Figure 1 Sportsbooks chase customers just as aggressively as any other business
It surely won’t have escaped your attention that online sports betting firms are making quite a lot of noise at the moment. After various changes in the law relating to sports betting in the US and Canada in particular, there has been a lot of sportsbook visibility outside of the usual betting channels.
The best betting sites will probably prevail in the rush to sign up more customers in the new markets that have opened up in the last few years. But it won’t always be because of a superior product. As with any industry, advertising and marketing play a large part in any success. Here are five ways that online sportsbooks are catching our attention.
Promotions and Offers
Every area of business likes to have its giveaways. But online sports betting firms seem even keener on bonuses and offers than most. Maybe it is the general feeling of getting something for nothing that is sometimes associated with betting, but the promise of free bets – or deposit matches – is very common.
There is no sleight of hand here though. Betting firms know that they can afford to give new customers free bets, or even ‘free’ money’, because the nature of their business is to encourage more activity. There are always terms and conditions attached to these offers, but customers can get some very good deals.
Celebrity Endorsements
The US and Canada have been slower to catch onto the celebrity wave than other countries when it comes to marketing betting companies. That’s probably because leagues such as the NFL were always very averse to being linked in any way to sports betting when it was still illegal in most states.
But now all the major sports leagues in North America have signed deals with sportsbooks and other betting-related businesses, we are beginning to see a flurry of celebrity involvement. This will only increase as more states allow this type of marketing and we will see the same levels as in some countries in Europe.
Figure 2 A lot of thought goes into sports betting marketing campaigns
Advertising Blitz
It used to be the case that billions of dollars would be bet on the Super Bowl, with only a few Vegas sportsbooks taking money legally. There would be no mention of these bets by the sports media and everyone would pretend that it was just a few high rollers in Nevada that were interested in the odds.
But now more states allow legal betting we have suddenly seen a huge advertising surge. Halftime at this year’s Super Bowl was dominated by crypto and betting firms paying big money to get the best spots. This type of betting advertising will only increase and result in better brand awareness.
Inclusivity
Sports betting used to have a fairly unsavory image. Even in locations where it was perfectly legal, it was not seen as something that everyone took part in. But the introduction of online betting sites has seen an entirely new demographic emerge – and sportsbooks could not be happier.
Although the majority of bettors are still male, this pastime is now advertised with a far more inclusive touch. It has been marketed as something that everyone can do (as long as they are of legal betting age). This marketing has opened up whole new areas of the business and become even bigger than before.
The Attraction of the New
US sportsbooks may be playing catch up compared to their European counterparts, but there is an advantage to the position they are in. We have already mentioned that illegal betting has been around forever – but for many, this is the first time they have ever had any exposure to sports betting.
Sportsbooks can use this attraction of the new to their advantage. This exciting new world is now open to millions more potential customers – and the betting sites can add this to their arsenal when it comes to marketing their business.