Press Releases
New Research from HPL Digital Sport Finds Divide Between Sports Betting Executives and Bettors on How to Acquire and Retain Users
Today, HPL Digital Sport (HPLDS), a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern, that helps sports betting, fantasy sports and sports technology companies create greater brand relevance, released its new study “2021 State of the Sports Betting Industry – Executive Perceptions vs. User Realities.” Two separate surveys were conducted to create the study: the first, developed in partnership with SBC Americas, is a first-of-its-kind report measuring the perceptions and attitudes of nearly 200 sports betting executives; a second survey, facilitated by YouGov, on behalf of HPLDS, questioned more than 800 American sports bettors, asking their opinions on how to best engage with them and retain their business, future betting capabilities needs and their betting habits and preferences.
The data found that sports betting executives and sports bettors were not aligned on what is most important in acquiring and retaining users. Executives resoundingly said that having a superior product (55%) was the key to gaining users more than other elements like having strong customer service (13%), content (12%) or brand (11%). Bettors countered that sentiment, indicating that brand reputation and trust (47%) among betting sites/platforms was the most important factor in engaging them and retaining their attention.
“The sports betting market in the US is extremely competitive. Our data found that the average sports bettor limits their use to only two to three sports betting platforms. So, it’s clearly important for these platforms to better be in tune with their audiences to create greater appeal to both acquire and retain their business,” said Ed Moed, CEO of HPLDS. “Having a compelling, user-friendly product will always be important to build a larger share of this growing sports betting audience. But, it feels like this could be happening at the expense of investing in their brands. The data doesn’t lie. This is a real problem with any strategy that doesn’t include figuring out ways to create greater brand relevance within this hotly competitive space.”
Apart from the divide on the topic of product vs. brand, the study uncovered compelling insights on the future capabilities in sports betting, how different demographics view the importance of certain sports betting elements, how women bettors as an audience are growing and are being overlooked and the constant presence of the illegal sports betting markets.
Future capabilities of sports betting
Three-fourths (75%) of executives stated that they are planning to launch new products, innovations, technology or gameplay in 2021. Technology providers, content producers and data providers are all signaling a major push towards in-play betting and in-stadium/arena lounges.
Bettors indicated that while they are excited about elevated betting experiences like in-play betting, when asked about future sports betting capabilities, having more social betting experiences rose to the forefront. Social betting (31%) and retail betting (31%) outpaced more popular media talking points like in-play betting (26%), loyalty programs (25%) and in-stadium/arena betting (24%).
Creating differentiation by targeting specific demographic preferences
When asking bettors about their overall experience and ranking the importance of certain sports betting elements leading them to frequently using a betting site or app, users provided a roadmap for how companies should think about targeting them.
General Public Retention Roadmap
- Brand reputation/trust – 47%
- High level product/experience – 45%
- Ease of financial transactions – 43%
- Better odds and promotions – 38%
- Expert content – 35%
- Referred by friends or family – 34%
- Social media content that drives me to engage with the brand – 33%
- I like their advertisements/celebrity endorsements – 30%
Breaking down that road map by age and gender it becomes clear that not all bettors find the same elements important.
Gen Z, for instance, doesn’t view brand as important as other groups. While every other demographic listed brand reputation/trust (Millennials – 46%; Gen X – 53%; Boomers – 56%) as its most important retention factor. Conversely, Gen Z views referrals by family or friends (42%) as more important than brand (39%).
The social experience of sports betting for Gen Z and Millennials is heightened even more when looking at how they view social media content compared to the Gen X and Boomer markets. Both Gen Z and Millennials (38%) noted social media that drives them to engage with the brand as a leading retention factor. Gen X (22%) and Boomers (14%) however don’t see the value in social media and listed it at the bottom of their priorities.
Boomers and Gen X audiences follow traditional thinking surrounding sports betting, which is more functional and practical than the social experience prioritized by Gen Z and Millennials. Both Boomers (50%) and Gen X (47%) feel that odds and promotions are an important part of their experience, while odds seem to be deprioritized by Millennials (38%) and Gen Z (28%).
“The potential for in-play betting in the American market is incredible,” said Moed. “While bettors are excited about in-play betting, the data shows that bettors are looking for an immersive social betting experience including retail betting and betting with friends and family. The importance of social interaction, content and sharing capabilities and social betting, should not be downplayed or overlooked.”
Women bettors – An underserved market
While most sports betting messaging is general or leaning male, women bettors are gaining ground as a significant segment of the market. The study found that one-in-three (33%) bettors are women. That is an increase of 5-points from HPLDS’ State of the New Sports Bettor study released in May 2020. When it comes to the most active bettors, ones that make daily bets, women (17%) are evenly split with men (18%).
The data also shows that women bettors show many similarities with male bettors compared to the importance of brand, product, and ease of financial transactions. But women deviate their priorities from men when it comes to the importance of social components in sports betting. Women bettors prioritize friends and family referrals (41% women vs. 31% men) and the use of engaging social media content (38% women vs. 30% men) to keep them interested in frequenting a particular betting site or app.
“The industry can’t continue to afford overlooking the growing number of women bettors in the market,” said Moed. “The audience is clearly telling us that they need to be able to trust the platforms they use. And, that trust often comes from referrals and those who are credible through social media. I don’t know if the typical promo advertising that is prevalent will work with this pickier audience. Instead, they will believe brands that are deemed as credible and recommended by many who matter.”
The Continued Prominence of the Black and Gray Market
Bettors stated that betting through illegal markets is still a prominent channel in 2021. More than a third of bettors are using illegal channels to place a bet (20% of bettors use offshore sportsbooks and 17% use a bookie).
“We have a long way to go when more than one-third of our sample is using illegal or off-shore resources to bet,” said Moed. “I think some of this is quite normal and as the industry continues to build momentum and experience enormous growth, bettors will quite naturally turn to platforms that are legal here in the U.S. But, even if this percentage is cut in half, it means that there is still a large part of the betting population who needs to be communicated to, educated and turned towards this marketplace.”
About HPL Digital Sport
Hot Paper Lantern Digital Sport is a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern (HPL) that works with sports betting, fantasy and sports technology brands to build greater brand relevance and acquire new audiences. The group’s unique value proposition is how it leverages years of deep expertise in this category with the way it integrates specific services such as: strategic branding, customer research/analytics, performance marketing, public relations and social media strategy, experiential and high level creative design to generate results.
21VIRAL, a leading games aggregator for the Central and Latin American market, has strengthened its expansion by signing an agreement with platform provider Virtualsoft
21VIRAL, a leading games aggregator for the Central and Latin American market, today announced a strategic agreement with prominent platform provider Virtualsoft, significantly strengthening its expansion across the region.
This collaboration will integrate 21VIRAL’s extensive portfolio of games into Virtualsoft’s platform, providing enhanced content options for operators across key Central and Latin American nations. Virtualsoft is a key supplier with a strong presence in markets including Ecuador and Peru, delivering innovative gaming solutions to a diverse range of operators.
Christoph Härtel, CEO of 21VIRAL, commented: “Partnering with Virtualsoft is a pivotal moment for 21VIRAL as we deepen our engagement with one of the world’s most rapidly advancing online gaming markets. Virtualsoft underpins numerous leading brands in the region, and integrating our GameConnector solution will allow swift access to their operational brands. We look forward to working closely with Virtualsoft’s talented team to deliver innovative and revenue driving gaming experiences.”
Alejandro Velez, General Manager at Virtualsoft, stated: “21VIRAL has a strong reputation for seamless integrations and profound expertise in the Latin American gaming market, making them an ideal partner for us. Together, we are streamlining operations and elevating the gaming experience for players, aiming to set new benchmarks for the industry.”
The Division I Council introduced a proposal that, if adopted in October, would change sports betting rules to permit student-athletes and staff members to bet on professional sports and refocus the Association’s enforcement efforts on college sports betting and behaviors that directly impact game integrity. If adopted, the change will be implemented only if Divisions II and III also vote to allow betting on pro sports.
The council’s introduction of the proposal, which comes after a directive from the Division I Board of Directors in April that the council adopt changes to sports betting rules, is not an endorsement of sports betting behaviors, especially for college athletes. The NCAA’s prohibition against betting on college sports would remain in place, as would the prohibitions against sharing information about college events with bettors. The NCAA also would continue to maintain its prohibition for NCAA championships against advertising and sponsorships associated with betting.
“NCAA rules prohibiting sports betting at all levels were written and adopted at a time when sports gambling was largely illegal nationwide,” said Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the council. “As betting on sports has become more widely accepted across the country, Division I members have determined that further discussion of these sports betting rules is warranted, particularly as it relates to the potential distinctions between betting on professional versus collegiate sports. Throughout our discussions, the council has remained focused on student-athlete wellness and educating student-athletes about the risks and potentially harmful impacts of betting.”
Current NCAA rules do not allow student-athletes or institutional staff to engage in sports betting at any level (professional, college or amateur) for any sports that have NCAA championships, and NCAA members have continually maintained that any betting by a student-athlete on his or her own team or own sport in college should continue to result in a permanent loss of any remaining collegiate eligibility. However, in 2023, Division I changed the reinstatement guidelines for student-athletes who participate in sports betting on professional sports to focus on harm reduction for problematic betting behaviors.
“Deregulating professional sports betting may provide schools an additional opportunity to implement harm-reduction strategies, which can be more effective and have long-term benefits not seen with abstinence-only approaches. Harm-reduction strategies include education, stigma reduction and acknowledging actual behaviors,” said Dr. Deena Casiero, NCAA chief medical officer. “By meeting student-athletes where they are, schools may be more effective at preventing, identifying and supporting student-athletes with problematic gambling behaviors. Regardless of the change, schools are encouraged to use the many sports betting resources already available.”
The recently released Harm Reduction Considerations for Gambling & Sports Betting in Collegiate Sports references available sports betting resources, including the NCAA Mental Health Best Practices. Additionally, more than 100,000 student-athletes, coaches and administrators have been reached through the NCAA’s education efforts with EPIC Global Solutions, and the NCAA has launched an e-learning module to educate student-athletes on problem gambling harms and the integrity risks associated with sports betting.
Several sports betting-related violations by staff members at NCAA schools have been resolved through the infractions process in recent years, and the enforcement staff is working on issuing Notices of Allegations in several ongoing cases that involve allegations of betting on professional and college sports by student-athletes and/or athletics department staff members at a handful of NCAA schools.
The proposed rule change would not be retroactive. If it is adopted, it would apply only to sports betting activities that occur after the effective date of the proposal.
“The enforcement staff’s sports betting-related caseload has significantly increased in recent years, and our staff — including our new sports betting integrity unit — has been effective in detecting and pursuing violations,” said Jon Duncan, NCAA vice president of enforcement.
The Association prioritizes competition integrity, which is vital to college sports. The NCAA uses a layered strategy to respond responsibly to the rise in sports betting across the United States by monitoring over 22,000 contests per year, advocating for limits on prop bets that pose heightened risks, reducing the potential for student-athlete abuse by aggrieved bettors, and creating greater transparency to assist with the timely investigation and resolution of integrity-related issues.
This layered approach includes the most recent agreement extension with Genius Sports to establish unprecedented betting restrictions on high-risk proposition bets. Sportsbooks licensing NCAA championship data must cooperate fully with NCAA investigations, including providing access to account data, financial history and geolocation records. This will allow the NCAA to work with the sportsbooks to gather detailed account information when harassers are identified to prevent repeat offenders from continuing to place bets across platforms, increasing safeguards to protect student-athlete mental health and well-being.
Latest News
Optimove and EveryMatrix Launch Real-Time Integration to Power Smarter Marketing for iGaming Operators
Optimove, the leader in Positionless Marketing, has announced a new integration with iGaming technology provider EveryMatrix.
EveryMatrix delivers modular and turnkey iGaming software, solutions, content and services across casino, sports betting, payments, and affiliate management to global tier-1 operators as well as newer brands. The integration enables shared operators to activate real-time marketing campaigns based on player behavior.
The collaboration introduces a custom integration allowing joint clients to stream real-time event data from EveryMatrix directly into Optimove. As part of Optimove’s platform, the integration empowers any marketer to launch personalized campaigns in real time, without dependency on technical teams. The result is faster execution, increased engagement, and higher player lifetime value.
“We are confident that with EveryMatrix’s powerful platform solutions, combined with our real-time capabilities, operators can realize a new level of speed and precision in marketing. This reflects the power of Positionless Marketing in action,” said Motti Colman, VP Revenue, Gaming at Optimove. “We’re giving operators the tools to act instantly on player behavior without waiting on analysts, engineers, or manual processes. It’s all about speed, personalization, and removing the bottlenecks that hold marketing teams back,” he concluded.
With the integration now live, operators can leverage Optimove’s real-time capabilities to trigger automated campaigns based on deposits, withdrawals, game behavior, and more. This helps deliver contextually relevant experiences at the exact moment players are most likely to engage.
Immediate marketing benefits iGaming operators can realize include:
- Welcome offers following a first deposit
- Instant reactivation messages after session abandonment
- Real-time loyalty rewards based on gameplay milestones
“This integration adds tremendous value for our operator partners,” said Kevin Furlong, Group CPO, EveryMatrix. “Combining our robust gaming infrastructure with Optimove’s Positionless Marketing platform with its real-time marketing engine allows our clients to deliver deeply personalized player experiences, when they matter most.”
The launch of real-time with EveryMatrix reflects the growing demand for agility and responsiveness in iGaming marketing. It also underscores the strength of the Optimove-EveryMatrix partnership and their shared commitment to helping operators deliver smarter, more dynamic campaigns.
-
eSports5 days agoTEAM VITALITY WINS THE BLAST.TV AUSTIN MAJOR 2025, WELCOMING THE ERA OF TEAM VITALITY
-
eSports4 days agoRed Bull Home Ground Heads to New York this November
-
Gambling in the USA5 days agoCatawba Two Kings Casino Resort Rising in Kings Mountain as First Year of Construction is Completed
-
Latest News5 days agoWNBA’s Chicago Sky Announces Multi-year Partnership with bet365
-
Compliance Updates4 days agoPHAI Files Lawsuit in Pennsylvania Over Caesars’ Dangerous Online Casino Promotion and “Pay Through Bonuses”
-
Latest News4 days agoTG Lab unveils new Brazil office to further cement position as market’s most localised platform
-
Latest News4 days agoArizona Lottery Awards Pollard Banknote Three-year Contract Extension for Warehousing and Distribution
-
Latest News3 days agoIndustry-first: Dynamic, ‘Live Data’ feature in ads drives up to 20% growth in first-time depositors for iGaming customers