Gambling in the USA
Gaming Industry Rebounded in First Half of 2023 but Deferred Student Loan Repayments Loom
Participation in mobile sports betting rose slightly, from 11% in Q4 2022 to 17% in Q2 2023, according to new research by TransUnion (NYSE: TRU). Meanwhile, the broader gaming industry grew in Q1 2023 due to major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness. However, it was still down 12% compared to Q1 2022.
The trend is largely due to inflation’s impact on consumer wallets. More than half of bettors (53%) agreed that their income was keeping up with the rate of inflation while less than one-third (31%) said they disagreed. In contrast, just over a quarter of non-bettors (26%) said their income was keeping up with inflation while more than half (51%) said it was not.
The research comprised an online survey of 3,000 adults in late April to early May 2023 as well as an analysis of gaming industry performance and consumer liquidity, leveraging TransUnion’s proprietary CreditVision attributes. A full report of the findings is available in the new TransUnion US Gaming Report.
“The majority of the active betting population has experienced rising incomes that outpace inflation including the key millennial demographic so they have the means to spend on this type of entertainment,” the head of TransUnion’s gaming business, Declan Raines, said. “Conversely, most would-be bettors, whose incomes have not kept up with rising costs, are holding back from playing.”
Consumers Likelihood to Bet Based on Income Change
| Increased a Lot | Increased a Little | Stayed the Same | Decreased a Little | Decreased a Lot | |
| Yes | 69% | 31% | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| No | 31% | 69% | 83% | 77% | 78% |
Further in line with this finding is that consumers whose income has increased by a lot are not only more likely to bet but also likelier to bet much more. About a quarter (24%) of high-income consumers (those with incomes of $100,000+) whose income increased a lot said they deposit over $500 per month for betting activities, compared to only 9% of high-income earners whose income stayed the same and 10% of high-income earners whose income increased a little.
Uneven Impact for Student Loan Repayments
Beginning in October, student loan payments will resume for consumers who chose to defer payments under the pandemic-era student loan relief program. This will undoubtedly have an impact on consumer liquidity for most bettors and could reduce their level of activity.
However, it will likely be less of an issue for high-value bettors, those who deposit more than $500 per month for betting activities. Roughly two-thirds of student loan debt is held by prime and below consumers. High-value bettors, by contrast, are disproportionately in the above prime segments, suggesting student loan payments could have less of an impact on this group.
Bettors at Heightened Risk for Fraud
The report also found that, while bettors and non-bettors were targeted by fraud schemes at roughly the same rate, bettors were more than twice as likely to have fallen victim to a fraud attempt. That risk varied among types of fraud, with the highest rate of bettor victimization stemming from online and phone fraud.
Consumers Who Fell Victim to Online or Text/Call Fraud Attempts in Past Three Months
| Online High-Value Bettors | Online Bettors | Non-Bettors | ||
| 22% | 17% | 7% | ||
“Bettors’ risk of fraud has implications for operators as well,” Raines said. “Leveraging fraud solutions can help operators prevent account takeover and enhance account security for their players without applying unnecessary friction.”
Operators interested in protecting their business and players from fraud should consider leveraging TransUnion’s flagship identity and fraud solution line, TruValidate. For more information about the research, read the TransUnion US Gaming Report.
Research Methodology
This online survey of 3,000 adults was conducted April 25 to May 9, 2023, by TransUnion in partnership with third-party research provider, Dynata. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the United States were surveyed using an online research panel method across a combination of desktop, mobile and tablet devices. Survey questions were administered in English. All states are represented in the study survey responses. To ensure general population sample representativeness across United States resident demographics, the survey included quotas to balance responses to the census statistics on the dimensions of age, gender, household income, race and region. Generations are defined as follows: Gen Z, born 1995 to 2005; Millennials, born 1980 to 1994; Gen X, born 1965 to 1979, and Baby Boomers; born 1944 to 1964. These research results are unweighted and statistically significant at a 95% confidence level within 1.79 percentage points based on calculated error margin. Please note some chart percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding or multiple answers being accepted.
Gambling in the USA
CasinoWebScripts Hits Milestone with 200 Sweepstakes Casino Games for the US Market
In an exciting development for sweepstakes operators across the US, CasinoWebScripts has announced a significant milestone: the release of more than 200 in-house developed sweepstakes casino games. This achievement highlights the company’s commitment to innovation and its dedication to providing high-quality, engaging gaming experiences without the burden of monthly revenue sharing.
CasinoWebScripts’ unique approach allows operators to rent these state-of-the-art games for a fixed monthly fee, eliminating revenue share, GGR% fees, and usage limitations. This model ensures that operators can offer top-tier entertainment to their players while enjoying predictable, straightforward billing.
Further enhancing their sweepstakes software, CasinoWebScripts has introduced an array of features tailored specifically to the needs of the US market. Players can now earn free coins for various activities such as verifying their email, confirming their phone number, and inviting friends. Additionally, the introduction of a VIP program and a complex Affiliate Program brings more value to the player experience, with customizations that resonate with the US audience.
To ensure a seamless operation for its clients, CasinoWebScripts has also created strategic partnerships with prestigious third-party providers for essential services like KYC, credit card processing, and anti-fraud measures. These collaborations have resulted in a fully integrated solution that allows operators to run their business smoothly, without worrying about missing components.
Oscar Stevens, Product Manager at CasinoWebScripts, said: “Achieving this milestone reflects our team’s dedication and commitment to excellence and innovation. Our suite of over 200 sweepstakes games and the comprehensive features we’ve rolled out are designed to set our clients apart in the competitive US market. We are committed to providing solutions that are not only user-friendly but also ensure a secure and engaging gaming environment for players.”
EveryMatrix is live with Supremeland Gaming, Inc. on DraftKings, its first exclusive content aggregation partnership in US.
The partnership will see Supremeland Gaming, through its American-based game studio Powderkeg, develop exclusive content on EveryMatrix technology, while also enabling EveryMatrix to distribute its games and provide additional gamification features such as free spins and tournaments for the US market via its SlotMatrix aggregation platform.
Supremeland Gaming’s content, via SlotMatrix, is now available on DraftKings in New Jersey with further states pending.
EveryMatrix is the industry’s largest content aggregator and has secured commercial agreements with several tier-1 operators in the US through SlotMatrix including DraftKings with its in-house content live in New Jersey and Ontario.
It has more than 300 global customers with North American licences in Ontario, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Erik Nyman, President, EveryMatrix Americas, said: “At the core of the EveryMatrix product strategy has been to deliver its world-leading casino productivity and aggregation platform to the US market.
“Today, we have enabled our first partner Supremeland Gaming to go live and our customers can facilitate bonus capabilities for third-party games which has been never seen in this market until now. Powderkeg develops high-quality games and we are confident players will enjoy them.”
Rickard Öhrn, CEO of Supremeland Gaming, said: “This major milestone represents the first step on an exciting journey we are undertaking to deliver mischievous, innovative, and really fun-to-play online games to a broader audience through our partnership with EveryMatrix.”
Gambling in the USA
INFRONT BETTOR EXPANDS NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSH STREET INTERACTIVE AGREEMENT
Key Partnership Across RSI Brands BetRivers and RushBet Includes Access to Infront’s Official ITF Data and Streams from 2025.
Infront Bettor, Infront’s betting-focused division, has successfully secured a strategic partnership with Rush Street Interactive Inc NYSE RSI (“RSI”), one of the leading operators in the Americas and the online operator of BetRivers in North America and RushBet in Latin America.
The new agreement covers Infront’s extensive portfolio, including access to the official fast path data of all International Tennis Federation ITF events, exclusively distributed by Infront Bettor from 2025. Official feed data directly from the umpire’s chair will be made available for over 58,000 matches from the Men’s and Women’s World Tennis Tour, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the Davis Cup. The corresponding video streams will also be distributed for a large portion of these matches.
The deal also covers Infront’s wider streaming portfolio from more than 40 global rights holders across soccer, basketball, and ice hockey. This includes top European soccer competitions such as France’s Ligue 1 Uber Eats from the 2024/25 season and premium ice hockey tournaments such as the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
Diogo Almeida, Head of Sales, Infront Bettor said: “Our venture into the US betting landscape marks a significant milestone for the bold plans we have for Infront Bettor, and partnering with a key player, like RSI, in the industry is obviously the best way to significantly bolster our presence in this rapidly expanding market. It also ensures that fans have unmatched access to top-tier global sports events, which will be perfectly complemented with 24/7 betting opportunities through our partnership with the ITF.”
Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, said: “This partnership is a pivotal step for us in enhancing our offering to make sure we have premium and round-the-clock coverage for our customers. We are also very proud to continue to deliver the ITF to our bettors through next year, offering an enhanced tennis package that will see us consume more events than ever before. We know Infront has plans to offer a more immersive tennis betting experience, adding supplementary betting markets through collecting level 2 and level 3 data, and we look forward to seeing these come to life next year.”
For more information, visit infront.sport.
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