Industry predictions for 2024: The use of streamers in advertising and higher taxation
Rivalry CEO Steven Salz and Dabble CEO Tom Rundle give their two cents on how 2024 could shape
Steven Salz, CEO of Rivalry
Using streamers as a new player acquisition tool
Using gaming and adjacent channels to reach millennial and Gen Z consumers is a well-worn strategy in other industries, and it’s just now beginning to materialise more in sports betting.
Gaming creators and livestreaming has proven to be a viable channel for player acquisition and engagement among unregulated operators. In the next year however, we expect more regulated companies will start activating in this space as they vie for an elusive customer that’s not engaging with traditional sports or media.
One third of Gen Z doesn’t watch live sports, and nearly half of their content consumption comes from creators versus produced content. These generational shifts in entertainment preferences will continue to reshape how operators approach customer acquisition and engagement in betting as audiences age up and Gen Z consumers come into focus.
Product innovation focus will shift from betting to entertainment
We believe operators will start thinking about ways they can level up the depth and complexity of their offerings with products and experiences that may not necessarily look or feel like traditional betting.
At Rivalry we are always thinking about ways to adapt ordinary products so that they’re more engaging and entertaining for the user. One of the ways we’ve executed that in casino is by developing original games with elevated graphics and gameplay that are more in line with our audiences’ favourite form of entertainment. For Rivalry, that approach has driven value in the form of increased engagement, retention and organic interest.
When you can position a product to look and feel more like entertainment than betting, you create value for customers within the experience that engages them more meaningfully. New variations of existing products like parlays and micro-betting will be popular next year, but we believe we’ll also start to see more operators think about how you build on the baseline betting experience with new types of offerings that can drive increased wallet share.
Niche strategies to target specific subsets of customers
The sports betting industry is oversaturated with the same types of products and brands broadly targeting the same group of people – mostly 35-and-up sports fans.
In most markets, this has led to the action being concentrated at the top between two to three operators while companies outside of the podium get outspent trying to compete for the same customer cohort.
We believe a path forward for small- to mid-sized operators to take market share will be through a tailored brand, marketing and products that appeal to a specific subset of players. Narrowing down an audience to a specific community or demographic allows operators to be much more prescriptive with their marketing and attention. Depending on the audience, this can lend itself to a unique CPA and, at a minimum, a differentiated brand that stands out in a sea of sameness.
Tom Rundle, CEO at Dabble
More advertising regulation abound
Sportsbooks can expect increased regulation around advertising including stadium, jersey sponsorships, and television advertising being restricted or banned in regulated markets.
The English Premier League has already announced a ban from 2025-26 of gambling jersey sponsorships, and changes are very likely in Australia following a recent parliamentary review. Changes may extend to stadium and other signage, with regulators across the globe keeping a close eye on public support for public announcements to add restrictions.
Gambling taxes will rise
With government budgets under pressure in most jurisdictions with regulated gambling, tax rates are likely increase in some regulated markets, putting a lot of pressure on growth operators.
It would be expected that tax increases will be coupled with the advertising restrictions, which will be doubly concerning.
Consolidation by attrition will be swift
After some exits in 2023 and more planned in 2024, the US will see more operators continuing to close down operators due to high acquisition costs, low market share and lack of confidence from capital markets that there is a pathway to profit.
Smaller operators including MaximBet, FuboTV and TwinSpires have been joined by FoxBet announcing they will close down. The domino effect of books closing will accelerate and there might be only a handful left by the end of the year, with most likely to be shut down rather than be acquired.
EGR Intel
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