“Movers and Shakers” is a dynamic monthly column dedicated to exploring the latest trends, developments, and influential voices in the iGaming industry. Powered by GameOn and supported by HIPTHER, this op-ed series delves into the key players, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes shaping the future of online gaming. Each month, industry experts offer their insights and perspectives, providing readers with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on what’s driving the iGaming world forward. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, “Movers and Shakers” is your go-to source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving iGaming landscape. 

Allan Petrilli, Managing Director at Acquire.Bet, talks about paid media and the trends shaping customer acquisition in the regulated North American market

Paid media is very much the future of player acquisition in the regulated North American market, but running successful campaigns is not without its challenges.

More than ever, operators and marketers need to nail not only their creatives and messaging but also the measurement and tracking of campaigns.

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Paid channels control much of the campaign and ad targeting, but with stricter privacy rules in play, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to target directly based on a user’s preferences.

Creative fatigue is as real as it is prevalent, so operators and marketers need to achieve creative iteration at scale, not only in terms of volume but also creative types and formats.

Just as important is having measurement dialed in and being able to inform the platforms of what is working – this means having a ton of actionable data at your fingertips so you can quickly decide where to spend your ad dollars.

Then there’s incrementality and uplift, which can’t be ignored, either.

The platforms themselves are starting to take more “credit” for conversions, so being able to zoom out and understand multitouch is key to making the marketing budget go further and perform better.

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The great SEO slowdown

Paid media is becoming increasingly important in player acquisition efforts because there is a clear SEO slowdown. This, combined with advancements in generative AI in search, means brands are going to have to rely more on communities for growth.

Influencer marketing is no longer just getting some with a decent following to promote your brand, with micro influencers becoming a very important piece of the puzzle.

It’s also worth highlighting Discord here as it’s starting to play a significant role, especially in sports betting. This channel is all about community and trust, and we are seeing some really smart partnerships play out across the platform.

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Regardless of platform and channel, operators must understand the power of their brand and that by aligning with influencers and communities that match their values, they can supercharge growth.

The only caveat here is that these partnerships need to be authentic.

Market maturation brings new challenges

As the North American market matures, we see the establishment of standard success KPIs, but it’s important that each brand really understands its own LTV and CAC data so that it can drive towards hitting its own success metrics and not just “industry” standard KPIs.

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Why? Because those industry standard KPIs are often skewed by the power players that have spent big to get to where they are today, and won’t be reflective of smaller operations and brands.

It’s also important to focus on incremental growth as the market matures, understand the power of multi-touch and how each channel supports the overall acquisition strategy. Operating in silos is a recipe for disaster.

In addition to this, operators need to have a clear view of their runway – those with considerable cash can operate in more aggressive ways than brands that are relying on quick growth to fund future spend.

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and that’s why operators must focus on their own metrics for success and not industry-standard KPIs. They also need to remember that while being nimble is key, being relentlessly focused on data is what will allow them to win.

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Regulations do influence player acquisition strategies, but everyone plays the same game

A lot of times, operators will focus on regulation and compliance to make excuses as to why they market one way or another, but the reality is that everyone is playing in the same sandbox and under the same rules.

How marketers push those boundaries, and to the extent they are willing to get creative, is what separates those who succeed and those who don’t.

Take Ontario, for example. You can’t promote the welcome bonus, so brands are having to engage players in other ways – those with kick-ass product marketing campaigns or that offer something truly unique are winning right now.

Of course, paid media is the perfect channel through which to communicate their epic product and unique player experience.

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“Movers and Shakers” is a dynamic monthly column dedicated to exploring the latest trends, developments, and influential voices in the iGaming industry. Powered by GameOn and supported by HIPTHER, this op-ed series delves into the key players, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes shaping the future of online gaming. Each month, industry experts offer their insights and perspectives, providing readers with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on what’s driving the iGaming world forward. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, “Movers and Shakers” is your go-to source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving iGaming landscape. 

The world of sports is littered with cliches, some true, some not so much. One enduring truth, however, is that few experiences can match the electrifying thrill of a live event.  Live sporting events bring a unique atmosphere and energy almost impossible to replicate. Being able to capture this has been something promoters and marketers have struggled with for decades, however, the rise of micro-influencers and content creators has changed this.

Micro-influencers and content creators, through the use of video content, can provide audiences with a direct connection to a live event, placing them right in the heart of the action with real-time reactions and experiences. These are particularly useful for sports betting events like horse racing, where the tension is high and the outcomes are unpredictable.

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By having content creators attend live events, audiences can gain insight they might not otherwise be able to access. At the same time, brands can generate authentic exposure that can not be replicated through more traditional marketing techniques.

Unmatched Authenticity

With AI and curated content everywhere we look, sports fans and bettors are constantly searching for more authentic experiences. Influencers live-streaming at events provide the perfect solution to this issue.

Their followers are given the chance to experience an event in its most authentic way, with influencers able to share their reactions to events in real-time.

This technique has become increasingly popular in horse racing. I was following this year’s Cheltenham Festival in the UK, and my newsfeed was full of live-streamers and micro-influencers sharing their reactions to the events.

So, how do events and companies benefit from this? Well, in the same way, companies have always benefited from freebies—exposure. However, the exposure they gain from these deals is much more impactful than just someone showcasing something or name-dropping them.

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By allowing influencers to attend their events, companies can show what they can really offer. This is a warts-and-all experience that typical marketing strategies are incapable of highlighting.

Last year, one of our micro-influencers, Brettski, was given free hospitality and tickets to the Breeders’ Cup. The company simply provided him free entry and let him work his magic. In the video, he ends up leaving the races up, but whether he wins or loses is not the point. The video does an excellent job of showing people the company’s quality of service.

This type of content will be much more effective for the company than hiring a celebrity to shoot a promo video in a box. Micro-influencers and content creators can bring a raw honesty to the experience that resonates with audiences. Not only that, micro-influencers have a reliability and trust with their audience, which is extremely difficult to create and invaluable to companies trying to sell a product or experience.

Increased Promotional Lifespan

Another massive benefit to having content creators attend live events is that it significantly enhances the promotional lifespan of the event. If you are a company or a team hosting an event and using traditional promotional tactics, you will get some pre-event hype and, if you are lucky, some in-event content, but it typically ends there.

When using a content creator, you will get pre-match excitement and coverage, in-play action, and some post-event content. There is also always the possibility of creating an authentic viral moment, such as capturing the reaction to a horse race, giving your event’s coverage even longer life.

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This coverage goes far beyond what you would get from a traditional advertising campaign or a high-end endorsement. When it comes to ROI, having a micro-influencer attend your event is one of the smartest moves you can make.

A Human Approach to Modern Marketing

As scepticism over the authenticity of online content continues to grow, allowing micro-influencers and content creators to attend events in person can be a game-changer for businesses.

It provides a human side to marketing and invites customers to experience something alongside people whose opinion they trust. Providing companies put their trust in the content creators and allow them to show their products and events off in their own unique way

Welcoming influencers to live events is a strategy that can change the marketing landscape for the right brands. It humanises marketing, allowing a brand to create a deeper, more honest connection with its audience that will prove hugely beneficial in the long term.

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Author: Troy Paul CEO and Founder of SGG Media.

Fredrik Johansson, CEO and Founder at Fantasma Games, on the challenging environment and organizational focus it takes for developers to create a sustainable business amid ever-increasing levels of competition.

Five years ago, the market entry barrier for a new game studio was relatively low.

This, combined with the low cost of accessing global and local distribution networks through well-established aggregators, led to an influx of studios moving into the space.

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The result? Today, there are more than 750 game studios that released close to 11,000 new titles during 2023 alone – on average, an operator takes content from more than 60 providers.

One of the main challenges is that game themes and mechanical similarities now exist between the vast majority of games, and this is impacting the wider competitiveness of the market, and ability to position a unique player experience.

The market barrier entry for a new game studio is now incredibly high and for those who can get up and running, actually staying in the game is almost impossible.

Why? Because studios need to build trust with their portfolio and product roadmap and have a proven track record of creating premium content that hits the market with players.

If you can’t achieve this, you quickly find there is no demand for your games.

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Does this mean new studios can’t succeed? Of course not. Fantasma Games is proof that with a clear focus and strategic direction you can get in on the action and find meaningful and trustful place in the market.

We have been able to establish ourselves as an innovative and premium provider of player-centric games that go beyond gambling to truly engage players.

We also keep our promises, and our customers are confident in our ability to continue to deliver games that perform highly and generate outstanding player engagement KPIs.

For me, this is crucial to the success of any studio.

Studios must be able to deliver premium, high-performing games that resonate with a wide range of player audiences in multiple markets, but they must also earn the trust of their operator partners.

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Operators need to be confident in the studio’s strategic growth agenda and ambitions and that they will not only meet but exceed the goals they have set.

Of course, the success of a studio’s games comes into this and that is why the product roadmap must be balanced.

For Fantasma, this means daring to innovate and try something new while at the same time capitalising on existing high-performing mechanical frameworks that we know hit the mark with players.

The studios that take this approach can find they quickly move on from being the new kid on the block to being a major player in the content provision space.

For Fantasma, this has been achieved by working with a clear strategic plan and having a truly talented and passionate team always willing to go the extra mile to make a difference.

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Hard work, focus and dedication from all our teams have been key to unlocking the strategic milestones that have enabled us to become established in this industry.

Again, I can’t downplay how important it has been to foster trusted relationships with our customers who believe in our roadmap and organisational capabilities just as much as we do.

Of course, you must always ensure the business is moving forward and that’s why we recently launched our own remote game server, FantasmaXpand.

This allows us to capitalise on existing partnerships and expand our joint collaborative initiatives in a way that ensures our customers are integral to how our roadmap is prioritised and developed.

It means our teams can focus on enhancing the technology roadmap, tuned and calibrated to our customer’s specific needs which in turn allows us to bring even more value to our partners.

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This includes being able to deploy our content into new markets – another important capability for a studio to not only survive but thrive.

It has been natural for us to expand our geographical footprint alongside our international customers, as well as build strong local partnerships in key markets such as the US.

This ensures we stay relevant and allows us to keep optimising our global and local games roadmap in tight collaboration with our partners.

So, when you look at what goes into making a studio a success today compared to five years ago, it’s perhaps easy to see why some companies simply don’t make it.

Thankfully, Fantasma is a success story, but it has taken a great deal of passion and hard work to get to where we are today – and this is just the beginning.

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