Hard Rock has teamed up with the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).

The deal makes the upcoming Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa the official bricks-and-mortar casino partner of the hockey team in the Canadian capital. Hard Rock will be visible through in-arena experiences at Charge games, featuring interactive activations, branding opportunities and social media contests for fans.

“Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa and the Ottawa Charge are two dynamic brands in our nation’s capital, and we are thrilled to partner with the team to offer premier entertainment options for thrill-seekers in eastern Ontario and beyond,” said Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa President, Christine Crump in a release.

The PWHL already has an online sportsbook and streaming partner in Canada in U.S. market leader FanDuel.

The six-team pro women’s hockey league launched last year. As well as Ottawa, the league has teams in Montréal and Toronto as well as American teams in Boston, Minnesota and New York. In its first year, it twice broke the all-time attendance record for a women’s hockey game, both times at games held in Canada.

Canada’s only Hard Rock casino to bring revenue into capital

The venue will be Canada’s only Hard Rock-branded casino after Hard Rock Casino Vancouver rebranded as Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in late 2023. It is currently in the final phase of a $350 million construction project at the site of the Rideau Carleton Casino.

Hard Rock International took over the existing operations of the casino in late 2017 as part of a service agreement with Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). Once open, the rebranded and expanded casino will feature 1,500 slot machines, 40 live-action table games, high-limit gaming and more.

The company predicts that the new hospitality hub will create more than 4,500 direct and indirect construction and ongoing employment opportunities in the City of Ottawa, as well as over 700 employment opportunities at the facility once the expansion is complete. The project is also expected to generate more than $206 million in tax revenue once fully complete.

Hard Rock expects the development, which is being entirely funded by Hard Rock and Rideau Carleton Casino, will recapture spending from Ontario residents and tourists who are currently traveling to Quebec for gaming and entertainment. The operator cited estimates that suggest that nearly $60 million is currently being lost to the neighboring province on an annual basis.