Social media has been crucial in shaping the iGaming industry as we know it, from helping to build communities and support groups to enhancing marketing campaigns. It has opened up new avenues of brand promotion, including influencers and streamers, such as Roshtein and AngelMelly, who can access diverse audiences. However, there are growing concerns about the lack of regulation in advertisements via these sectors. In this article, let’s explore the impacts of social media and how I think it is likely to shape the industry in the future.
What is iGaming?
The iGaming industry refers to any form of online gambling and betting, from casinos and slots to betting on horse racing and football. For many players, the convenience of being able to play from anywhere at any time is the biggest advantage of using online providers. Online games also tend to incorporate more frequent bonuses, such as free spins or multipliers, than in-person gambling.
The Impact of Social Media
The iGaming industry has always been at the forefront of advancements in technology, incorporating AI, VR, and social media across the sector. The introduction of social media has shaped the industry and the way users interact with it.
Building Communities
One of the best aspects of gambling is the sense of community built around a game. Before social media and chat options, it was hard for online gambling to compete in terms of the social element. Now, across social media platforms like Facebook and X, players can establish groups to discuss games and share strategies. Many providers have communities built around specific games. For example, in online bingo, players can interact with each other, talking about their cards and reacting to the caller, using chat options. The groups offer a sense of community and are easily found through a provider’s linked social media channels.
Online gambling providers also use social media to engage their customer base by offering support, organising exclusive promotions, and uploading interactive posts. Promotional posts, such as giveaways, can help boost a game’s activity. Social media platforms have activity measures that allow providers to monitor metrics and track the performance of a post or a promotion. Through social media metrics and feedback via social media, providers can analyse player preferences and trends. Social media is also helpful in allowing providers to get instant feedback on their services. For example, if customers are repeatedly mentioning a problem with a game’s mechanics, this can alert the provider to an issue and allow them to fix it quickly. Using social media to interact with users keeps audiences engaged with playing and allows for better provider-player interaction.
Live Streaming
Live streaming involves players ‘going live’, allowing others to view their activity when gambling online. Users can stream via platforms like Twitch, which has 240 million monthly users. In the online gambling world, streams often focus on casino games like slots, or include a streamer watching a sporting event, like a football match, while placing sports bets. Streamers will involve viewers by asking how much to bet and discussing odds and strategies. Viewers can be influenced to try new games or pick up strategies from professionals when they livestream.
Streamers can make money by promoting brands and advertising products. However, a lack of regulation on some sites has led to concern. Some livestreaming platforms don’t have tight rules on advertisements, making it difficult for viewers to know what is part of a paid promotion. It’s important to remember that most of the time, sponsored streamers are not gambling with their own money and are getting paid for new site users. As well as advertising concerns, the UK Gambling Commission has expressed worries over the effectiveness of some streaming sites’ age verification services. As a result of ineffective checks, underage groups can gain access to restricted gambling content. These groups can be easily influenced, especially in cases where celebrities are involved. In the future, I would expect the UK Gambling Commission to tighten these regulations and enforce ad disclosures across all platforms.
Influencers
The social media world has opened up a whole new avenue of marketing through the creation of social media influencers. Influencers usually have large social media followings who interact with their posts. Brands will pay influencers to promote their services or products to their following.
In the iGaming industry, influencers promote games and sites to their audience. For example, an influencer might post mentioning their favourite new slot game they’ve been using or the best place to find odds for a football match. By using the niche of different audiences, providers can target specific audiences. Influencer marketing also allows brands to reach groups they wouldn’t have themselves. Recent pressure to ensure transparency has led to influencer marketing being regulated under the 2008 Trading Regulations and has seen several influencers taken to court over unclear ad disclosure in the UK. As a result of these regulation changes, influencers in the UK now have to declare paid or sponsored posts clearly through captions and disclosure labels.
Marketing
As well as marketing through influencers, iGaming providers can market themselves across social media platforms. A strong social media presence allows providers to build a coherent brand and highlight important messages or offers. For example, brands can promote exclusive bonuses through their Instagram, driving player interaction. These platforms also allow brands to upload clips of real gameplay. The vibrant graphics and sounds of these clips entice customers to play. Increased visibility through these social media adverts allows brands to reach new audiences and use targeted ads to reach a specific group.
iGaming providers can also market to users in real time using social media. For example, by posting updates and corresponding offers on X throughout a football game, providers can grab the attention of viewers. The immediacy of a social media post ensures customers stay up to date with the best offers.
Responsible Gambling
While there are concerns about how iGaming services are marketed across social media, platforms can also be used for good. Messages surrounding responsible gambling can be promoted through social media, reinforcing safe gambling to all customers. Adverts and videos, using tools like influencers, can be helpful in helping players to recognise signs of a gambling problem or to promote key services like helplines.
As well as promoting messages of responsible gambling, social media can help players find support. Through the formation of community groups around games, players can talk to those who have similar experiences to them and offer support. For many players, the anonymity of social media allows them to have open and honest conversations surrounding gambling.
Shaping the Future of iGaming
It is expected that AI will be used in the future for efficient data pattern analysis in order to tailor marketing campaigns to specific audiences. When this adoption occurs, social media will play a vital role in getting these targeted ads to the right people. Through using metrics to identify a post’s performance across demographics, social media will help providers know who to advertise a campaign to.
In the future, social media will continue to be used to replicate the social element of in-person gambling. Live gaming, where players can interact with real dealers and sometimes other players, has been growing in popularity recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if this trend for human interaction in iGaming was reflected in an increased use of social media to provide live chats and communities for games. It could even result in social media platforms specifically for users of certain games or providers. Alternatively, through the incorporation of AI, players could be using virtual personas to interact with each other during gameplay.
The Influence of Social Media
The introduction of social media across the iGaming industry has had a profound impact across areas like marketing and community building. Social media gives players an option to interact with one another, forming groups around games, which can be vital for offering support to those who need it. As well as community development, social media has revolutionised the way the industry markets itself. Through social media adverts and the use of influencers and livestreamers, the iGaming industry has been able to reach new markets. In the future, the combination of metrics provided by social media and analysis of data by AI could allow for more customised marketing campaigns. Overall, the iGaming industry will continue to capitalise on social media trends, like the popularity of livestreamers, by incorporating them into their business models.
Giuseppe Faraone is an expert in the iGaming industry, with over five years’ experience analysing trends and developments. Through his articles on CasinoTopsOnline, Giuseppe provides readers with helpful insights into the future of online casinos.
