Marcus Richards
The online gambling industry is, to be blunt, massive. Globally, it generated an online gaming gross win (that is, stakes minus winnings) of $40.6bn in 2015, as reported on https://www.egba.eu/facts-and-figures/market-reality/. For companies such as online poker sites, the stakes are high when it comes to winning market share. This has led to digital marketing becoming an essential tool for those companies looking to stay ahead of the game.
The European online gambling market is by far the largest of any region around the globe. It accounts for almost half (47.6%) of the total online gaming gross win, with online poker making up 24% of the market, according to the same source.
Poker has been played for over 200 years. However, the evolution of digital technology has led to a significant shift in the game’s availability, opening it up to new, online audiences playing on a range of devices, from laptops to smartphones and tablets.
Research at https://www.reportlinker.com/p04683612/ has revealed that online gambling and betting can look forward to an increase in demand over the years ahead. That’s thanks to an increasingly welcoming regulatory environment in many countries. For online poker companies, this presents a superb opportunity to get ahead of the competition and digital marketing is a key driver in enabling them to do so.
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The advertising of introductory and bonus offers is a core feature of many poker companies’ digital marketing strategies. The idea is to attract net depositing players with attention-grabbing deals that are just too good to resist. Naturally, each poker company’s offer is unique, with innovation constantly underway. It’s easier to see why with an example; https://poker.paddypower.com/ features a 100% deposit bonus up to £200 as its main sign-up offer, which is an enticing prospect for players looking to maximize their online gambling enjoyment. Double the money means double the play time – or double the stakes.
Poker companies are fighting hard to maintain and expand their market share. The European online gambling market alone is expected to grow in value by 50.9% in the five years from 2015 to 2020. That’s an increase from gross gaming revenue of €16.5 billion ($19.4bn) to €24.9 billion ($29.21bn) over the period. If the same increase were to apply globally, the industry would be looking at a value in excess of €52 billion ($61.01bn) by 2020.
Online poker companies don’t rely solely on digital marketing, but its value to them is extremely important. The goal is to entice would-be players into a game and digital communications are uniquely positioned to do this. With a single click, a player can be delivered to a poker site’s registration page, eager and ready to deposit their funds. Accessibility and ease of use are top of the priority list – poker companies need to engage with would-be players by make the process as effortless as possible. The trail from initial click to submission of credit card details needs to be slick and swift. Any glitches along the way will lead to fewer players reaching the account creation and deposit stage. As such, the digital marketing campaigns that are the top of their game will be those that truly provide their competitive advantage when it comes to online poker companies.
