Author: Sebastian Scheplitz
Sports betting in the US has come a long way since the United States Supreme Court rolled back a federal law that restricted the sports betting market in the US exclusively to four states.
Since then, the US sports betting market has stepped into the limelight, at the front and center of every sports program, and in the middle of every sports-related conversation. Sports betting is now legal in 34+ states since, and that figure is only set to grow in the future.
That fact isn’t lost considering we’re at the absolute height of sports mania in the United States when all four of the country’s biggest sporting leagues are underway.
Just consider this: over 47 million Americans will wager at least once on the NFL this season, which just kicked off. That figure is only set to rise exponentially now that we are in the thick of the MLB playoffs and as the NBA and NHL seasons go underway.
Essentially, it’s the most wonderful time of the year…for sports betting. All four biggest sports are in front of every American household’s TV screens.
From a mere afterthought just four years ago, sports betting has ensconced its place in the daily lives of tens of millions of American punters.
Oh, and you don’t even need to be a sports betting enthusiast or sports fan to feel the effects of this sweeping legalization – the torrential hurricane of advertising across all media verticals is virtually impossible to avoid, even if you tried.
Sure, much of this interest can be attributed to the legalization of sports betting which has long been spreading, with eager American punters shifting from shady bookies to legal options.
But there’s more than meets the eye here – because another factor is behind this massive adoption of sports betting.
Social media.
More specifically, Twitter – which has evolved to become a core resource for dedicated sports betting enthusiasts.
Here’s how:
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Twitter Driving Massive Sports Betting Engagement
According to a media statement released last September, Twitter was the first-choice information source for sports bettors in the United States.
Moreover, Twitter ranked among the top ways bettors get their information, including online platforms like ESPN and Fox Sports, to name a few.
It was also reported that 7 out of 10 sports bettors use Twitter on their devices to stay updated on injury reports, team updates, picks, and predictions from leading sports influencers, line movements, lineup changes, and insider news that bettors use to gain a competitive edge.
A third of sports bettors indicated that they wouldn’t wager on a particular game without getting the relevant information from Twitter, which makes sense considering 51% of bettors began wagering on sports less than a couple of years ago.
It doesn’t stop at pre-game bets, too: 72% of punters surveyed indicated that they follow the status of the games they wager on using Twitter.
The synergies between Twitter, sports fans, and sports betting itself are uncanny and practically built-in. Twitter isn’t just a source of commentary, speculation, and passion for sports – it shares the same simultaneous broadcast narrative just as television does.
Sports Betting Operators Recognize Trillion-Dollar Opportunities on Twitter
Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that Twitter has secured its place as one of the leading destinations for communities of like-minded individuals who are passionate about sports and sports betting to come together and share alpha. That fact hasn’t gone unnoticed by sports betting operators in the United States.
In fact, Twitter has become part and parcel of their arsenal of iGaming content marketing strategies, including social media marketing for sportsbooks in the US – leading to a massive increase in social media activity for major US operators like DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, and Caesars.
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Twitter delivers the goods when it comes to organic content and advertising, making it the ideal social media for iGaming brands.
Twitter marketing strategies for US bookmakers include posting relevant information that bettors look for, such as changes in lines and odds, coming up with relevant memes, polls, sports betting trivia, and friendly banter about the latest sporting events and stories of the day.
The opportunities that sports betting on Twitter poses are too good for operators in the US NOT to take advantage of and FOMO into.
The emergence of Twitter as a key battleground for sports betting operators in the US has led them to refocus their iGaming content marketing strategies and efforts on the social platform.
Namely, the fight to gain the casual sports bettors on Twitter across the US and beyond, and the challenge to retain their captive audiences – or the diehards.
A steady stream of sports fans and punters alike are constantly doing their due diligence about their favorite teams, athletes, and picks in real time, all while responding to tweets and retweeting relevant ones for their own followers.
It’s like getting a VIP pass to the world’s largest sports pub – a place where strangers sharing one common passion for sports and betting come together to discuss.
Consequently, a crop of VIP influencers in the social media sports betting scene is emerging from the ranks, creating conversations that millions of individuals follow and rely on for betting advice – and even asking a total stranger from a different part of the world for live betting tips.
Nothing beats Twitter for that kind of quality interaction – not even the rise of TikTok.
The New Era of Sports Betting in the US Rises
Sports betting in the US is evolving as we speak as we enter 2023.
There are no indications that Twitter’s influence in the American sports betting scene will wane in spite of the rise of TikTok and the challenge it can pose to the latter.
Despite the ubiquity and undoubted addictive nature of TikTok – which can draw engagement through catchy, cringy short-form content – Twitter boasts far better quality content as far as sports betting content is concerned.
In fact, Twitter’s study found that 65% of punters on the social media platform are more motivated to wager on a major sporting event that is trending on the Twittersphere. 36% of the same sports bettors use the platform as their main reference for sports betting-related topics.
TikTok may very well catch up in the future with regard to sports betting-related content in the future, but Twitter undoubtedly rules the roost right now.
Nevertheless, it’s an exciting time to be a sports bettor in the United States, with literally millions of new punters joining in on the fun as they enjoy the myriad of sports betting opportunities that were once restricted to them for the longest time.
It’s no wonder why sports betting operators in the US are falling all over themselves trying to woo casual and experienced punters alike as they try to leverage an exceptionally powerful tool in Twitter for American audiences.
Twitter brings a host of benefits for iGaming and sports betting operators worldwide that choose to leverage the social media platform as a part of their marketing and business development strategy. Here’s how.
Gain Valuable Consumer Insights
6,000 tweets per second.
That’s how much traffic Twitter sees – and how many active users are on it to talk about sports.
For iGaming and sports betting companies, these conversations are an invaluable source of customer and industry insights.
Leveraging the power of Twitter can help them identify topics, hashtags, and trends that matter to sports betting enthusiasts all over the world so that they can tailor an effective campaign optimized for targeted regions and languages (this is where iGaming localization services come in handy).
Enhance Brand Identity, Promote Customer Engagement, and Increase Awareness
What’s in a tweet?
Well, quite a lot – how you format and style your tweets and how fast you interact with your iGaming brand’s audiences on Twitter promotes not only customer engagement and trust but also your brand identity and awareness.
This allows consumers to become attached to your iGaming brand, making it more likely for them to continue playing and betting in your sportsbook.
Moreover, creating value with organic tweets will help get the word out about a particular online sportsbook, driving more new players toward it by generating interest.
Provide Customer Service and Gain Customer Feedback
Leading brands utilize Twitter not just as a marketing medium, but also as a customer success medium that can shine a light on the inner workings of their business.
And why not?
Twitter’s architecture and interface make it supremely easy for clients to reach out to customer service representatives to get some assistance or to provide feedback about their products and services.
iGaming brands can subsequently address such concerns and use customer insights to improve their products and services – and in doing so, bolster trust and loyalty among their clients.
Strengthen Community Ties
One of Twitter’s major benefits is to strengthen the ties that bind brands and clients together. Twitter is, after all, centered on communities of like-minded individuals brought together by their passions, and few communities are as passionate as the sports betting community.
They even have their own lingo to distinguish themselves from casual sports fans. It’s no secret why online sportsbooks and iGaming brands alike in the US are pivoting towards Twitter as the next frontier of the industry.
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