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My big predictions for 2025
Intelitics CEO Allan Stone talks sweepstakes, influencers and personalised player experiences
This is a fast-moving sector and over the next 12 months operators and suppliers will once again have to strap in for a roller-coaster ride. Ups and downs are guaranteed as they navigate the shifting sands of the global online gambling industry.
This makes predicting what the coming year has in store a tough task – player preferences can quickly change, regulations can suddenly update and innovations catch companies off guard. But I like a challenge, so here are big predictions for 2025 below.
The sweepstakes hype will become a reality
If 2024 was the hype year for sweepstakes, 2025 is the year they will become a reality despite the sector being under immense pressure. That said, most operators are staying the course with stakeholders at the state level duking it out over regulations and class action lawsuits.
This will bring changes in certain areas, but I think there will be a move away from heavy-handed measures and instead, the public markets will be left to figure things out – this will give good companies the room to grow and adapt.
We are already seeing established companies address problem areas by embracing best practices around areas such as player verification and responsible gambling which in turn is helping to legitimise their business and the wider sweepstakes vertical.
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Operators will become more strategic with their marketing efforts (and spend)
Sportsbook operators finally read the room in 2024 and understood that consumers were getting tired of seeing the same national TV ads over and over, especially in states where sports betting isn’t legal.
This saw many brands pull back on national campaigns amid diminishing returns on blanketing the airwaves with generic ads to become more strategic. This is a trend I expect to see continue in 2025.
This will mean more localised advertising with hyper-vigilance in spending – every ad dollar will be carefully allocated to ensure it delivers results. Expect refined top-of-funnel tactics with companies moving away from noisy, generic campaigns in favour of targeted consumer-first strategies.
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Don’t underestimate the power of Meta
Meta is the second-largest controller of digital ad inventory in the world and is arguably the best platform out there for targeting and segmenting specific audiences. But it’s important to play by their rules – if Meta bans you, you’re essentially removing yourself from the equation.
It’s next to impossible to come back from and we’ve seen this happen time and again with clients coming to use after a ban asking for a fix. The reality is, there isn’t one.
This is why it’s so important to take your time with Meta – taking a strategic approach and ensuring compliance with its rules means you don’t get burned when playing with what is one of the hottest marketing platforms in the world.
Personalised experiences will become mission-critical to operator success
The operators succeeding in sports betting right now understand that players want experiences tailored to them. This means ensuring they can quickly access the bets they want to place, whether that be for specific teams or players, and even the markets and bet types they prefer.
Personalisation is about adapting to how players bet, not the other way around. This helps operators and brands to build long-term engagement by tailoring the experience, which in turn keeps players coming back.
If operators can create something that feels personal and intuitive they don’t need to keep pushing heavy promotions or generic options.
Fanatics have proven how powerful this approach can be – they weren’t the first to market, but they filled gaps their competition left wide open and have achieved great success by doing so. Ultimately, operators need to remember to build for players and not for themselves.
Influencers will enter the marketing mix in a meaningful way
Influencers have proved to be an effective marketing tool but an influencer strategy without a strong way to measure attribution is useless, and two things you need to be extremely clear about with influencers is “can you actually send me players” and “how valuable are these players to me?”.
These are easy questions to ask but much harder to answer.
This is why you need to test, track and iterate. I’d suggest starting with a promotion and closely monitoring data. You should also ask yourself things like:
How many people saw the promotion?
How many clicked?
Of those clicks, how many created accounts?
Are those accounts funded?
Are these new users actively playing over time?
But remember, influencers aren’t just an acquisition tool. They are a way to amplify your message to an audience you might already engage with but need help reaching consistently. This is hard to track, but with the right technology and attribution systems, it can be done.
Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a leading provider of B2B gaming content, systems, and solutions, is excited to announce a new partnership with Jogo de Ouro, a Brazilian-based sportsbook and casino operator, to bring Inspired’s acclaimed slot titles to its players.
This partnership signals a major step forward in Inspired’s growth strategy, as the market expands during its new era of regulation. With this launch, Jogo de Ouro’s players in Brazil will now have access to Inspired’s rapidly expanding catalogue of online slot content, including hit titles such as Golden Winner™ (CampeĂŁo de Ouro), Big Piggy Bank™ (Super Confrinho da Sorte), Big Fishing Fortune™ (Super Pescaria da Fortuna), alongside global fan favourites like Gold Cash Free Spins™ (Grana de Ouro Giros Gratis), Cops â€n’ Robbers Big Money™ (Policia e Ladrao Muita Grana), and more.
Jogo de Ouro will feature regular content releases from Inspired, giving its players access to a variety of new experiences, including proven, high-performing global hits. The portfolio blends iconic classics, innovative features, and seasonal favourites, all designed with high-impact mechanics that drive both engagement and retention. The partnership with Jogo de Ouro broadens Inspired’s global footprint and brings proven content to one of the most promising iGaming markets, in the world.
Claire Osborne, Vice President of Interactive at Inspired Entertainment, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Jogo de Ouro to bring our diverse games portfolio to Brazilian audiences. From player-favourite classics to fun seasonal titles, our games are crafted for engagement and have proven performance. This collaboration will deliver exceptional entertainment experiences to Jogo de Ouro’s players.”
Flavio Sukar, CEO at Jogo de Ouro, added: “This partnership positions Jogo de Ouro at the forefront of Brazilian iGaming, delivering top-tier casino content to our players. We’re proud to partner with Inspired, and we look forward to bringing their high-quality games and regular new releases to audiences across the country.”
Latest News
Brightstar Lottery Modernizes Retail and Digital Solutions for Missouri Lottery with OMNIA Deployment
Brightstar Lottery PLC announced that it will deploy its fully-integrated lottery solution, OMNIA, to modernize retail and digital solutions for the Missouri Lottery via an eight-year contract. OMNIA seamlessly connects retail and digital lottery channels and was designed to simplify operations and elevate player experiences. Brightstar will also enhance the Missouri Lottery’s digital program to include Connected Play, second-chance promotions and loyalty program.
“For more than 30 years, the Missouri Lottery has relied on Brightstar’s world-class technology and insight to help contribute more than $8.5 billion to public education throughout our state. We are excited to build upon this long-term partnership over the course of the next eight years and deliver new, premier experiences for our players,” said Lester Elder, Missouri Lottery Executive Director.
“Brightstar is honored to support the Missouri Lottery as it embraces the evolving lottery landscape and implements innovative solutions that will increase flexibility to manage its operations and engage players in new ways. We look forward to delivering these high-performing solutions, while helping the Lottery achieve its goals of maximizing funds to education,” said Scott Gunn, Brightstar Chief Operating Officer North America Lottery.
Brightstar will also deliver new retailer equipment including 5250 Retailer Pro S2s, 2220 GameTouch 28s, 75 GameTouch 20s, 250 GameTouch Draws, 1250 Digital Menu Boards, and an enhanced communications network. These solutions drive player engagement and offer versatility, reliability, and convenience, backed by the high performance and integrity of Brightstar’s market-leading central system.
Brightstar serves nearly 90 lottery customers and their players on six continents. It is the primary technology provider to 26 of the 46 lottery jurisdictions in the US and seven of the world’s 10 largest lotteries.
Scientific Games has launched the SG Content Hub in the District of Columbia, offering a curated selection of exciting games to DC Lottery players who play online. The lottery industry’s premier content aggregator brings digital games from Scientific Games and game studios worldwide to players, including the company’s own portfolio of more than 250 eInstant games from SG Studios and a suite of licensed brands. DC players are enjoying the new Mayhem Madness game from SG Studios, with Candy Coated Cash and Witchy Wins coming this fall.
The SG Content Hub launch expands Scientific Games’ longtime relationship with the DC Lottery for DC Scratchers games that began with the Lottery’s start-up in 1982.
The world’s largest lottery games company developed the SG Content Hub to serve the rapidly expanding digital lottery channel with a broad variety of engaging, unique iLottery game experiences. The SG Content Hub operates seamlessly with lottery gaming systems technology and iLottery platforms.
Randy Burnside, DC Lottery Executive Director, said: “The DC Lottery is thrilled to offer our players a wide selection of new and exciting games through the SG Content Hub. We are building on our success with DC Scratchers from Scientific Games and the company’s deep understanding of lottery players and the entertainment experience.”
Since its inception in 1982, the DC Lottery has awarded more than $4.8 billion in prizes, transferred more than $2.4 billion to the District’s General Fund, which supports essential services in the District, generated more than $501.4 million in commissions for its retail business partners, and helped local nonprofits raise more than $139.5 million in support of social causes.
Matt Lynch, President, Digital for Scientific Games, said: “We are excited to bring our global expertise, content and technology to the DC Lottery with an evolutionary content aggregator developed to offer players an exciting portfolio of iLottery games, with the agility to adapt to play preferences and market trends. The engaging variety of digital lottery games offered through the SG Content Hub ensures long-term sustainable growth for the DC Lottery and its beneficiary programs in the District of Columbia.”
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