The US gambling industry is in an evolutionary period. From new niche services launching to states passing gambling bills, any business looking to enter the igaming space will need some form of guidance to navigate the opportunities out there.
Steve Gummer, director of international affiliate portal, Betting.bet, believes gambling affiliates will play a key role in turning early-stage US gambling markets into thriving ones.
Here, he provides an overview of the areas in which affiliates can add true value as the US betting industry enters its next growth phase.
Supporting land-based operators venturing online
The new wave of US online sportsbooks is largely made up of brands best known for their land-based operations.
According to Gummer “pivoting to an online model involves much more than simply launching a website in a new market”.
“Consumers want and expect a completely different service when gambling online as they do when entering a brick-and-mortar establishment,” he says. “With an unparalleled knowledge of how online players search and play, affiliates are capable of attracting users that operators simply cannot. For operators to reach their full market potential, affiliate engagement is therefore essential!”
Market-specific strategies
It is important that operators understand how to dissect their marketing state-by-state, with gamblers of different jurisdictions wanting to see distinctive qualities from their sportsbooks and casino sites.
“Affiliates boast in-depth knowledge of the jurisdictions in which they operate and can in turn support operators in packaging and promoting their betting offers to their target markets,” Gummer says. “Whether this is advising on a certain market focus or the design of a landing page, affiliates boast the intel operators need to build a holistic multistate marketing strategy that works.”
Diverse traffic from established affiliates
Since the repeal of PASPA in May 2018, many European affiliate sites have opened up their services to US players. By engaging with such portals, brands and influencers, operators can benefit from ready-made heavy traffic sources that boast an engaged customer base.
“The gambling industry is incredibly crowded from a marketing point of view,” Gummer explains. “It can be hard for brands to cut through the noise and present their services to potential players. By partnering with affiliates, operators can essentially alleviate themselves of certain marketing duties. Affiliates invest heavily in SEO, social media advertising, content marketing and PPC to promote their partner operators. This is something operators can benefit from hugely!”
Promoting responsible gambling messages
Communicating responsible gambling messages when marketing igaming services is a fine art, one that affiliate brands have perfected.
“What is very unique about the US gambling industry is that in most states affiliates are required to apply for a license in order to operate,” says Gummer. “These include top-performing markets such as New Jersey, Colorado, West Virginia, Tennessee and Michigan. By joining forces with licensed affiliates, operators can access an unparalleled marketing solution that is compliant.”
About betting.bet
Betting.bet is part of an extensive network of online gambling brands owned by Kontempry Ltd. This is a multinational business that operates several online aggregators and operator brands in the igaming space.
In Europe, these include aggregator brands such as freebets.ltd.uk, signupoffers.com, bettingsites.ltd.uk as well as online betting and casino operator, avabet.com. The brand has also secured relevant licenses to operate in the US, having launched freebets.us and horseracing.us for the American market.