DraftKings Responsible Gaming Campaign Headlined by Tony Hawk, The Miz

Sports betting and iGaming firm DraftKings continues to expand its responsible gaming initiatives. The gaming firm s latest campaign coincides with the American Gaming Association s (AGA) inaugural Responsible Gaming Education Month this September.

Tony Hawk appears in a responsible gaming commercial produced by DraftKings. The iGaming and sports betting leader is upping its commitment to responsible play to coincide with September being Responsible Gaming Education Month. (Image: DraftKings)

Titled Practice Safe Bets, the spot is seemingly a play on the practice safe sex motto that ran in the wake of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 90s. DraftKings is employing two celebrity ambassadors to get out the message that gambling responsibly is the cool way to gamble.

Inspired by the 1990s-era The More You Know public service announcements, DraftKings responsible gaming campaign features skateboard legend Tony Hawk and former reality TV star turned WWE wrestler The Miz in retro PSA commercials.

Hawk wears a helmet and kneepads as he discusses deposit and time limits available on the DraftKings app. The Miz, clad in a metallic costume, exudes a cool factor by making the point that it s cool to cool off from betting.

Responsible gaming advertising is a tremendous opportunity to reach DraftKings players in a fun and educational way, said Stephanie Sherman, DraftKings chief marketing officer. We chose The Miz and Tony Hawk for the Practice Safe Bets campaign because of their extensive fan bases and because their personalities will break through the noise to reinforce why using responsible gaming tools is so important.

Responsible Gaming Embraced by Most

The National Council on Problem Gambling says about 1% of the US adult population . Another 2%-3% are estimated to meet the criteria for having a mild or moderate gambling disorder.

With more younger people entering the industry through sports betting, the AGA and leading iGaming/online sportsbook operators believe more encouragement of responsible play is needed. For many millennials, their first mobile sports bet is their first encounter with legal gambling.

Betting without a game plan is a little like skating a giant ramp without a helmet or pads, Hawk says before a gray backdrop and a stack of antiquated television sets. DraftKings Sportsbook provides you with tools to set a realistic budget and time limit so you re ready to bet responsibly.

In The Miz s spot, the celebrity oozes a wrestler s persona from the 1990s. The character is seemingly loosely based on Randy Macho Man Savage. Have a realistic budget, and bet within your means, The Miz tells viewers.

Both DraftKings commercials conclude with a parody take on the iconic The More You Know comet trail graphic that instead reads, Practice Safe Bets.

DraftKings Commitment

The responsible gaming PSAs follow DraftKings June announcement that it would implement software allowing its customers to schedule .

BetBlocker is a responsible gaming tech firm that provides blocking software free of charge to consumers. BetBlocker can limit access to online gaming websites with a simple click. BetBlocker on DraftKings allows patrons to temporarily disable the iGaming and sports betting app for a period that the user determines.

The responsible gaming initiatives are part of the DraftKings S.E.R.V.E.S. corporate social program, which stands for Service, Equity, Responsible Gaming, Vitality, Entrepreneurship, and Sports.