The online gambling industry has exploded in recent years, growing into a $66.7 billion market globally as of 2020. With increasing mainstream acceptance and utilization of internet gambling sites like Casino777 Schweiz and apps, the competition for customer acquisition and retention has also intensified. This has led many online gambling operators to seek out innovative and cutting-edge marketing strategies to stand out from the crowd.
One of the most popular current trends is sponsorship partnerships with influencers, streamers, and esports organizations. By aligning their brand with popular internet personalities and competitive gaming teams, gambling platforms can leverage these figures’ and organizations’ large, engaged audiences and fanbases for significant brand exposure and increased sign-ups.
Rise of Influencer Marketing in Online Gambling
Influencer marketing has become pivotal in many industries for reaching younger demographics who increasingly get their information and recommendations from social media personalities rather than traditional advertising. Online gambling is no exception, partnering with various gaming streamers, vloggers, Instagram influencers, and beyond.
Some benefits of influencer gambling sponsorships include:
- Targeted reach to interested audiences – Gambling influencers allow brands to direct marketing to audiences already engaged in internet gaming and betting, making them primed for conversion.
- Trust and credibility – Followers have built strong parasocial bonds with their favorite internet celebs and are more likely to trust their sponsorships
- Higher conversion rates – Influencer audiences view sponsored content as recommendations, converting at much higher rates than traditional ads
- Brand safety – Sponsorships allow gambling sites control over messaging and positioning, avoiding issues with platform advertising restrictions
The scale of these arrangements is also expanding, going beyond just promotional social media posts. Brands like Stake.com have partnered with influencers like Trainwreckstv for extensive sponsorships across live streams, YouTube videos, brand promotions at events and appearances, and even branded gambling content.
Live Streamers Driving Gambling Site Traffic
These sponsorships extend to live-streaming personalities as well, especially on platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming. Streamers partner with gambling sites for branded overlays on streams, website links in descriptions, branded betting promotions and challenges, gambling gameplay content, and more.
Popular examples include slots streamer Roshtein who streams gameplay exclusively playing on his sponsor site Duelbits.com. In exchange, he prominently features and links to Duelbits across his streams and internet presence. These integrations drive considerable traffic and sign-ups in exchange for lucrative sponsorship deals.
Other top streamers like xQc have signed similar arrangements, being paid to gamble on sites like Stake.com across popular live streams. It’s a mutually beneficial alignment – gambling platforms get huge exposure, sign-ups and built-in audiences, while streamers land big money contracts.
Esports Teams Cashing in on Gambling Money
Esports organizations also recognize the lucrative possibilities of online gambling sponsorships. Esports fans are a prime target market for internet betting – they’re young, digital-first, and often interested in video game betting lines.
As a result, partnerships between gambling operators and competitive gaming teams have skyrocketed:
- 100 Thieves – Sponsored by FTX
- TSM FTX – Signed a record $210M deal with crypto exchange FTX
- Virtus Pro – Sponsored by Parimatch
- FaZe Clan – Partnered with Crypto.com
These partnerships integrate gambling brands directly into esports, with sponsor logos and advertising at tournaments, branded merchandising, cross-promotions, betting lines for pro matches, and more.
Influence of Gambling Site Sponsorships
This surge in sponsorships has proven highly effective for enhancing brand visibility and acquisition efforts. But they also raise issues regarding potential impacts on audiences.
Critics argue aggressively promoting gambling to audiences of streamers or organizations with large youth followings could encourage underage betting or problem gambling habits. It also further normalizes and promotes risky activity.
However, others counter that internet personalities should have the freedom to choose sponsorships while legally regulated sites have safety standards like age and identity verification in place. Gambling brands also point to using responsible gambling messages in sponsor content.
There are merits to both arguments. While risky, the online gambling boom doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. And with it, the lucrative and influential world of gambling site sponsorships is almost certain to continue growing as well.