Latest News
The Gambling Industry is Misallocating Billions in Marketing
5W, the AI Communications Firm, released The Gaming & Gambling Earned Media Playbook 2026: Building Position Before the Market Opens — a strategic guide for sports betting operators, online gaming platforms, and land-based casino brands navigating the next 24 months of U.S. state legalization.
The playbook draws on 5W’s Gaming Trust Index 2026, the first annual study to systematically analyze marketing spend allocation and brand credibility outcomes across U.S. sports betting, online gaming, and land-based casino markets. The Index analyzed $3.9 billion in tracked U.S. gambling marketing spend across more than 47,000 articles.
The misallocation, in numbers:
• 36% of spend ($1.42 billion) on television
• 13% ($520 million) on celebrity and athlete partnerships
• 2.3% ($90 million) on earned media and PR
• 1.5% ($60 million) on responsible gambling programs
• The two lowest-investment categories generate the highest documented return on brand credibility of any channel analyzed
The state pipeline window: U.S. online gaming generated $12.8 billion in GGR in 2025 across seven legal states, with New York, Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia in active legislative consideration for online gaming, plus continued sports betting expansion in 10 or more additional states.
The playbook documents that the 2021 Michigan online gaming launch produced the cleanest case study in the category: operators with pre-existing earned media presence in the state achieved faster initial user acquisition than operators that relied solely on advertising at market open — and the pattern held across operator scale.
The playbook also re-anchors the September 26, 2024 SEC enforcement action against DraftKings as the defining Regulation FD case for the gaming industry. DraftKings paid a $200,000 civil penalty after its outside public relations firm posted material nonpublic information on the personal X and LinkedIn accounts of the company’s CEO, one week before Q2 2023 earnings. Neither account had been designated as a Regulation FD-compliant disclosure channel. The enforcement order extended responsibility to PR firms acting on behalf of the issuer.
“The U.S. gambling industry has spent five years and billions of dollars buying awareness. What it has not bought, and cannot buy with the same allocation, is credibility. The operators that win the next 24 months of state legalization will not be the ones with the biggest television budget at launch. They will be the ones who built earned media presence, regulatory standing, and responsible gambling credibility in the 18 months before the market opened. AI search is now the gatekeeper for how regulators, investors, journalists, and consumers form a view of every public gaming operator on Earth. The brands that treat that as the central communications shift of the decade will own the next five years of this industry,” said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W.
The playbook prescribes a seven-step 90-day plan covering earned media footprint mapping against the state pipeline, marketing mix rebalancing, Reg FD workflow design, responsible gambling content programs, creator and athlete partnership restructuring, AI visibility audits across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, and brand credibility measurement frameworks.
The post The Gambling Industry is Misallocating Billions in Marketing appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Aaron Axisa Commercial Director at Vivid Gaming
Vivid Gaming signs Hub88 distribution deal for its slot portfolio
Single API integration puts Vivid’s 34-game catalogue in front of Hub88-connected operators across regulated and emerging markets.
Vivid Gaming has signed a partnership with Hub88 to distribute its slot games to operators via Hub88’s aggregation platform.
The companies said the deal will make Vivid Gaming’s catalogue available through a single integration, expanding reach across “multiple regulated and emerging markets” supported by Hub88’s network.
Vivid Gaming said it has built a portfolio of more than 30 slot titles, with 34 games currently listed in its catalogue, and that the agreement is part of its broader commercial expansion strategy.
Aaron Axisa, Commercial Director at Vivid Gaming, said: “Partnering with Hub88 marks another exciting step in our growth journey. Their reputation, technical excellence and extensive operator network make them an ideal distribution partner as we continue to expand our global footprint. We’re committed to delivering high-quality entertainment that stands out in an increasingly competitive market, and this partnership enables even more operators to offer our games to their players with a fast and seamless integration”.
Jessica Inglott, Head of Supplier Relations at Hub88, said: “We are delighted to welcome Vivid Gaming to our platform, further diversifying our global offering with their highly engaging, top-tier content. Vivid Gaming has quickly established a stellar reputation for combining striking visuals with innovative, player-centric mechanics. This partnership perfectly aligns with our mission to provide operators with frictionless access to the industry’s most exciting emerging studios through our single API integration, and we look forward to a highly successful collaboration”.
The post Vivid Gaming signs Hub88 distribution deal for its slot portfolio appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
01.tech
Aviatrix goes live on 01.tech aggregation platform
Deal adds Aviatrix’s crash game and connected titles, including Aviatrix Second Chance and Aviatrix Fruits, to 01.tech’s operator network.
Aviatrix has gone live on aggregator 01.tech under a new distribution agreement covering its crash game and broader iGaming Metaverse portfolio.
Under the deal, Aviatrix’s iGaming Metaverse is integrated into the 01.tech aggregation platform, giving operators access to the original Aviatrix crash game and other connected titles. Aviatrix said the line-up includes recent releases such as Aviatrix Second Chance and Aviatrix Fruits.
Aviatrix said its iGaming Metaverse is designed to let players move across multiple titles while maintaining progress and loyalty rewards, with the aim of improving retention.
Victoria Lambroza, Key Partnerships Executive at Aviatrix, said: “This partnership with 01.tech is an important step in bringing Aviatrix and our iGaming Metaverse to more operators and players around the world. What makes this deal especially exciting is that 01.tech’s operator partners gain access to a connected ecosystem of titles where players can build progress and continue their journey across multiple experiences.”
Inna Polly, Head of Game Aggregator at 01.tech, said: “Aviatrix has quickly established itself as one of the most innovative names in the crash and casino games space, and we are very pleased to add its content to the 01.tech aggregation platform. Our goal is to give operators access to high-quality and engaging content via a simple integration. Aviatrix is a strong addition to that offering, particularly because its iGaming Metaverse is driving such deep player engagement.”
The post Aviatrix goes live on 01.tech aggregation platform appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Central America
FeedConstruct takes exclusive data and streaming rights for Nicaragua’s Liga Primera
Deal covers worldwide distribution of Liga Primera and Copa Primera content for sportsbooks and betting suppliers.
FeedConstruct has acquired exclusive worldwide streaming and data rights for Nicaragua’s top-tier football competitions, Liga Primera and Copa Primera.
The company said the agreement delivers start-to-finish coverage of every match across both competitions and expands its Central American football portfolio for sportsbook operators and providers using its data integration and streaming.
Ani Isakhanyan, Head of Rights and Content at FeedConstruct, stated, “Securing these exclusive rights is a highly valuable addition to our portfolio. Liga Primera and Copa Primera deliver the consistent football content that the global iGaming industry demands. This acquisition ensures our partners can offer comprehensive coverage of a rapidly emerging betting market.”
Allan J. Chamorro, Managing Partner at Apollo Sports Business Group, added, “Nicaragua has rapidly established itself as one of Central America’s fastest-growing football markets, attracting growing regional recognition and international commercial interest. Our partnership with FeedConstruct builds on that momentum by expanding the global distribution of Liga Primera and Copa Primera while powering sustainable commercial opportunities that strengthen clubs, elevate the competitions, and accelerate the long-term growth of the game.”
Liga Primera and Copa Primera are the main competitions in Nicaragua’s professional football calendar. FeedConstruct said the competitions are gaining regional recognition in Central America, supported by regular participation in CONCACAF tournaments.
The post FeedConstruct takes exclusive data and streaming rights for Nicaragua’s Liga Primera appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
ESPN Networks4 days agoTHE 57th ANNUAL WORLD SERIES OF POKER® CONCLUDES AN EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND ELITE COMPETITION
-
Latest News7 days agoEveryMatrix’s Fantasma Games launches three-reel slot Bonus Bullets
-
Latest News5 days agoBooming Games launches Tasty Bonanza Max Scatter slot
-
Latest News6 days agoSCCG Management Launches Dedicated SCCG Brazil Division with Local Partner Thomas Carvalhaes
-
Latest News7 days agoBlokotech adds Wicked Games slots in new content deal
-
Latest News6 days agoEsportes Gaming Brasil takes two ClienteSA Awards 2026 wins; exec named Personality of the Year
-
Canada5 days agoPeter & Sons launches full game portfolio in Alberta
-
Latest News5 days agoQTech signs EXCO Game Studio slots for emerging markets



