Celebrity Gamblers: Why E-Sports Teams are Getting Casino Sponsors
Electronic sports, popularly known as e-sports, have indeed gained immense popularity in the recent past. This type of competitive video gaming involves professional e-sports teams competing against each other in video games like Call of Duty, Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and CS:GO. Millions of e-sports fans watch these e-sports tournaments and matches, thanks to streaming platforms such as Twitch.
The popularity of e-sports across the world has now drawn the attention of online casinos and sportsbooks. More and more online casinos and sportsbooks are willing to sign e-sports sponsorship deals worth millions of dollars. As you probably know, most online gambling sites have been sponsoring traditional sports, but they have now seen the potential benefits of sponsoring e-sports teams. The big question now is, “Why would an online sportsbook or casino sign an e-sport sponsorship deal worth millions? Well, this article will answer that question.
E-Sports Sponsorship is a Marketing Opportunity
When online casinos and sportsbooks sponsor e-sports teams, they are allowed to place their branding on those teams. For example, an e-sports team may allow a casino to print its logo on the team’s kit. And as we mentioned, e-sports tournaments, especially league finals, attract thousands of viewers across the world. This presents a great opportunity for the casino to market its products to e-sports fans.
When e-sports fans watch an e-sports tournament, they will see the casino’s logo or any other content used in branding. A good number of these e-sports fans will go ahead and check out what products the casino has to offer. If the products are good, some players will sign-up and increase the casino’s customer base. The end result is that e-sports fans will start placing e-sports bet online and increase the casino’s revenue.
E-Sports Sponsorship Improves Brand Awareness
Marketing experts believe that branding is not all about increasing sales. Instead, they believe that the primary role of branding is to increase product awareness. What this means is that if a person thinks of buying a product, the first thing that will come to their mind is your product. This psychological effect also applies to online casinos. When e-sports fans see the casino’s logo in e-sports from time to time, they will always associate online gambling with the casino.
And when e-sports fans see your brands regularly, they will be tempted to try the products. Some fans who are already active casino gamers on other sites will also want to try the casino’s products and see if they offer extra benefits. All this means business for the casino.
E-Sports Sponsorship Enhances Trust
One major problem that online casinos and sportsbooks face is earning trust from new customers. Many casino gamers have been scammed in the past, and they are now finding it hard to trust online gambling sites. The only way that casinos can navigate through this menace is by sponsoring respected e-sports teams.
Advertising casino products through a recognized e-sports team imply that you are operating a genuine business. When a sportsbook sponsors an e-sport team, it means the team’s management has done due diligence to make sure the site is 100% legal and legit. So, when fans see your branding in their favorite e-sport team, they will perceive the brand positively. And as a result, they will visit the casino site and place bets knowing they are safe and secure.
E-Sports Thriving More Than Other Gaming Products
Most gamers are no longer interested in traditional sports. Still, there is a good number of gamers who are not finding any fun in playing pure guessing casino games such as slot machines. Instead, they are switching to skill-based gamers, with e-sports being their best alternative. Online casinos and sportsbooks have recognized this fact and are now offering e-sports betting in order to stay in business.
And since casinos want to have a share of millions of e-sports fans, they have started sponsoring some of the most popular e-sports teams in the world. For example, there are many casinos out there that have already sponsored e-sports teams in popular e-sports games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and CS:GO. Casinos believe that e-sports fans will register on their sites when they see casinos’ branding on e-sports teams.
Young Gamers are into E-Sports
The world of e-sports is unquestionably dominated by young gamers. What this means is that most young people prefer playing video games over betting on sports and playing casino games. Online casinos and sportsbooks are also dominated by young people. So, if a gaming site wants to stay in business, it must offer e-sports betting.
Most gambling sites have already started offering e-sports betting to cater to the needs of young gamers. They have also started sponsoring major e-sport events and teams with the aim of attracting young people. Gambling companies believe that young people will definitely register on casino site when they see branding on their favorite e-sport team or event.
E-Sports Attract Millions of Viewers
A good number of e-sports events, especially league finals, are broadcast across the world. Those e-sports events that are not broadcast by TV stations are also live streamed on e-sports platforms such as Twitch. Well, this presents a great opportunity for casinos and sportsbooks to showcase their products. Branding the casino’s logo on the teams will, of course, improve brand awareness among millions of viewers.
A good number of viewers will then flock to the casino site, register an account, and place bets. This method of advertising is less costly compared to other methods. For example, advertising through billboards or paying for a TV advert would be very costly.
Casinos as Supporters of Innovative Industries
The e-sports industry is considered one of the most innovative and emerging industries in the world. As a result, sponsoring e-sports is a great way of helping Casinos and sportsbooks position themselves as supporters of emerging industries. The main objective here is to improve the casino’s reputation and attract more players to the site.
In the US Casino Market, there are several land-based casinos and resorts that have sponsored e-sports teams with the aim of enhancing their reputation. For example, the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas has sponsored various e-sports teams, such as Counter Logic Gaming. The Cosmopolitan, also based in Las Vegas, has also sponsored several e-sports events, including the League of Legends Championship Series.
Final Thoughts
The online casino market across the world is already flooded. More and more casinos and sportsbooks are launching every day, meaning there is stiff competition. This is a threat to gambling companies, and it means that they must find a way to attract customers and stay in business. One of the strategies that gambling companies have implemented in order to survive is e-sports sponsorships. E-sports attracts millions of fans, and gambling companies believe that sponsoring e-sports teams will improve the brand’s image and attract new customers. These sponsorship deals are worth millions of dollars and have worked magic for most gambling companies.
It is, however, worth mentioning that there are concerns related to e-sports sponsorships. For example, there are people who believe that e-sports sponsorships will lead to problem gambling among young people. The rationale behind this is that young people prefer mobile games over sports and casino games.