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The Innovative Strategies Propelling America’s iGaming Startups

Published

1 year ago

April 5, 2024

It’s been six years since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed, allowing each state to legislate sports gambling independently. In this evolving landscape, American startups have been at the forefront of innovation in the online gambling industry. Their fresh approaches and adaptive strategies have set new benchmarks in customer acquisition and retention, reshaping the market dynamics significantly.

According to a study conducted in March 2024 by Waterhouse VC, a comprehensive analysis of customer acquisition strategies reveals key trends and tactics employed by these startups. The study outlines seven primary strategies that have been pivotal in securing the first customers for these emerging companies.

Surprisingly, most startups attributed their initial user acquisition success to a singular strategy, with only a minority leveraging more than three methods. This focused approach underscores the startups’ strategic clarity in navigating the competitive landscape.

High-touch customer engagement emerged as the most popular strategy, emphasizing the importance of personalized interaction with customers in the early stages. This approach, often considered unscalable, proves crucial in building initial momentum and establishing a loyal customer base.

Interestingly, the report noted a significant omission – the reliance on paid advertisements was not a prominent strategy for acquiring the first cohort of customers among these startups. This deviation from traditional online marketing tactics signifies a strategic shift in the industry, highlighting the innovative thinking of these companies.

An overview of the innovative strategies employed by iGaming startups. Image: Waterhouse VC

QUOTES

“We had to very quickly focus on being more ‘hands-on’ with customers engaged with unfamiliar sports and less traditional formats – both from a marketing and trading perspective. Be prepared to dive extremely deeply into how your vision translates into customer (revenue) upside.” — Joseph Dunnigan, Founder & CEO, ALT Sports Data

“Early on, we realized that helping customers navigate the many common pitfalls of registering, funding, and betting with online operators was more challenging than expected. Due to the complexity of passing KYC checks, linking reliable payment options, and even navigating difficult to understand app interfaces, our hand-to-hand concierge services were uniquely positioned to support customers and operator clients alike. We overcame these challenges by dedicating ourselves to becoming the resident experts on our operator products in order to properly represent them with customers, and also seamlessly guide those customers through their respective journeys, regardless of their previous betting experiences.” — Jai Maw, Co-Founder & President, Betting Hero

Stake - Best Online Casino & Sports Betting Platform

“We saw that in our product journeys where many potential users would see our prices/odds on another web property or chat group, and come to our site with the intention of placing a bet, but had difficulty procuring a crypto wallet (or understanding what this was). The CEO or another member of our leadership team reaches out to every single one of these users to try to ease the learning curve and onboard them to the site. This isn’t a scalable solution, but is highly important to do and valuable in an early stage company to learn about your customer base.” — Varun Sudhakar, Co-Founder & CEO, BetDex

“Prior to Low6, I had been running a sports events marketing agency and my co-founder was in retail bookmaking so we initially leaned on our connections in both fields to introduce them to our free-to-play pool betting app. We were quite fortunate that the app was built on social competition so had some early success with the power of network effects in building out our customer base.” — Jamie Mitchell, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Low6

“We leveraged the anticipation and excitement of our waitlist by offering early access to those who signed up. This created a sense of exclusivity and urgency, encouraging people to join and engage with our platform. We implemented a strong referral program that rewarded existing users for bringing in new customers. This not only helped in customer acquisition but also fostered a sense of community around our platform.” — Jacob Fortinsky, Founder & CEO, Novig

“Choosing the right strategies and being willing to pivot when necessary is critical. While some methods may yield immediate results, others may require patience and adaptation. It’s about finding that balance.” — Tom Waterhouse, CIO, Waterhouse VC

Related Topics:BetDex BettingHero Low6 Novig Tom Waterhouse CIO Waterhouse VC Waterhouse VC

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Canada

NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

George Miller

NetGaming, a fast-growing online casino content supplier, is proud to announce its launch in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., a leading online casino and sports betting company in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for NetGaming as it continues to expand its footprint across regulated North American markets.

As part of the launch, Ontario players on BetRivers can now enjoy a diverse portfolio of NetGaming titles, known for their high-quality graphics, immersive gameplay, and unique themes. Standout games such as Zeus’s Thunderbolt, Bison Gold, and Fireball Inferno are among the first to go live, with additional titles set to follow soon.

This partnership is just the beginning. NetGaming plans to extend its collaboration with Rush Street Interactive into Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mexico over the coming months.

Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO of NetGaming, commented: “We are thrilled to go live with Rush Street Interactive, a powerhouse operator with a strong presence and loyal player base. This launch marks a significant milestone in our
North American expansion strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences tailored to local player preferences across the region.”

Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, commented: “We are pleased to partner with NetGaming to bring innovative, premium games to our players in Ontario. This collaboration aligns with our strategy to offer world-class
entertainment through engaging, action-packed online casino games. We look forward to expanding this partnership into additional regulated markets in the months ahead.”

This strategic partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to providing high- quality, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players in regulated markets.

Compliance Updates

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) Selects New Board Chair

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Niji Narayan

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has announced Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, as its new Board Chair for SIGA’s Board of Directors.

SIGA is a non-profit First Nation gaming operator for seven land-based casinos and the online gaming platform PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan.

Chief Cook-Searson first joined SIGA’s Board of Directors in 2018 and has been a regular SIGA Board member as well as a member of SIGA’s Audit & Finance Committee.

She is serving in her 20th year as Chief of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a graduate diploma in management from Athabasca University. She also holds honorary degrees from the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Chief Cook-Searson replaces outgoing Board Chair former Chief of Muskowekwan First Nation Reginald Bellerose, who has held the Board Chair position since February 4, 2015.

Latest News

SCCG Announces Strategic Partnership with Applift

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Niji Narayan

SCCG Management has announced a strategic partnership with Applift, the world’s top performance App Store Optimization (ASO) agency. This partnership will introduce Applift’s proprietary ASO technology and advanced growth strategies to gaming companies worldwide, leveraging SCCG’s unmatched distribution capabilities and expansive gaming ecosystem of 120+ client partners.

Applift has earned a reputation as the gold standard in app growth by delivering data-driven ASO strategies powered by proprietary AI tools and the most comprehensive keyword intelligence system in the industry. Their work drives top keyword rankings, scalable user acquisition, and real business impact – increasing FTDs, improving retention, and maximizing LTV for some of the world’s most successful gaming, finance, utility, and AI apps.

Through this partnership, SCCG will activate its global network — with offices in every major gaming market across North America, LATAM, Europe, Africa, and Asia — to bring Applift’s breakthrough ASO technology to gambling companies seeking to scale user acquisition, boost visibility, and outperform the competition in app stores.

“At SCCG, we identify and scale the technologies that shape the future of gambling,” said Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management.

“Applift’s ASO platform is a game-changer. Our partnership gives gaming companies a proven solution to turn mobile visibility into performance at scale — and our global presence ensures the right operators and platforms benefit from this innovation.”

“At Applift, we’ve helped top gaming apps dominate the app stores, turning visibility into performance and installs into high-value users — all through our unmatched ASO technology and data-driven approach. Partnering with SCCG is a natural step forward. Their strategic footprint in the gaming world perfectly complements our ability to scale app growth at the highest level. Together, we’re not just optimizing – we’re redefining how gaming brands win in the app stores. I couldn’t be more confident in what we’ll achieve,” said Bar Nakash, CEO of Applift.