Entain Launches Party Responsibly
Online operator Entain launched its Party Responsibly initiative earlier this week, to coincide with the Styrian Grand Prix. Two of Entain’s most prominent brands, PartyCasino and PartyPoker have partnered with McLaren Racing. The initiative aims to promote safer gambling and the benefits of staying in control.
Lando Norris came in at P5 for McLaren at the Styrian Grand Prix. ©Randomwinner/Pixabay
Staying in Control
Leading sports betting and online gaming operator Entain has launched a new initiative to encourage safer gambling, as part of its partnership with McLaren Racing. The initiative was announced in time for the Styrian Grand Prix, one of the biggest events on the racing calendar.
Amongst McLaren Racing’s portfolio of global sponsors are two of Entain’s top gaming brands, PartyPoker and PartyCasino. The partnership is a boost for all involved, and Entain is keen to promote itself in a responsible way. Its new initiative promotes staying in control, comparing driving an F1 car with betting and gaming.
The campaign features a mini film titled “Time to Pit”, which stars McLaren’s F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo has joined McLaren for the 2021 and 2022 Formula One seasons, alongside Lando Norris. Narrating the video, Ricciardo emphasizes the benefits of knowing your limits and staying in control.
Speaking about the value of knowing when to take a break, the short film ends by advising that it is important to know when it’s time to pit. As part of the partnership, McLaren’s MCL35M race cars have also been emblazoned with Party Responsibly messaging in place of product branding.
The campaign marks Entain’s ambition to advertise itself as an operator that endorses safer gambling and protects its customers from harms. The branding is featured on the cars for both the Styrian and the Austrian Grand Prix. Both races take place at Austria’s Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The Styrian Grand Prix happened on June 27th, while the Austrian competition is scheduled for July 4th.
New Website
The safer gambling campaign has also included the launch of a new website, partyresponsibly.net. The site acts as a hub, hosting the “Time to Pit” film and the story of how McLaren has promoted safety innovations in the manufacture of its cars.
The hub also shows players how they can take control of their betting and gaming, by signposting useful tools and information. The site navigates users to GamCare’s self-assessment tool, which asses how much of an impact gambling is having on the participant’s life. It also offers helplines for those seeking support online and on the phone.
Announcing the new campaign, Entain’s Director of Corporate Affairs Grainne Hurst spoke about the benefits of managing risk and staying in control. Through the wise words of McLaren and driver Daniel Ricciardo, Entain hopes that Party Responsibly will prove successful in promoting safer betting and gaming.
The operator is keen to ensure that players can enjoy positive and entertaining gaming experiences through its brands. At the end of last year, it rebranded itself to Entain, from GVC. Under its previous name, the operator had gained some negative associations with big buyouts and unregulated markets.
Entain first announced that it would be sponsoring McLaren Racing earlier this year, in May. The partnership officially launched at the Monaco Grand Prix, where branding was revealed on the halos of McLaren’s MCL35M cars. Ricciardo’s helmet also features the operator’s branding.
As part of the sponsorship, Entain fans can also enjoy access to exclusive Formula One products. The operator is offering players numerous exclusive experiences, as well as dedicated content provided through its new activation platform, Access. The platform offers McLaren themed casino products and special competitions.
Styrian Grand Prix
Ricciardo and Norris raced for McLaren in Austria on June 27th, for the Styrian Grand Prix. The pair had high hopes for the race, but on the day, it did not go their way. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to take the win, pushing his championship lead to eighteen points.
That result marked Red Bull’s fourth consecutive win, and Verstappen’s second. Lando Norris finished in fifth place. Speaking after the race, he described it as quite straightforward without too much pressure. Norris is hoping to come back and land a similar result at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo’s thirteenth place was rather more disappointing for McLaren. The race began well for the driver, as he got up to ninth place. However, the car suffered from a loss of power, which cost them the race. The problem was fixed on the steering wheel, but it was too late for Ricciardo to catch up after four cars had overtaken him.
He is hoping to do better next week, and over the coming days will work on resetting the issues encountered during the race. Going over the day’s results, Team Principal Andreas Seidl spoke of mixed feelings. Thanking the team that worked tirelessly behind the scenes to mastermind the cars, Seidl had some hopeful words:
“Special thanks to the pit-crew who pulled off two very strong pit-stops. We’ll be back to have another go in five days, with a softer tyre allocation. We’ll use the next few days to understand this weekend, with the aim of making further steps and scoring strongly with both cars at the Austrian Grand Prix.”
