsbook by downloading the app for free through the Apple App store. Android users can do the same through the Google Play Store. A visit to the Gary location isn’t required.
According to nwitimes.com, Hard Rock Sportsbook offers these features:
- Ground-breaking promotions
- Game parlays
- Prop parlays
- In-app streaming
- Hundreds of game and prop bets daily
- Quick deposits and withdrawals
Mystery Wheel of fortune gives out bonus bets
Registrants can spin Hard Rock Sportsbook’s “Mystery Wheel” and find out the amount of a bonus bet they can use. That bonus bet can go up to as much as $5,000.
Digital CEO Goldstein said:
“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.”
A pile of Hard Rocks
The one-year-old Hard Rock Casino in Gary kicked off retail sports betting in May. Now, following approval to launch the app by the state’s Gaming Commission, Indiana has become one of six states where the Hard Rock Sportsbook is available.
Besides the other newly launched Hard Rock online app in Tennessee, Hard Rock Sportsbook is already live in:
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- Iowa
- Arizona
Hard Rock has already applied for Ohio licensing to complement its Cincinnati casino. With regulatory approval, its Ohio sportsbook launch could happen around the New Year or after.
Illinois will soon see some Hard Rock action, too, as the company is building a casino in Rockford.
The Hard Rock Sportsbook joins these others currently available in Indiana:
- DraftKings
- Unibet
- Caesars
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
Another sportsbook app may mean more revenue for Indiana
Online sports betting kicked off in Indiana in October of 2019. 2020 saw $46,516,489 in sports betting revenues, with the most bets happening via FanDuel, DraftKings, and MGM, according to news10.com.
Jump to this past January, when Indiana sports betting brought in $500 million.
According to Gambling News, online sports betting is now the alpha dog of ways to wager on sports. So with another mobile sportsbook added to the Indiana mix, who knows what’s ahead?
After all, we’re looking down the road at Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, and football season itself sets off a lot of sports wagering in Indiana, same as everywhere else it’s available.
Between a Hard Rock and a bad place
More sports betting avenues are a good thing for casual and controlled sports wagerers, but not so much for those with gambling addiction, which is considered a process addiction.
Therapist James Wright told news10.com that he sees an increase in people looking for gambling addiction treatment as mobile sports betting goes more mainstream.
Wright added that “…they really think that the next shot is going to be their ticket… ‘Man, if I hit this one, I’m going to make 50 bucks on this one.’”
The cons, however, include the possibility of losing your life savings on a bet, and discipline in betting is recommended. Budgeting bets is a recommendation that comes up frequently.
Janet Miller, Executive Director of the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling, noted a troubling increase in problem gambling hotline calls from younger gamblers, especially males, as legal sports betting’s reach becomes wider.
The option of self-exclusion from any gambling is available in Indiana.