• Partnership launches at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix
• Ads on McLaren F1 cars’ ‘halo’
• Joint social media promotions planned
• Partnership to explore strategies to promote responsible gambling

Famous for its Casino Square track sequence, it’s perhaps fitting that a new partnership between McLaren F1 and the PartyPoker and PartyCasino brands launches at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

The Entain brands have entered into a multi-year partnership with US-based McLaren Racing. The marketing people tell us this is a fusion built on a shared track record of delivering entertainment through “cutting edge innovation, underpinned by a common approach to safety and responsibility”.

In keeping with the safety theme, the PartyCasino brand will be advertised on the halos of the McLaren MCL35M F1 cars this weekend. The halo is the safety structure that sits on top of the cars’ otherwise open cockpit.

The casino brand will also appear on the helmet of McLaren’s Australian driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

It is not yet clear where or when branding for PartyPoker will appear.

The move is a bold one from Entain. But they are not the first to enter the famously glamourous F1 arena, which gets around 500 million television viewers over the course of a season. Rival PokerStars, now part of Flutter, has been advertising trackside at Grand Prix circuits for the past season.

F1 content

Gambling companies tend to do well at promoting brand content, and Entain is determined to make the most of its latest tie-up.

It intends to open up F1 racing to its customers while offering existing McLaren fans a range of content and exclusive experiences on a new activation platform called Access. It will include:

• McLaren-themed casino content and access-all-areas games on the Party sites
• Contests to win visits to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, near London
• Shared promotions across McLaren and Party social media channels
• Jointly developed marketing content

In a nod to the current additional gambling legislation expected soon within the UK, both companies say they intend to use their relationship to explore new ways of promoting safer betting and gaming.

Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen said: “We are immensely proud to be partnering with McLaren Racing, a team who are synonymous with creating thrilling entertainment by constantly innovating and staying at the cutting-edge of technology.

“This is the same approach we take in providing moments of excitement for our customers and we are truly excited about the opportunities we have to create new content for our PartyCasino and PartyPoker customers as well as bringing these great brands to new audiences.”

‘Safe and responsible excitement’

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, added: “Fan entertainment is a major focus for our team and sport. Like McLaren Racing, Entain brands such as PartyCasino and PartyPoker place high importance on providing moments of safe and responsible excitement for their customers.

“We look forward to starting our partnership with Entain from this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix and the activity we have planned together in creating moments of excitement for fans and customers.”