“Movers and Shakers” is a dynamic monthly column dedicated to exploring the latest trends, developments, and influential voices in the iGaming industry. Powered by GameOn and supported by HIPTHER, this op-ed series delves into the key players, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes shaping the future of online gaming. Each month, industry experts offer their insights and perspectives, providing readers with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on what’s driving the iGaming world forward. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, “Movers and Shakers” is your go-to source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving iGaming landscape. 

Allan Petrilli, Managing Director at Acquire.Bet, talks about paid media and the trends shaping customer acquisition in the regulated North American market

Paid media is very much the future of player acquisition in the regulated North American market, but running successful campaigns is not without its challenges.

More than ever, operators and marketers need to nail not only their creatives and messaging but also the measurement and tracking of campaigns.

Paid channels control much of the campaign and ad targeting, but with stricter privacy rules in play, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to target directly based on a user’s preferences.

Creative fatigue is as real as it is prevalent, so operators and marketers need to achieve creative iteration at scale, not only in terms of volume but also creative types and formats.

Just as important is having measurement dialed in and being able to inform the platforms of what is working – this means having a ton of actionable data at your fingertips so you can quickly decide where to spend your ad dollars.

Then there’s incrementality and uplift, which can’t be ignored, either.

The platforms themselves are starting to take more “credit” for conversions, so being able to zoom out and understand multitouch is key to making the marketing budget go further and perform better.

The great SEO slowdown

Paid media is becoming increasingly important in player acquisition efforts because there is a clear SEO slowdown. This, combined with advancements in generative AI in search, means brands are going to have to rely more on communities for growth.

Influencer marketing is no longer just getting some with a decent following to promote your brand, with micro influencers becoming a very important piece of the puzzle.

It’s also worth highlighting Discord here as it’s starting to play a significant role, especially in sports betting. This channel is all about community and trust, and we are seeing some really smart partnerships play out across the platform.

Regardless of platform and channel, operators must understand the power of their brand and that by aligning with influencers and communities that match their values, they can supercharge growth.

The only caveat here is that these partnerships need to be authentic.

Market maturation brings new challenges

As the North American market matures, we see the establishment of standard success KPIs, but it’s important that each brand really understands its own LTV and CAC data so that it can drive towards hitting its own success metrics and not just “industry” standard KPIs.

Why? Because those industry standard KPIs are often skewed by the power players that have spent big to get to where they are today, and won’t be reflective of smaller operations and brands.

It’s also important to focus on incremental growth as the market matures, understand the power of multi-touch and how each channel supports the overall acquisition strategy. Operating in silos is a recipe for disaster.

In addition to this, operators need to have a clear view of their runway – those with considerable cash can operate in more aggressive ways than brands that are relying on quick growth to fund future spend.

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and that’s why operators must focus on their own metrics for success and not industry-standard KPIs. They also need to remember that while being nimble is key, being relentlessly focused on data is what will allow them to win.

Regulations do influence player acquisition strategies, but everyone plays the same game

A lot of times, operators will focus on regulation and compliance to make excuses as to why they market one way or another, but the reality is that everyone is playing in the same sandbox and under the same rules.

How marketers push those boundaries, and to the extent they are willing to get creative, is what separates those who succeed and those who don’t.

Take Ontario, for example. You can’t promote the welcome bonus, so brands are having to engage players in other ways – those with kick-ass product marketing campaigns or that offer something truly unique are winning right now.

Of course, paid media is the perfect channel through which to communicate their epic product and unique player experience.

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events in the calendar not just in the US but the rest of the world. And as all eyes turn towards the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, gambling companies will be looking for new opportunities to elevate the experience for bettors.  

We spoke to Allan Petrilli (Managing Director at Acquire.bet), Troy Paul (Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of SGG Media) and Jamie Shea (Chief Marketing Officer at Strive Gaming) to get the low-down on all things Super Bowl.

This is the second year that the Super Bowl is taking place in a state where sports betting is legal.  From a betting perspective, are there any lessons that could perhaps be taken from last year’s event in Arizona?

Allan Petrilli:  While I do not have much to add comparing to last year in Arizona – Las Vegas is the MECCA of betting. When considering whether any lessons that can be learnt, my first thoughts went directly to the experiences that brands can offer their VIP customers, and particularly the acquisition-focused promotions that they can run in the lead up to the event – think giveaways, trips, hospitality experiences etc.

It may be a bit late to start rolling out these experiences now, but who doesn’t want to go to Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl?

Troy Paul: Everyone bets on the Super Bowl! Even those that watch one game per year. However, any serious gambler will already have a wagering account- so it’s not really a time to sign up massive numbers of new accounts. However, the Super Bowl is a great time to incentivise your players to make their biggest wagers of the year.

We have seen young fans like “Prop” bets and Parlays- so the Books with the best prop and parlay odds and the best web site from a usability standpoint is paramount. If you have a user site that is not player friendly the gamblers will just go back to the sites they understand and find easiest to navigate.

Jamie Shea: The Super Bowl will be very different from last year’s event. In Arizona, companies like DraftKings had a significant presence. However, DraftKings isn’t present in Nevada; FanDuel does have a retail location, though. In Nevada, you must register in person to wager online. This year, I think BetMGM might emerge as one of the big winners—they have retail locations and an online sports betting presence.

Since people won’t be able to bet with the other big national operators, BetMGM and Caesar’s have a tremendous opportunity to make their product known to the influx of people coming to the city for the Super Bowl. It will be intriguing to see how those coming into Las Vegas from out of town, who are accustomed to brands like FanDuel or DraftKings, will react. It will also be interesting to see if out-of-towners’ experiences with the BetMGM app might influence them to switch to that app after they return home. This could significantly impact player conversion.

This year will certainly be quite different from previous years. I’ve grown up in this industry, having run sportsbooks at retail locations for years. Nevada, formerly the only place in the country to bet, has maintained its requirement for in-person registration, a mandate not seen in other states. This makes it challenging in Nevada. However, unless regulations change, I fear Nevada might not thrive as much as other states.

In your opinion, what new opportunities / challenges does hosting the Super Bowl in Nevada present for sportsbooks? Could this be the year of ‘record bets’?

Allan Petrilli: In my honest opinion, I don’t necessarily believe that the location of the Super Bowl does, or should, have an impact on the volume of bets place. Of course, if we’re looking at the land-based industry in Nevada, then sure, we may see more bets placed at brick-and-mortar casinos. Although Las Vegas has always been a popular destination on Super Bowl weekend, regardless of where the game was being played.

That being said, I do believe that there may be some challenges around the lack of pure mobile betting in Nevada. Across the Silver State, players need to create their betting accounts in-person; so, I wonder if sportsbooks will be able to handle the increased volume of bets on gameday in a manner that doesn’t resolve in massive lines.

Troy Paul: Absolutely! Super Bowl LVIII certainly has the potential to be the year where we see a record number of bets placed.

Jamie Shea: Every year is a year for record bets. Since the repeal of PASPA six years ago, the understanding and popularity of sports betting have steadily grown. I believe this trend will continue, and Nevada, in particular, might see a record year for sportsbooks. Station Casinos, local to Nevada, will likely see a record number of sports bets placed. Nationally, with the sports betting industry’s substantial growth, massive numbers of bets are expected through major operators. Those not traveling to the game as well as those getting their bets in, in their home state before traveling, will be a big number indeed. The promotions have been fantastic, further fueling the growth of sports betting. The popularity of the Super Bowl is influenced by various factors like team matchups, halftime show performers, and fan bases. The industry’s continued innovation, including popularizing prop bets and live betting, will keep the Super Bowl engaging.

And how about casinos, are they going to miss out on the action? or is there opportunity for cross-selling casino to sports bettors, and vice versa?

Allan Petrilli: The land-based venues are obviously going to benefit from the increased footfall that weekend. But I don’t believe that there is a significant opportunity around pure casino acquisition during the Super Bowl.

That being said, acquiring new players during Super Bowl weekend is relatively “cheap” for online betting and gaming companies, especially given the organic interest around the game and the widening of relevant audiences. But generally speaking, this type of traffic tends to be lower quality and, quite often, churns quite quickly.

That isn’t to say that there is absolutely no opportunity for casino acquisition, however. For brands with multiple verticals, there is a great opportunity to potentially acquire casinos for a low price and, at a later date, cross-sell other products. This strategy is much easier said than done; if brands want to do this effectively, they need to be creative and timely in their offering.

Troy Paul: There are opportunities for casinos, but only those situated in Las Vegas. Over Super Bowl weekend, players flock to the Mecca of sports betting that is Las Vegas for a bit of entertainment. And many big gamblers would much rather spend their money on wagering in the casinos than on an expensive ticket for just one day! So there is no doubt that sports fans in the city will also have a flutter on casino games too.

Jamie Shea: Regarding casinos, I don’t think they will miss out on the action. Everyone coming to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl will likely stay at a casino property, exposing sports bettors to casino games. The excitement will be palpable. Who doesn’t want to play craps alongside excited fans of their team or of the NFL, in  general?  The sports bars, slots, table games and restaurants will be filled to the hilt with enthusiastic fans.

What more can, or should, the gambling industry be doing to capitalise on the hype surrounding major sporting events such as the Super Bowl?

Allan Petrilli: For me, it always comes down to personalisation. Acquiring new users and getting bets placed for the Super Bowl is sometimes seen as being “easy”, but converting those users into long-term, loyal customers is quite the opposite. It is very difficult. This is then made that bit harder because those newly acquired customers are then looped into the same CRM and loyalty schemes as the more traditional bettors, but you need to approach these players very differently.

One way to keep these players engaged is by offering interesting, unique markets for future bets – whether that’s politics or even entertainment. This is really important. What you also need to ensure is that you educate these users and communicate with them in a way that makes them feel safe and not alienated. This is why personalisation is so important.

Troy Paul: Firstly, the gambling industry should make sure that they are promoting the products that their audiences want to see – namely prop bets and parlays. If you give players what they want, then they will certainly be happy.

Secondly, sportsbooks should offer Bonus Boost bets for the markets that they have on offer; if you do that, players will certainly show up.

And thirdly, this is more specific to the casinos, but have lots of TVs and places to sit. This might sound like a simple idea, but it will be very effective – players want to be comfortable when having a bet. They might even pay a fee for the luxury of having a comfortable seat. But just make sure you don’t make that fee egregiously high!

Jamie Shea: The industry is already maximizing the Super Bowl hype through promotions and marketing. Operators like BetMGM and Caesars should ensure easy account registration on their properties. While promotions and advertising are crucial, the long-term success hinges on offering a superior product.

The Super Bowl presents an opportunity to attract new customers, making it essential for sportsbooks to provide user-friendly and appealing platforms. Additionally, the industry must prioritize responsible gambling, ensuring sports betting remains a safe and sustainable form of entertainment.

And finally, if you had to make a prediction on who will win the game, who would you guess?

Allan Petrilli:  I think that this might be the year for the Chiefs.

Troy Paul: Taylor Swift versus Patrick Mahomes … now that’s too tough to call!

Jamie Shea: Regarding predictions for the game winner, I’m caught up in the Taylor Swift hype. Her involvement brings fresh eyes to the NFL, introducing the sport to a new demographic, which is fantastic for sports engagement. In this sense, Taylor Swift has already won the Super Bowl in my eyes!