Hard Rock Bet will fund and sponsor a $5 million slots tournament operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, with a live final scheduled for December 12 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.
According to the company, the event is the largest slots tournament Hard Rock has held in Florida.
Hard Rock Bet is the sole sponsor and is providing the entire prize pool, which includes $1 million for the first-place finisher. Entrepreneur, social media personality, philanthropist, and author Bethenny Frankel will host the live tournament and stars in its promotional campaign.
An online route to the Hollywood final
Qualification opened October 5 for eligible players in Florida, New Jersey, Michigan and Ontario, who can enter through the Hard Rock Bet apps.
The qualifying window closes November 29. Florida will run eight separate one-week qualifiers, while New Jersey, Michigan, and Ontario will each hold four separate two-week qualifiers.
Results from each qualifier stand on their own. A player who wins a qualifier earns a seat in the live tournament, and all finalists begin the event with a clean slate.
Florida qualifiers will use titles from Hard Rock Bet’s Real Money Games Powered by Past Motor Racing slate, which players can access through the Hard Rock Bet app in the state. The lineup includes Cash Eruption, Cleopatra, Mystery of the Lamp Treasure Oasis, Rising Rockets Emperor and Triple Cash Eruption.
A reality TV star takes the host’s chair
The tournament also launches a new partnership between Hard Rock Bet and Frankel, whom the company describes as one of the most-followed lifestyle voices in the country.
Frankel appears in the tournament’s television creative, and the company captured additional photography and social content with her for the $5 Million Slots Tournament campaign.
“Hard Rock Bet is built to deliver experiences that go beyond the app, and this tournament brings that vision to life on an incredible scale,” said Lauren Varnas, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Hard Rock Digital.
“Players across four markets will have the opportunity to qualify through popular casino titles they enjoy on our apps before coming together at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood to compete for a $1 million top prize. It’s a uniquely Hard Rock experience that combines our digital platform, iconic destinations and world-class entertainment — and with Bethenny Frankel bringing her energy and reach to the campaign, it’s an even bigger moment for our players,” said Varnas.
“I don’t get behind things that don’t deliver — and this tournament delivers. Five million dollars in prizes, a live championship, and a real shot at a million-dollar payday — I built my career on knowing exactly what people want, and what people want is a reason to show up and win big. Hard Rock Bet is handing them that. I’m all in, and on December 12, I’ll be right there when someone’s life changes,” Frankel said.
The full $5 million will be paid out over the course of the tournament, including the $1 million championship prize. Qualified finalists will meet at the Hollywood property on December 12, 2026, to compete for the top award and the remaining prizes in the pool.
Hard Rock Bet said the combination of digital qualifiers and a live championship at one of Hard Rock’s premier entertainment destinations gives players an integrated online and in-person format.