It is estimated that the UK gambling industry is worth close to 14 billion British pounds, which is a significant sum for an industry under tight licensing control. As you probably know, online casinos are more regulated than ever, which also limits the way they market themselves. Fortunately, with boundaries comes creativity. This article looks into some of the most popular strategies used by the UK casino industry’s sites.
Branding, Sponsorships and Visual Identity
Nowadays, new casino sites are launched at an astounding pace. With due paperwork and licensing application, you can get things ready in less than a month. However, running an online casino is not the same as running a successful online casino.
The biggest and most influential online casinos are not just operators. They are brands recognizable even to people who never bet or play casino games. Their branding encompasses all the factors necessary to be memorable: a great service, tradition, sponsorships and visual identity.
Although the Premier League is no longer accepting gaming companies’ logos from the font of the jerseys, the brands are still teaming up with celebrities of all sorts to endorse their products. Many of the spokespeople are completely unexpected, which makes these schemes the talk of the town.
Marketing Strategies that Push Limits
A casino ad that lists the number of games and markets available is unlikely to cause much traction among the gaming crowd. Simultaneously, an advert that is all about bonuses may cause inquiries by the UKGC. This means that a careful balance needs to be struck by iGaming operators to attract new membership. What can a casino do to stay in the game, draw attention and attract new customers? In this exciting era of online gambling, creativity is all about thinking outside the box. The purpose of a casino ad is not to directly sell the product but to make people laugh and intrigue. If the campaign is good, the leads will follow.
One of the best examples of great marketing is the William Hill Gambling at Home ad released almost a decade ago. A man wrapped in a towel walks the casino floor. Another person is eating cookies and having a cup of tea at the blackjack table. There is a person doing dishes and one with their feet on the gambling table. The casino is crowded, yet everyone is doing their thing. Because they are — you guessed it — gambling at home.
It is also a matter of measure. The older generation of marketers would think that “the more, the better”. Today, the best casinos on the online scene know it is not about repeating the message as many times as possible. The success lies in delivering the information to the right audiences.
There will always be room for traditional marketing messages and bonus ads, but if the casino wants to stand out, it must consider the bigger picture and work on every aspect of the brand. It is no easy feat, but at the same time, no mission impossible.
