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Why US operators must improve their marketing tech
Paddy Casey, co-founder at leading product development and digital marketing supplier The Unit, chats to Gaming Americas about the importance of modernising the US product experience now sports-betting markets have settled
The challenges presented to US-facing sports-betting operators have changed considerably since markets began to open up following the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018. The idea of exponentially high marketing spends is not so prominent in 2023, and the battleground is transitioning towards a fight for existing customers.
One of the key issues affecting operators is they have been forced to make redundancies in their tech teams. While it is still crucial to develop rapid-fire landing pages/products to meet the demand of sports events, marketing departments rarely received the support they needed for fast digital campaigns from the internal tech teams in the first place, and this issue has now been exacerbated.
When mobile sports betting began to open up in the US, the apps were based on European sportsbooks. This can be an adequate market-entry strategy, but it doesnāt necessarily work in the long-term. When William Hill US first launched as the second mobile sports betting app in New Jersey after DraftKings, the advertising agency behind the campaign had been briefed for three months on the launch. When the app was finally developed and presented to them, the overall reaction was: āIs that it?ā They felt it was going to be a new, ground-breaking Silicon-Valley-style piece of new technology, but it was essentially the same William Hill app adapted for US bettors.
Launching based off European models was all the operators could think to do, but that was not necessarily right for the US audience. Now, everyone in the market has to think harder about maximising performance. There are many things you have to do to attract new sign-ups, and the idea of a strong design and the ability to make changes is paramount now, which it wasnāt in 2018.
Following FanDuelās lead
With a 50% market share as of the end of 2022, FanDuel is the clear market leader in US sports betting, but what is key to remember is it is not necessarily run in the same vein as most other US-facing operators. Given it is owned by Flutter Entertainment, the same parent company that manages Paddy Power and Betfair, it can be guided with more of a European mindset.
FanDuelās app wasnāt particularly stronger than that of any other operator, but it has taken the lead with product and marketing innovation. Specific products were marketed similarly to how they had been by Paddy Power. While Paddy Powerās advertising is, of course, associated with comedy and at times controversy, it is always focusing on a product release or something that particularly stands out in the mobile app; FanDuel replicated that very astutely. While all the other operators were enforcing generic messages about how enjoyable sports betting can be, FanDuel was actually mentioning products like single-game parlays, and this approach was always likely to be successful.
There is still one thing FanDuel, like all US operators, can improve on, and thatās marketing tech. Tracking marketing spend and player behaviour are still quite new concepts, even with various US markets now being close to five yearsā old. We have heard examples of affiliates in the US who canāt work with certain operators because they are convinced the player tracking is so far behind where it needs to be that the operator canāt even track which players have been sent to it by the affiliate. In the early days of regulated US markets, some teams were so naĆÆve in this area they were literally guessing click-through rates.
Working around the problem
In sports betting, there is often one C-level executive whose needs are never prioritised within the product roadmap by the operator, and thatās the chief marketing officer. As soon as someone pipes up about what they need to promote March Madness, for example, the usual response is: āWe donāt have time for that.ā
That is why it is vital to utilise the expertise of teams who are experienced in sports betting and able to take this matter off an operatorās to-do list. It requires a team who can spend time addressing the player behaviour issues mentioned above, while also building out designs and all the core digital marketing that takes place within the sports product. When operators are able to use resources that can help make their marketing experience better, this will undoubtedly give them an edge in competitive markets.
US consumers are becoming more educated. Their loyalty will be closely matched to the product experience and engagement. With state launches now slowing down with regards to sports betting, operators will now, and should now, focus on product improvements.
Paddy and The Unitās senior team will be on site at SBC Summit North America this week at the Meadowlands, New Jersey
Blokotech, a leading innovator in iGaming software solutions, has appointed Nicolas Castearena as Commercial Director LATAM, to accelerate growth across Latin America.
Castearena joins Blokotech with an impressive track record of cultivating high-value partnerships and expanding throughout LATAM. His career covers the crypto and Web3 sectors, where he showed a deep understanding of technology, innovation, and market dynamics.
Blokotech Commercial Director LATAM Nicolas Castearena said: āBlokotechās potential for this region is immense and I cannot wait to play my role in ensuring we deliver on our targets. My localised knowledge and understanding of market nuances will be a valuable addition to the business.ā
As Co-founder and CEO of Hashrate SoluciĆ³n, Nicolas has generated strong results by connecting iGaming solutions with real-world market needs – highlighting his entrepreneurial mindset and ability to spot opportunities in emerging tech spaces.
Blokotech Co-Founder and CEO Salvatore Messina added: āNicolas brings the ideal balance of commercial expertise, technological insight, and strategic vision. His appointment marks a major moment in our LATAM expansion, and weāre hyper-confident about the value heāll bring to our business and clients in the region.ā
Pollard Banknote Limited has announced a two-year extension of its Scratch Ticket Printing contract with the Idaho Lottery. This renewal, effective until March 2027, ensures that Pollard Banknote remains the Lotteryās primary partner, supplying at least 71% of its Scratch tickets annually. Additionally, Pollard Banknote will continue to provide related services, including game design, marketing, and strategic planning.
Pollard Banknote first partnered with the Idaho Lottery in 2013, offering innovative products and strategic recommendations to enhance its Scratch ticket product category. This successful collaboration culminated in a new primary partnership that came into effect in 2021. Since then, the Idaho Lotteryās Scratch ticket sales have soared by 33.1%āthe second highest growth among all U.S. lotteries. This growth led to the Lottery delivering record-breaking dividends to the people of Idaho, benefiting public schools and state facilities.
āWe are excited to extend our partnership with the Idaho Lottery, which is built on our shared vision of innovation and player engagement. Together, we will continue to develop exciting games and marketing strategies that resonate with Idahoans, ultimately supporting the valuable initiatives funded by lottery proceeds throughout the state,ā said Byron Peterson, Senior Director of Sales & Marketing at Pollard Banknote.
āThe Idaho Lottery has seen significant success through its collaboration with Pollard Banknote. Extending our contract with Pollard Banknote means we will remain ahead of market trends and continue to deliver exciting products to our players. We look forward to continuing to work together to create memorable lottery experiences that also benefit the Idaho community,ā said Andrew Arulanandam, Director of Idaho Lottery.
International Game Technology PLC (IGT) has announced that it will showcase a compelling portfolio of games and solutions designed to drive tribal casino growth at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention (IGA) 2025, April 2-3, in San Diego, Calif.
āIGTās products and solutions portfolio for IGA 2025 will reflect our commitment to delivering future-forward gaming innovations that can provide growth opportunities for our valued tribal customers. Building on the success of our high-performing content and hardware, we will feature the world premiere of the RISE55 cabinet, the latest Magic Treasures, Tiger and Dragon and Prosperity Link games, plus new Class II and core video content. Our IGA display will also highlight our exciting expansion of Wheel of Fortune content to multiple product categories,ā said Nick Khin, IGT President, Global Gaming.
IGT will kick off IGA 2025 with a special RISE55 cabinet unveiling event with Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. on April 2. Under the theme āIGT On The Rise,ā IGTās booth #1641 will feature the following performance-focused products and solutions:
Taking Hardware Performance to New Heights with the RISE55 Cabinet: designed to deliver an immersive experience while optimizing floor space with its sleek design, the RISE55 cabinet features an ultra-high-definition 55-inch screen, state-of-the-art lighting, and advanced ergonomics. Backed by a brand-new lineup of premium multi-level progressive (MLP) content, the RISE55 cabinet will house Magic Treasures Gold, the next evolution of the high-performing Magic Treasures theme.
Building Wide-Area Progressives (WAP) Excitement with Next-Generation Games: at IGA, IGT will build on the success of some of its highest-performing premium games. Next-generation WAP titles will include Tiger and Dragon Super Arrow, which builds upon the functionalities of the original chart-topping Tiger and Dragon theme, and Prosperity Link Blessings on the 11-foot tall SkyRise cabinet. IGT will also showcase the superstar power of Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody Slots on the impressive Peak65 cabinet.
Introducing New Core Video Games for the PeakCurve49: IGT will preview a new lineup of action-packed core video games at IGA, including Grand Buddha Link and Grand Cat Link with repeating win multipliers, and Bring the Boom Pirate Bay and Bring the Boom Egypt with an exciting āBoom Wheelā bonus. Additional highlights include Black Widow Grand, featuring enhanced free games and a lock and respin bonus.
Fortifying a Compelling Class II Portfolio: IGT Class II highlights at IGA will include the new Stinkin’ Rich Tail Wins game on the RISE55 cabinet, plus Moonlight Lanterns on the PeakCurve49 cabinet. For Washington CDS, IGT will present Triple Fortune Dragon Unleashed Player’s Edition, the latest extension of the high-performing Triple Fortune Dragon theme. IGTās latest dual-screen hardware evolution, the Sierra27 cabinet, will also make its Class II debut.
Expanding the Wheel of Fortune Slots Success: IGA attendees can experience the community-style win celebrations of Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Big Money video slots game on the massive Wheel of Fortune Trio cabinet, which recently made its tribal casino debut. IGT will also display the Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Reels Double Diamond on the DiamondRS Premium Wheel mechanical reel cabinet. IGA attendees can also enjoy the legendary Wheel of Fortune theme in its recent expansion to the video poker and electronic table game (ETG) categories.
Reimagining CMS Power and Performance with IGT ADVANTAGE X: IGT will provide demonstrations of its future-forward IGT ADVANTAGE X casino management system at IGA. Designed for on-premise and cloud-based deployments, the solution includes modern advancements such as service-bus architecture, persona driven UI experiences and actionable event data. The IGT systems team will also showcase advancements to its Resort Wallet and IGTPay cashless solution by way of enhanced account security, registration and on-machine Slot Marker technology.
Rounding out IGTās strong IGA games portfolio will be core stepper themes, including Double Chili Mania Extremo! and Pinball Grand on the dazzling DiamondRS cabinet. In addition, guests at IGTās booth can preview IGTās proven video poker performers like All-Star Poker III, Super Star Poker II, and Game KingX.
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