Betting News – Page 167

January 6, 2023

How much do sportsbooks spend on marketing and will it lead them to profit?

Russell Karp of DataArt explores how leading US sportsbooks spend their marketing dollars, examines their strategy and results and looks for a path to profitability.

Fall and winter are intensely hot seasons for sports betting with NFL, NBA, college football and basketball, NHL and MLB post-season action. So it’s no surprise that the last three months of the year became the most expensive in terms of advertising.

BIA Advisory Services forecasted that up to $1.8bn would be spent in 2022 to promote gambling products online, with a sizeable chunk going towards sports betting. In the first week of the year alone, ad spending by the four biggest sportsbooks rocketed to a lofty $24m.

But how do these heavy marketing investments impact the sports betting business? And are sportsbooks getting a return on their investment?

Where does the money go?

To acquire as many users as possible, as early as possible, sportsbooks invest heavily in marketing. A larger share of voice, paired with attra..

January 6, 2023

Bet365 revenue ticks up, but marketing costs lead to 88% profit decline

Bet365’s revenue ticked slightly up in 2021-22 as gaming growth offset a sports betting decline, but increased customer acquisition costs in new markets led to an almost 90% drop in profit.

Bet365 reported that revenue from sports and gaming for the year ended 27 March 2022 was up by 2.9% year-on-year to £2.85bn.

The increase was mostly due to the success of its gaming operations. Sports gaming revenue was down by 2% from 2020-21, while gaming revenue was up by 25%.

This would suggest sports betting revenue for 2021-22 of around £2.30bn, while gaming revenue would fall around £546m.

Bet365 revenue was up by 2.9% year-on-year to £2.85bn.

The operator said that the decline in sports betting revenue was margin-based, as the total amount that was wagered increased and the number of active customers was up by 48%.

Regulus Partners noted that Bet365’s margins in 2020-21 were “unusually high”, and that in 2021-22 they came back to more typical levels. It said that on an underlying bas..

January 6, 2023

Stake.com agrees sponsorship deals, expands streaming options for FA Cup

Online gambling operator Stake.com has expanded its live streaming capabilities for the English FA Cup, and agreed partnerships with three lower-league clubs competing in the competition.

Stake.com customers will be able to watch each game live via the operator’s website and mobile app for the first time.

To support this offering, Stake.com will partner with three lower-league sides that are due to host top-tier Premier League clubs in the third round. These include Cardiff City of the Championship, set to play Leeds United, League Two’s Gillingham against Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday of League One against Newcastle United.

Stake.com branding will appear on the sleeves of each of the three lower league teams in their FA Cup third round matches, as well as on in-stadium LED advertising boards.

In addition, Stake.com will carry out a series of media activations, working with former players and ambassadors to produce editorial and social media content.

2022 FA Cup

FA Cup..

January 5, 2023

Fanatics confirms Amelco will power its sportsbook

Sports apparel giant Fanatics will use Amelco’s source code to power its sports betting product, the business announced in a Massachusetts licensing meeting.

Fanatics had long made its intentions to enter the world of sports betting known. The business was part of an application for a licence in New York back in 2021, while last year it created a betting and gaming arm and made a number of major hires within this division.

The business has also applied for a number of licences. Besides Massachusetts, it also received a retail betting licence in Maryland and is approved in Ohio.

Amelco source code for Fanatics

However, the technology it intended to use had remained unknown. Reports claimed that Fanatics would use Amelco’s source code as far back as April 2022, but at the time the operator said that there was no deal in place with the supplier.

Later reports alleged that Fanatics would acquire German sportsbook operator Tipico and use its platform, but Fanatics opted not to comment ..

January 5, 2023

ICE London partners Gambling Business Group for High Street Gaming Hub

Clarion Gaming has entered into a partnership with strategic body the Gambling Business Group to run a new show floor feature at this year’s edition of ICE London.

Dedicated exclusively to licensed street gaming, the GBG High Street Hub will feature both contributions and insight from leading brands including Novomatic UK, Entain, Buzz Bingo, Merkur UK and GameNation.

The new hub will be situated adjacent to the Pillar Hall Casino, a networking space and bar for the land-based industry, and allow visitors to explore the latest developments in the street gaming sector.

ICE London 2023 will take place from 7-9 February at the ExCeL London,

“ICE London 2023 will be the biggest edition on record and I am delighted that this will include a section of the show floor dedicated to the street gaming sector of the business,” Clarion Gaming managing director Stuart Hunter said.

“Our strategy and remit is to work in partnership with the industry that we serve and our collaboration with the Ga..

January 5, 2023

Missouri sports betting bill introduced

A bill that would permit sports betting in Missouri has been introduced in the state house as the current legislative session begins.

House Bill 581 was sponsored and introduced on 4 January 2023. It was sponsored by representative Phil Christofanelli.

If passed, the bill would repeal three sections of the current law and enact seventeen new ones related to sports gambling.

The bill would enable land-based casinos to offer sports betting as well as to partner with suppliers to offer sports gambling online.

Number of sports betting operators in Missouri

Each land-based casino can partner up with three online sports gambling brands , with a limit of six online partners for companies that own multiple casinos.

The proposed amendments would also allow Missouri-based sports teams to partner with a digital sports gambling provider to launch an online service. Sports teams to qualify must play in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS, WNBA or NWSL.

The state has multiple sports teams that would..

January 5, 2023

Colorado sports betting handle rises again in November

Consumer spending on sports betting in Colorado continued to increase month-on-month in November, while the US state also reported year-on-year growth.

Players wagered a total of $552.6m (£459.7m/€520.7m) during the month, an increase of 16.2% on November 2021 and 4.9% ahead of $526.9m in October of 2022.

Of this total, $548.0m was spent wagering on sports online, while a further $4.7m was bet at retail sportsbooks across Colorado.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

January 5, 2023

Virginia sports betting handle rises 28.9% year-on-year in November

Consumers in Virginia wagered $518.8m (£431.5m/€488.9m) on sports in November, an increase on the previous year but a slight drop from October.

Player spending on betting was 28.9% ahead of $402.6m in November 2021 but down 1.7% from $528.0m in October of 2022.

Adjusted gross gaming revenue for November – total wagers minus winnings, bonuses and promotions and other authorised deductions – hiked 76.6% year-on-year to $52.8m, while this total was also 16.0% ahead of October 2022 despite the lower handle.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

January 5, 2023

Massachusetts approves Barstool betting license, but will also investigate brand

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has voted to approve Penn Sports Interactive and its Barstool brand for a sports betting license, but only under certain conditions, including cooperation with an investigation.

The decision followed multiple public meetings between Penn representatives and the MGC where the commissioners grilled the Barstool-operator on several items. Among the topics under discussion was concerns over the Barstool brand and its controversial founder David Portnoy.

In particular, there were questions over the connection between the Barstool Sports, a media organisation founded by Portnoy, and the Barstool Sportsbook, the Penn-owned betting platform.

[Read full story on iGB North America]