Every serious business needs a sound marketing strategy and online gambling companies are often introducing new and out-of-the-box marketing ideas to promote their brands. Below you will find examples of some of the ‘different’ marketing ploys used by the world’s leading online gambling brands.
The self-proclaimed “King of sportsbooks” BetMGM is now available in several states across the USA, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee, Virginia, and Michigan. BetMGM boasts perhaps the greatest coverage across the country of any online betting application but that has not stopped them from pulling out the stops on their marketing plan.
In September 2020, it was announced actor Jamie Foxx had signed up for a new advertising campaign with BetMGM. The Oscar-winning actor became the face of BetMGM’s The King of Sportsbooks advertising campaign and has starred in both television and social media adverts for the betting brand. Foxx is not going to add to his award count by starring in these advertisements but it is a huge feather in the cap of BetMGM, who have attracted a hugely famous name to promote their brand.
When discussing the decision to ask Foxx to participate in the adverts, Matt Prevost, Roar’s chief marketing officer said, “The King of Sportsbooks campaign is the next step in the evolution of the BetMGM brand, and Jamie brings a unique ability to tell our story in an incredibly creative and entertaining way.
“BetMGM exists at the intersection of sports and entertainment, and Jamie fits this positioning perfectly; we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the BetMGM family.”
These are great words but the fact of the matter is by using Foxx, BetMGM hopes to attract a greater number of people to their betting apps and increase their profit. The main television advert uses the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas as the backdrop and Foxx is walking on water as he takes you through the dramatic advert. It certainly captures the attention and BetMGM will hope it is enough to persuade some people to leave the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel and begin using their own gambling services.
Betting companies are not the only brands within the online gambling world using celebrities to add to their attraction. Inspire Gaming is an online casino game developer, and they have worked with the likes of Mike Tyson to create celebrity-themed slots games, such as the “Mike Tyson Knockout Slot.” Some online casino game developers have also obtained the rights to movies and television shows to produce themed slots, including Game of Thrones, Batman, Terminator, and Rocky.
However, sometimes the out of the box marketing ideas used by gambling companies can go a little too far. That was the case in the United Kingdom when Paddy Power decided to create an advert with the brother of famous retired footballer Ryan Giggs. The advert was based on allegations that Ryan Giggs had an affair with his brother’s wife and by joining the Paddy Power rewards club, remaining loyal could bring financial success. Having received complaints, the UK advertising watchdog banned the advert.
