* DraftKings on March 17 will launch a multimillion-dollar responsible gaming campaign that riffs on Kenny Rogers’ classic song “The Gambler,” Marketing Dive can exclusively share.
* A 60-second spot features gamblers in various settings and situations as they sing along to the country tune. The video ends with the tagline, “It’s more fun when it’s for fun.”
* Timed to the beginning of March Madness, the ad will be featured on Fox, CBS Sports and other networks, with an audio component running on platforms including Spotify and iHeart. The effort features branding support from the NFL, NBA and PGA.
DraftKings’ latest responsible gaming campaign revolves around the lyrics to “The Gambler” — knowing when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, walk away and run — just in time for March Madness. Over the past three tournaments, DraftKings has processed more than 300 million bets. The brand saw an over 250% year-over-year increase in bets for the most recent women’s tournament.
“We really believe that responsible gaming is for everyone, and we want to be investing in marketing and communications that drive awareness of this and leans into our point of view that it’s more fun when it’s for fun,” said DraftKings CMO Stephanie Sherman. “We wanted the campaign to deliver on that fun and exciting social experience for our customers.”
The campaign brings that experience and “The Gambler” to life in settings like a bar, a pizza place, a basketball game and a living room. Memorably, two golfers run from an alligator on a golf course and a man crashes through a table at a football tailgate ([a Buffalo Bills fan tradition](https://981thehawk.com/buffalo-bills-fans-jump-on-tables/)). The effort includes licensed Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics and Kansas City Chiefs gear, increasing the spot’s verisimilitude.
Not only is “The Gambler” a good fit for the creative concept, but it resonated in testing with DraftKings customers as both entertaining and an authentic way to advocate for the importance of playing responsibly, Sherman said. The ad was directed by Henry-Alex Rubin from a script developed by DraftKings with support by production partners Smuggler and PS260.
The campaign is intended to boost DraftKings’ other responsible gaming efforts, including My Stat Sheet, a tool that gives players personalized insights into their gaming behavior. Nearly half of all DraftKings players have visited the My Stat Sheet feature since its launch. Sherman describes My Stat Sheet as part of the company’s “core differentiators.”
“As we think about meeting our players where they are from a marketing strategy standpoint… we think about ways that we can connect in the right moment and in authentic and contextual ways,” the executive explained.