BetMGM has marked its full UK launch with a new advertising campaign fronted by US comedian Chris Rock.

Rock， who was subject to intense media spotlight last year when Will Smith slapped him at the Academy Awards ceremony， features in the video which highlights Las Vegas and London.

The commercial sees Rock in a small boat sailing from the fountains of the Bellagio to the River Thames， with a lion in tow – a reference to BetMGM’s partnership with LeoVegas.

Sam Behar， UK Director of BetMGM， said of the commercial: “We are incredibly excited to launch BetMGM in the UK and give customers something new. This campaign leverages the heritage of MGM Resorts’ best-in-class Las Vegas entertainment to deliver a unique proposition to the UK market.

“Alongside standout promotions and our A-list ambassador Chris Rock， this campaign clearly demonstrates BetMGM’s commitment to bringing a fresh and entertaining approach to the market. It’s showtime.”

Meanwhile， Dan Jacobs， Chief Creative Officer at Recipe，queen cleopatra slot added: “It's been a real privilege to support the launch of BetMGM in the UK. From minute one， the ambition from everyone was to stand out in the market. Chris Rock， in a gold boat， with a lion， in the Fountains of Bellagio does exactly that.”

When launching in the UK， BetMGM is without one of its backers Entain， as MGM Resorts uses LeoVegas in-house instead. The news prompted a response from Entain， which stated: “We do not consider that this new launch will make any impact to our business or indeed the market."