How FanDuel Is Using Rob Gronkowski For Massachusetts Promotion

Boston sports Massachusetts sports betting New England Patriots News Sports Betting
Written By Adam Hensley on April 11, 2023 – Last Updated on April 18, 2023
Rob Gronkowski and FanDuel MA's partnership, from play-ma.com
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Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski won three Super Bowls during his time with the Patriots, turning into one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets.

But now, he’s becoming a sportsbook ambassador for the same area.

Massachusetts online sports betting officially launched on March 10, a few months after the state accepted its first legal sports bet at a casino. Now, six mobile sportsbooks call the state home, with FanDuel standing as one of the household names.

Gronk and FanDuel partnership

There’s no denying Gronkowski is a Massachusetts legend. His outstanding play and vibrant personality make him the perfect candidate for sportsbook advertisements geared toward Massachusetts sports fans.

Shortly before the state’s first casino sports bets went live in January, Gronkowski announced his partnership with FanDuel Massachusetts.

The sportsbook views this partnership as a match made in heaven.

“(Gronkowski’s) just been an absolute unbelievable partner the whole time,” FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said in a February interview with Forbes. “One of things that he’s done is, he’s so charismatic, but he’s really done a phenomenal job of bringing the fans along the journey. He’s just been an absolute unbelievable partner the whole time.”

Helping welcome sports betting to Massachusetts

Just as online sports betting launched in the Commonwealth, Gronkowski posted a promotional video with his Twitter account.

“What’s up, Mass?” Gronkowski said in a video. “The wait is finally over. FanDuel, America’s number one sportsbook, is live in Massachusetts.”

Since then, Gronkowski continues to use his social media platform to market the sportsbook.

He advertised a Massachusetts “Super Boost,” sharing a promotion where if the Boston Celtics made at least one 3-pointer on March 11, users could win up to $100 in bonus bets.

‘Gronk’s Pick 6’ pre-launch promotion, autographed football

In addition to all of the social media ads, FanDuel made sure Massachusetts bettors could find a promotional offer from their hometown hero.

To cash in on the Gronk’s Pick 6 deal, bettors needed to answer six daily questions. If they notched a perfect score, they’d receive $10 in bonus bets to use when the industry went live in March.

FanDuel also offered an autographed football from the tight end himself. Twitter users needed to retweet FanDuel’s announcement and follow two different accounts. One random user was selected on March 24.

Headlining FanDuel’s Super Bowl promotion

If you watched the Super Bowl this past February, odds are you saw Gronk.

FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny” commercial with Gronkowski took place before Massachusetts legalized the sports betting industry, but it generated plenty of conversation. It helped raise awareness to the industry’s upcoming launch in the Commonwealth.

The premise was simple. Gronkowski would kick a 25-yard field goal live on a commercial during Super Bowl LVII. If he made the kick, FanDuel would then divvy up $10 million in bonus bets to all sports bettors who wagered on the Super Bowl.

FanDuel’s commercial for the big event hinted that Gronkowski would practice his kick with fellow Patriots legend Adam Vinatieri. For nearly a month, the sportsbook advertised its big event. But even practice with the best kicker in NFL history didn’t make perfect in this case.

Gronk’s kick just barely missed to the left.

But no worries. FanDuel still made things right for its customers, giving everyone who qualified a share of its $10 million prize.

FanDuel and Gronk promote responsible gaming

March was National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. And many sportsbooks did their part to emphasize the importance of setting limits and making sure sports wagering doesn’t take over lives.

With Gronkowski in Arizona for his “Kick of Destiny,” FanDuel opted to market responsibility to those in the area.

“We kept bringing new ideas to (Gronkowski),” Howe told Forbes. “So one of the ideas from a gentleman from our marketing organization, which I love, was — we’re using this platform on responsible gaming — so if you’re in Phoenix, we have 10,000 of these trading cards. And there’s a QR code on it. It’s ‘RG’ — for both Rob Gronkowski and for responsible gaming — and you can scan the QR code. It takes you to all our responsible gaming tools.”

Responsible gambling in Massachusetts is a big focus for all sportsbooks, and FanDuel continues to promote responsible gambling info in the Bay State as well.

GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support.’ ‘21+ and present in MA. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non withdrawable Bonus Bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com’

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Adam Hensley

Adam Hensley is a journalist from Des Moines, Iowa, with experience covering online sports betting and gambling across Catena Media. His byline has appeared in the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and sites within the USA Today Network. Hensley graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 and spent his college career working for the Daily Iowan’s sports department, both as an editor and reporter.

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