With football season just around the corner, BetMGM has unveiled a new marketing campaign featuring actor Jon Hamm.
The “It Happens Here” campaign highlights BetMGM’s sports betting, iGaming, and entertainment options and rewards programs ahead of the sportsbook’s busiest time of the year.
Key Takeaways
- The new campaign will include four spots and the newly created “Legends Lounge.”
- Legends Lounge will be featured in upcoming events and activations for customers.
- BetMGM will air the campaign series throughout the upcoming football season.
“It Happens Here” was created to showcase BetMGM’s products and experiences before the 2026 NFL season kicks off with a Super Bowl rematch on Sept. 9. The new campaign was created through a collaboration with independent creative agency CAPE and the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, Hamm, who helps highlight the opportunities that await BetMGM customers.
“As we enter the most exciting time of year for our players, we wanted to create a campaign that feels distinctly BetMGM while tapping into MGM Resorts' entertainment legacy,” said Matt Prevost, chief revenue officer at BetMGM. “With Jon's magnetic charm and CAPE's creative vision, 'It Happens Here’ ties together the breadth of experiences we offer in a way that's unmistakably BetMGM.”
Hamm, best known for his role as Don Draper in the AMC series “Mad Men,” stars in four new multi-channel ad spots.
The first spot in the series is called “Raise the Stakes.” It features Hamm inside the “Legends Lounge,” which looks like an upscale speakeasy, lecturing another man that “it’s never over.”
“You’ve got BetMGM on your phone,” Hamm says as a nearby fire roars to life. “You want interesting, you make it interesting.”
The campaign debuted last Saturday during Week 0 college football games. Upcoming editions of the series will be shown throughout the football season on television, social media, digital channels, public areas, and BetMGM properties.
BetMGM sportsbook is available in 31 markets.
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New experiences and opportunities
Legends Lounge was only constructed for the new advertising shoot. However, BetMGM plans to bring the Las Vegas-style setting to life through future activations and experiences for customers.
“The Legends Lounge is a world full of unexpected moments and memorable characters, and I enjoyed helping bring it to life for BetMGM’s new campaign,” Hamm said. “It’s clever, entertaining and a lot of fun.”
“It Happens Here” is the first product of BetMGM’s expanded partnership with CAPE. The production company previously produced BetMGM’s responsible gambling campaign that starred three-time NHL Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, which was released in December 2025.
“The ‘It Happens Here’ campaign brings together everything that makes BetMGM distinctive: sports, entertainment, iGaming and a bit of fun,” said Casey Ritts, co-founder and CEO of CAPE. “The Legends Lounge gives us a rich new world for the brand to play in, and Jon Hamm brings exactly the wit and personality that felt right for this campaign.
“We’re excited to expand our partnership with BetMGM and build ideas that can become lasting expressions of the brand.”
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