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The iconic Hard Rock name is on a path to expand its gambling presence in the state of Ohio with the launching of a mobile sportsbook in partnership with its very own Hard Rock Cincinnati property. Hard Rock Cincinnati has been offering legal casino gambling in the Buckeye State since 2019 and is officially a part of the state’s universal sports betting launch on January 1, 2023.
Both the Hard Rock Bet sports betting app and Online Casino entities have been active in a number of high-profile states such as Nevada, New Jersey, Iowa, Virginia, and Arizona and are looking to gain a reasonable market share in what is expected to be a major market in Ohio. The company already has valuable name recognition and infrastructure in place to be a player in the Ohio scene right off the bat.
Follow along as we take a deep dive into what Hard Rock has to offer Ohio bettors, including how clients are able to access the Hard Rock mobile platform, what to expect from their welcome bonus and other promotions, payment options, site safety, a projected list of sports markets and bet types, customer support options, and more.
What Hard Rock brings to the Ohio market
Hard Rock has been a recognizable name in pop culture circles for decades. It started out in London as a burger joint in 1971 and transitioned to hospitality with the opening of its iconic Hard Rock location in Las Vegas, Nevada, the home of American gambling. In 2006, the Seminole Tribe acquired the Hard Rock International brand in a ground-breaking $956 million deal.
The brand has since established itself as a top-tier name in both the hospitality and casino gaming industries. Since 2018, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn its blanket ban on sports betting, Hard Rock has been a key part of the growing legal sports betting expansion across the country.
Enter Hard Rock Cincinnati, which was awarded a mobile sports betting license as the market went live January 1, 2023. It is the latest destination for the Hard Rock Bet platform. Hard Rock brings its years of experience and an established legal online sports betting infrastructure to Ohio, along with its solid reputation and top-notch customer service as an enhancement to the already-popular Hard Rock Cincinnati Casino.
Pros of Hard Rock Ohio
Established, recognizable gambling brand
Years of experience catering to U.S. bettors
Decent promotional focus
User-friendly
Modern, sleek interface
Respectable list of betting markets
Live betting
Good customer service options
Rewards Program
Cons of the Hard Rock Ohio brand
Not widely available across the U.S.
Underwhelming desktop experience
How to get in on the Hard Rock Bet experience
Hard Rock has rightly made its online sports betting and online casino experience widely available in the jurisdictions they currently have a presence in. Hard Rock Bet Ohio users have options at hand, as there is a desktop version of their sports betting and casino product available as well as downloadable apps for both iOS and Android devices.
Downloads for either app can take place from the site itself or from the App Store and Google Play. Each method for getting in on the Hard Rock experience is quick and easy, which is a hallmark of a quality online betting brand.
The App Store currently rates the Hard Rock Bet as a 4.8/5, while Google Play has it at 4.6/5. Both speak to the quality of the product and just how easy Hard Rock Bet is to find, download, and play.
Hard Rock Bet Promo Code
New Hard Rock Bet Ohio users were lucky to be able to take advantage of a fun welcome offer!
Hard Rock offered new customers a chance to not regret their first sportsbook wager. If your first bet came up short, Hard Rock would refund the entire amount, up to $1,000, in the form of bet credits.
However, there is no welcome offer available at this time, so stay tuned!
Hard Rock Bet Promo Code
Coming Soon!
Hard Rock Bet OH Bonus Offer
$200 No Regret Bet
OH License Partner
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
Launch Date
January 2023
Hard Rock Bet Ohio launch date
Hard Rock already has a presence in the Buckeye State thanks to its iconic and very popular Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati. Because of that presence, the company was able to launch its mobile sportsbook offering right out of the gate, when legal sports betting went live in the state on New Year’s Day.
The Casino partnership is there, the license has been granted, and the sportsbook infrastructure has been built, which allowed for Hard Rock Bet to be a factor in Ohio immediately after the January 1, 2023 launch date.
Hard Rock Ohio Bet sign-up
The registration procedure in Ohio for bettors hoping to get in on the brand’s online wagering experience is an easy and straightforward one.
Our Hard Rock Bet review is a standard 3-5 minute sign-up procedure for bettors signing up for the brand in the Ohio market, as in other existing states. Ohio bettors need to simply click on the “Join Now” button on the home page and create an account with an email address and password. You will then be expected to provide the following information:
First and last name
Gender
Date of birth
Home Address including city, state, and zip code
Phone Number
Last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
Once complete, just agree to the terms and conditions and get ready!
Hard Rock Bet Ohio banking options
As an established, well-known gambling brand, Hard Rock has unleashed a full list of banking options to the Ohio market, just like they have in the other U.S. jurisdictions. Users simply can click the ‘Withdrawal’ or ‘Deposit’ option in the dropdown menu on the right-hand side of the home page to access the banking options, which include:
Cash at Hard Rock Cage
Credit/Debit cards: Visa or MasterCard.
ACH/eCheck: all you need is a bank account number and routing information.
PayPal
Hard Rock Play+ Card
PayNearMe: Deposit with cash at your local participating CVS or 7-11.
The above options are for deposits. There are fewer withdrawal options with the Hard Rock Bet Ohio platform but there are still plenty of ways to get your money out of your account. Our Hard Rock Bet review has ACH/eCheck options, the Hard Rock Play+ Card, PayPal, and Cash at the Casino Cage as withdrawal options for users of the brand in Ohio.
There is a minimum $10 deposit with most of the banking options. Deposits are instant, while withdrawal times will vary with each of the funding methods.
Hard Rock will be able to flex its muscle as a top-tier legal sports betting brand with the sheer volume of banking options that will be afforded bettors in the Ohio market. Deposit/withdrawal options are a strength of the Hard Rock brand and will give Ohio bettors a full slate of both traditional and more modern banking methods.
Addressing any safety concerns re: Hard Rock Ohio Bet
Hard Rock is an iconic brand that holds licenses in multiple states in America. The company cleared stringent regulatory hurdles in those jurisdictions and attained a license in the Ohio market, after fulfilling the state’s licensing regulations.
The company uses the most up-to-date 256-bit encryption software and only employs the best-in-class companies in order to keep your personal and banking information safe.
Simply put, our Hard Rock Bet review found zero issues with the company’s site security and deem it as airtight as any of the top dogs in the market.
Examining the overall Hard Rock Bet experience
As previously mentioned, the Hard Rock Bet app is readily available to customers in competing jurisdictions… and has officially been available in Ohio since January 1, 2023. Desktop, iOS, and Android versions are available from the site itself or at the App Store and Google Play.
Our Hard Rock Bet review was impressed with the overall sports betting experience. First impressions are extremely important and Hard Rock offers the Ohio market a modern, inviting, and attractive interface with a black and white color scheme complimented by purple and green accents throughout.
Once logged in, everything is very well-organized and well laid-out for both the novice and experienced gambler alike. The Hard Rock Bet interface is simple, but not overly so, making for a pleasurable all-around wagering experience.
The feel of the Hard Rock Bet matches the look. Hard Rock Bet brings a responsive, intuitive, easy-to-follow site to the Buckeye State, complete with a healthy menu of sports and bet types for their customer base. A handy “help” function on the main page adds to the impressive usability of the platform.
Ohio bettors are getting the best of what Hard Rock has to offer as their platform went live in January 2023. The veteran gambling company has over the years taken time to streamline its online wagering experience, complete with the visual appeal necessary to be considered a top sports betting destination.
There is a reason that the Hard Rock Bet app gets a 4.8/5 rating with the App Store – the entire wagering experience is very good!
Hard Rock Bet menu of sports
Hard Rock Bet locations in America seem to have taken a “quality over quantity” approach to their menu of sports. All of the main sports that the Ohio public would want is there, plus a few of the more obscure sports betting opportunities. But if you are looking for fringe sports, which some of Hard Rock’s competition offers in the Ohio market, they won’t be as prevalent.
Our Hard Rock Bet Ohio preview found major sports take precedence over niche sports. That said, 99.9% of Ohio bettors will be impressed by a menu that includes:
Auto Racing
Baseball
Basketball (NCAA included!)
Boxing
Football (NCAA included!)
Golf
Hockey
MMA
Rugby
Soccer
Tennis
There is a chance that the list of offered sports does expand in the future but for now, bettors in Ohio are looking forward to a sports menu heavy on high-profile sports, and light on lesser-known sports and leagues that other sites in the market offer.
Hard Rock Bet bet types
Hard Rock Bet bring a host of bet types to the Ohio market. The sportsbook rivals any of its competition with regard to its list of bet types in the jurisdictions that they currently have a presence in. Hard Rock Bet Ohio has a healthy bet type list for its new players:
Moneylines – the simplest of all bet types in which you bet simply on who wins the game. Oddsmakers determine the odds for each combatant and payouts will vary depending on whether or not you wager on a favorite or underdog. The bigger the favorite, the smaller the payday. The bigger the underdog, the bigger the payday!
Point spreads – simply betting on the margin of victory. Oddsmakers determine what they think a team will win by and their opponent will lose by, and you bet, hoping that your team “covers” that spread. Let’s say that you bet on the Cincinnati Bengals who are 3-point favorites (-3) against the Cleveland Browns (+3). The Bengals will have to win by more than 3 (or cover the spread) for the bet to cash. Otherwise, the bet is a loss. A bet on the Browns in this case will win if Cleveland wins outright or loses by less than 3 points.
Totals or Over/Under – betting on whether or not the two combatants go “Over” or stay “Under” the total amount of points set out by oddsmakers. Let’s say a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians has a total set at 9 runs. You bet on whether or not the teams will exceed OR fail to reach that “Total.”
Props – bets that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the outcome of a game. Bets can range from the interesting to the ridiculous. “Which team will be the first to score?” or “How many goals a certain player will score” are examples, as are “Who will win the coin toss,” or “What color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach.”
Parlays – sometimes called multi-betting, it is simply combining two or more bets into one. It is a risk/reward type of bet. They are harder to win as all “legs” must hit in order to get paid out. But… odds are often better in a parlay and the reward is much higher than a singular bet.
Futures – Betting on the winner of a future event. Examples are wagers on Conference Champs before their respective season even starts… or the MVP of a league that hasn’t concluded their season just yet.
Alternate spreads and totals
First half / second half outcomes
Round robins
Live Betting
Live betting or in-play betting has become an integral part of a sportsbook’s offerings and Hard Rock Bet Ohio brings the company’s full slate of Live Betting opportunities to the Ohio market.
Hard Rock Bet boasts multiple live betting opportunities around the clock, for both domestic and international sporting events. Live Betting opportunities are easy to find and are a focus of the Hard Rock Bet offerings across the country.
Live scoring and the necessary real-time stats are a hallmark of the Hard Rock wagering option. Hard Rock doesn’t offer the largest menu of sports on their site but the events they do cover do have a very good and necessary live betting focus.
Hard Rock Casino Gaming
Hard Rock’s casino gaming options are a good complement to its sports betting features. As a well-known and respected retail gambling brand, Hard Rock has amassed a respectable menu of gambling options to make up its online casino.
A full menu of slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat are available to Hard Rock users, with a nice variety of variations of their classic casino gaming options. All options come from the biggest and best online casino software providers in the world and provide bettors in the future Ohio market the quality expected from an experienced casino brand. Hard Rock does also offer one of the best social casinos in the US.
Our Hard Rock Casino review was more than satisfied with what it found with respect to the provider’s online casino. If and when Ohio ever gives the green light to legal online casino gaming, expect Hard Rock to begin offering its services.
Hard Rock Bet Rewards
Hard Rock does have a Rewards Program, but at the time of our Hard Rock Bet preview, the provider has not expanded its loyalty program to the sportsbook.
Hard Rock’s online casino does offer “the more you play, the more you earn” customer rewards. Our hope is that the sportsbook side of the online casino offering does eventually adopt a sportsbook rewards program.
With BetMGM, DraftKings, and a few of its other Ohio competition offering sportsbook rewards, it is not difficult to see Hard Rock expanding its loyalty program to include its sportsbook.
Hard Rock Bet Surprisingly Joins Florida Landscape for Now
Down south in the Sunshine State, the Seminole Tribe has relaunched the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app in November 2023 for its Unity by Hard Rock loyalty rewards members.
Hard Rock Bet had a 34-day stint of legalization in Florida back in 2021 before it was deemed illegal once again. We’ll keep you posted when we learn more on Hard Rock Bet Florida.
Hard Rock Bet Customer Support
Hard Rock Bet reviews such as this have made customer service an integral part of an online sportsbook offering. Hard Rock’s experience in the casino industry is evident in the customer service options that it offers its customers across the country. Ohio bettors can benefit from a full slate of contact options that include:
Our Hard Rock Bet experience relating to its customer service options was a good one. From the extensive and complete FAQ section to the timely, friendly, and knowledgeable nature of the email, chat, and phone support, the provider’s customer service suite was more than satisfactory and proved to be a strength of the overall brand.
21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Hard Rock Sportsbook Review Summary
Bottom Line
Hard Rock Sportsbook and Casino has been a reliable name in the broad American gambling scene – trusted and well-used by punters in the jurisdictions they have a presence in. Hard Rock’s mobile app brings simplicity and navigability to an overall seamless digital gaming experience. From its easy sign-up process to the rash of promotions available, we are confident that Ohio bettors will be taken care of by the Hard Rock brand. Hard Rock Sportsbook is a welcome addition to the Ohio scene as it went live on January 1, 2023. Overall, Hard Rock gets a “Thumbs Up” from us.
Dave doesn't describe himself as ahead of the curve on much. But sports betting and the industry as a whole is definitely in his wheelhouse! Dave has been involved with global sportsbooks for 15 years from the writing of game previews and picks to reporting on the gambling news of the day to the site reviews for your favorite global betting destinations. A sports and pop culture junkie, Dave takes immense pride in sharing his passions and feels fortunate to be in a position to do just that.
Dave doesn't describe himself as ahead of the curve on much. But sports betting and the industry as a whole is definitely in his wheelhouse! Dave has been involved with global sportsbooks for 15 years from the writing of game previews and picks to reporting on the gambling news of the day to the site reviews for your favorite global betting destinations. A sports and pop culture junkie, Dave takes immense pride in sharing his passions and feels fortunate to be in a position to do just that.