If you didn’t know anything about sports betting before this year and you own a television, you at least have a passing familiarity with it now. Especially if you like sports.
Ads for mobile sports betting have proliferated like rabbits in 2021.
But another gaming trend this year is also getting attention, albeit more quietly. Ads for igaming tend to be overlooked, because there are no famous brand ambassadors encouraging bettors, no flashy sponsorships at arenas and stadiums, no multi-million dollar marketing campaigns.
Currently, igaming is only available in six states. But most estimates see igaming revenue outpacing sports betting revenue by a considerable margin.
When SBC Advisory Panel Founder & MD Anton Kaszubowski asked if sports betting could spur quality content in igaming, he was told that scenario didn’t reflect how the market is unfolding.
“We’ve seen a lot of companies market virtual (gaming) as a slice of the sports betting casino,” Evolution Commercial Director North America Jeff Millar said Thursday during the panel discussion, “2022, The Year of Deliverables at the SBC Summit North America.” “The truth is, that’s not how it works.”
Tribal gaming and regional casinos are often forgotten in discussions about advances in sports betting and igaming. But Rush Street CEO Richard Schwartz said these operators are well positioned to be successful in online betting ventures, because they’re known and trusted in their communities.
“Regional commercial and tribal properties, as long as they have good product, have a chance at being successful,” Schwartz said.
It also might be incumbent on emerging igaming markets to follow Michigan’s process when it comes to legalizing online gaming. Instead of seeking legalization independently, commercial and tribal gaming operators banded together in Michigan when they began lobbying to make igaming legal.
“It really was the first time both stakeholders came to the table together with legislation and moved the market forward,” Millar said. “I think that’s really bullish for the North American igaming market, where many of these things can be settled in a similar way, or even if it’s just all tribal casinos. We can move forward with igaming and do it in a responsible way with all stakeholders at the table and come to an agreement on a path forward.”
The panel addressed a wide range of topics during the discussion, with igaming and sports betting viewed as important near-future cogs in the gaming industry.
Other issues included how omnichannel approaches to gambling allow gaming operators a wide range of options and branding, which is also viewed as an important part of successful.
Adi Dhandhania, Bally’s COO, North American Interactive, says his company’s branding takes into consideration all of the gaming operator’s offerings. “We absolutely believe that is required,” Dhandhania said. “It’s important to think of ourselves, and our strategy, in those terms.”
