The London-based gambling company Ladbrokes Coral begins a new marketing campaign in Australia with The Departed (2006) actor Mark Wahlberg while Crown Resorts’ AU$2.2 billion casino near Sydney is threatened.

“Ladbroke It!” Says the Actor

The 3-minute video opens up with a shot of Walhberg in a white suit and sunglasses atop a golf cart. He’s holding a smartphone that says, “Ladbroke it!”. The camera is brought closer and closer as the look in his eyes becomes more and more intense until finally, a ball of flames explodes in the back, and he begins laughing. 

The US actor flew to Australia in December 2020 to film the shots after spending two weeks in Byron Bay under mandatory quarantine. His role in the Ladbroke commercial is that of Mike Iceberg, the new chief entertainment officer of the company. 

Parent Company Entain Has a Long History of Hiring A-List Actors

It’s characteristic of Entain to hire actors from Hollywood to star in branded TV campaigns. Ladbrokes’ sister company Coral worked with Danny Mcbride on a six-part series in 2019. For Entain’s MGM Resorts collaboration in the US, BetMGM, the A-list actor Jamie Foxx was hired. 

Ladbrokes’ Close Call with the Advertising and Standards Authority

Earlier this month, Ladbrokes received warning from the Advertising and Standards Authority (ASA) because of a TV ad broadcasted on All4 that allegedly “depicted gambling behavior that was socially irresponsible.”

However, Ladbrokes argued that there was no implication of such depictions in the ad. Furthermore, they stated the man in the footage was merely nervous before a game. 

Ladbrokes is one of Australia’s preferred betting agencies and is in the top-ten-list for best Australian Football League betting sites. The company prices up games reasonably in advance and has future markets on the AFL Grand Final winner among other competitions. 

Meanwhile, in the Australian Gambling Industry

Crown Resorts were declared unsuitable for casino license in New South Wales by the former Supreme Court Judge Patricia Bergin. The company splurged AU$2.2 billion on the gaming complex on the Sydney harbor, which currently operates only its hotel and retail sites.

Furthermore, the report by judge Bergin included a proposal for a change of Australia’s Casino Control Act and a ban on partnerships between casinos and junket operators, which would significantly impact the gambling industry in the state.