Press Releases
Jamie Shea Urges United States Betting Brands to Embrace Player Education
Strive Gaming Chief Marketing Officer tells Xtremepush podcast Experts in the Room in-play betting has the potential to take off as it has in Europe
Sportsbooks in the United States must focus on educating bettors about the availability and benefits of in-play betting for a profitable future, according to Strive Gaming’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jamie Shea (pictured).
Speaking as a guest on a forthcoming edition of Xtremepush’s podcast series Experts in the Room, the industry leader and former VP of Sportsbook at DraftKings stressed that live betting has so far only reached a fraction of its potential in the country.
That’s despite it being more than five years since the first legal online bets in the United States outside of Nevada were placed with DraftKings in New Jersey.
Also key to profitability is a concerted push to retain expensively acquired players, Shea argues, with increased personalisation favored above expensive blanket bonusing.
“The education of the player is the best retention tool as it teaches them how to play,” said Shea, speaking to Xtremepush’s New Business Account Executive and podcast host, Will Hansen. “A lot of the time, customers just don’t even realize that certain bets exist. One of the things that’s driving me crazy right now in the United States industry is in-play. Why is that not bigger? Seventy per cent of bets should be in-play, as they are in Europe, because it’s fun and provides instant gratification.
“I would love to see that happen in the United States. We need to educate the players on how it works and where they can find it in an app and that’s where push notifications come in. Brands should be doing all they can to let the customer know that hey, there is this wager available and it’s a lot of fun. Every time that I’ve sat down with people and taught them how it works, they love it and it becomes their go-to.”
Shea also stressed that United States operators’ acquisition budgets need to be more in line with player lifetime values, a trend which is already in motion.
“After the first bet on August 1st, 2018, in New Jersey, it was a free-for-all,” she added. “Nobody knew what should be done or how it should be done, just that they wanted as many active customers as possible. And so it was a bonus here, a bonus there.
“Unfortunately, as everybody came to realize, this set the customer up with an expectation that isn’t realistic, because those offers can’t last forever. It also created a lot of promiscuity within the different brands through ‘promo hunters’ and it started to become a race to the bottom. Nobody was profitable.
“Having Strive Gaming and Xtremepush in the United States market allows for so much more targeted marketing, so that bonuses aren’t just thrown at everyone. It allows us to look at what resonates with certain player types as a targeted and measured approach.”
In line with the data-led approach to personalized offerings, Shea also stressed that detecting problematic player behavior is of paramount importance for United States-focused platform provider Strive Gaming.
“For me, it’s a very personal topic,” she said. “I grew up with my dad losing his business and that’s because gaming was not regulated. Nobody was texting him and asking him how he was doing back in 1984. One of the great things about having all of this data available is you can look to see, has someone changed their behavior dramatically?
“I’m very cognizant of player interactions with us. Our customer service team is extremely well-trained to notice when certain trigger words, for example, suggest a person might be having a problem. We can’t be their therapist. We can’t know everything they are thinking. But what we can do is provide the right tools to enable people to keep enjoying sports betting and iGaming, in a very responsible manner that isn’t going to affect their lives.”
Latest News
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SELECTS SPORTRADAR TO TRANSFORM PLAYER TALENT SCOUTING FOR ALL 30 CLUBS
Sportradar today announced a multiyear agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) to offer unparalleled sports performance analysis of amateur baseball prospects, through its Synergy Coaching and Scouting solution, to the league and its 30 Clubs. This new partnership will revolutionize player talent scouting through Sportradar’s advanced, proprietary technology and highlights Sportradar’s commitment to delivering innovative and game-changing solutions to the league.
Under the agreement, MLB and its 30 Clubs will gain access to an unprecedented depth of player analysis and insights with event coverage expanding significantly, from 3,300 to more than 20,000 games – an over 600% increase. This includes college, international, professional partner leagues and leading amateur leagues, such as the MLB Draft League, the Appalachian League and MLB Develops events, and, for the first time, top high school events.
The Synergy Coaching and Scouting solution is uniquely positioned to address the player evaluation needs of MLB as it leverages Sportradar’s expertise ingesting and transforming millions of data points from video into detailed metrics, actionable insights and dynamic visualizations. This, combined with Sportradar’s AI-powered sports performance technology, enables Synergy to provide unparalleled, in-depth analysis of every player, play and game situation, and equips MLB and Club scouts with the information and insights they need to streamline the evaluation process, guide draft decisions and support the development of future MLB players.
“Sportradar’s cutting-edge technology, alongside our reputation as a trusted partner to leading US sports leagues, is driving the transformation of sports performance analysis,” said Eduard Blonk, Chief Commercial Officer, Sportradar. “Through Synergy we are pleased that we are expanding our relationship with MLB, equipping them with the deep data and insights they need to identify the next generation of players. We are eager to continue bringing innovative solutions to MLB.”
“We are excited to expand our relationship with Sportradar and ensure equal access to the Synergy video and data services for all 30 MLB Clubs. This platform has become a key resource for Clubs in the domestic and international scouting process and we look forward to continuing our work with Sportradar in the coming years,” said John D’Angelo, MLB’s Sr. Vice President of Amateur and Medical Operations.
Financial reports
Commercial Gaming Revenue Growth Continues in Q3 2024, Driving Industry’s 15th Consecutive Quarter of Growth
U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached $17.71 billion in Q3 2024, the industry’s highest-grossing Q3 on record, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. This makes Q3 2024 the industry’s 15th consecutive quarter of annual revenue growth, with September marking the 43rd straight month of rising year-over-year commercial gaming revenue.
Through the first nine months of the year, nationwide commercial gaming revenue stands at $53.24 billion, pacing 8.0 percent ahead of 2023 and putting the industry on track for a fourth straight record revenue year.
In Q3 2024, 29 of the 35 commercial gaming jurisdictions operational last year saw increased year-over-year revenue. This growth resulted in an 8.9 percent year-over-year increase in state and local taxes tied directly to gaming revenue, with commercial gaming operators contributing $3.79 billion in taxes across the quarter.
Quarterly revenue from land-based gaming – encompassing casino slots, table games and retail sports betting – totaled $12.56 billion, 0.62 percent lower than Q3 2023. Meanwhile, combined revenue from online sports betting and iGaming totaled $5.14 billion in Q3 2024 as online gaming made up 29.0 percent of commercial gaming revenue, a significantly higher share than in Q3 2023.
Looking at each sector in Q3 2024:
- Traditional Gaming: Traditional brick-and-mortar casino gaming generated quarterly revenue of $12.38 billion, a contraction of 0.9 percent year-over-year.
- Legal Sports Betting: Americans legally wagered $30.3 billion on sports, generating $3.24 billion in quarterly revenue (+42.4% YoY). Recent market launches in Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina and Vermont contributed to this growth.
- iGaming: iGaming generated $2.08 billion in revenue, marking a 30.3 percent year-over-year increase.
“Q3 2024 continued gaming’s momentum from the first half of the year, with online casino and sports betting driving strong growth. At the same time, new brick-and-mortar casino openings bolstered traditional gaming, which still accounts for the bulk of industry revenue,” said AGA Vice President of Research David Forman. “More than a quarter of commercial revenue now regularly comes from online sources, raising the importance of continued sustainable growth with consumers in those states.”
Popular iGaming content provider BGaming has solidified its market position in Brazil by securing an aggregation deal with Cometa Gaming.
Cometa Gaming is an online casino and sportsbook aggregator with several brands in Brazilian market, all in the regulatory process. The group handpicks the best slot studios in the industry to meet the high standards of its passionate players.
BGaming has initially launched its entire portfolio with Cometa Gaming’s iGaming and sports betting brand Br4bet, including popular titles such as Fruit Million, Burning Chilli X and Space XY. The provider will continue to roll out its games across several of the platform’s other brands over the coming months.
This latest partnership demonstrates BGaming’s growing demand in LatAm ahead of the Brazil’s regulated market launching in January, where it remains committed to delivering a safe, fair and entertaining experience for players.
Gian Carlo Ferrini, Sales Manager at BGaming, said: “Partnering with Cometa Gaming is a major move for BGaming, enabling us to broaden the reach of our award-winning content to LatAm players across its multiple brands. So far, we have enjoyed early success with Br4bet and look forward to launching with Cometa Gaming’s other casino sites in the future.”
Thomaz Campos, COO at Cometa Gaming, said: “BGaming continues to break new ground in Brazil and we are delighted to have them live on Br4bet. Their games will help us achieve our goal of delivering the most appealing and forward-thinking content to players, as we both work towards a shared commitment to excellence.”
BGaming is a fast-growing iGaming content provider converting gambling into gaming. Thanks to an expert team and a player-driven approach, the studio creates innovative and engaging products featured on reputable platforms and 1,600+ online casinos worldwide. BGaming is the world’s first to support cryptocurrencies and offer Provably Fair games. Today the brand’s portfolio includes 150+ products with HD graphics and a clear user interface for every device. The studio is also known for its brand exclusives created in partnerships with leading operators in the industry.
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