DISQO CX insights: sports betting is fast-growing and diversifying, but still polarizing
Consumer behaviors and sentiment highlight opportunities and risks
June 22, 2023, Los Angeles, CA – Customer experience (CX) platform DISQO released new consumer insights about sports betting, including prospects for new customer acquisition and related brand marketing in its report, “Making marketing wagers on online sports betting.” Major growth opportunities with current non-bettors are discussed, alongside reputational risks that participating brands must navigate in the context of polarized viewpoints.
“Sports betting’s rapid expansion and uncertain regulatory future make CX insights crucial for near-term and long-term marketing decisions,” said Patrick Egan, Director of Research & Insights, DISQO. “Betting platforms, brands and media partners must navigate polarized viewpoints as consumers are increasingly saturated by sports betting ads in markets where this type of gambling is legal.”
DISQO’s report helps brands understand what types of consumers are driving sports betting growth today, where untapped opportunities lie, and how marketers can drive brand and outcomes lift from advertising and other types of sponsorship.
Key findings:
Growth in sports betting-related digital behaviors over the last 12 months is heavily correlated with key NFL events. Digital search and site visitation for DraftKings and FanDuel, for example, spiked at the start of the NFL season (+88%) and during the NFL playoffs (+30%). In total, digital behaviors associated with these platforms grew 30% year-over-year.
Attitudinally, younger men are the greatest share of enthusiasts, but women and older generations are warming to sports betting. Receptivity to sports betting leans heavily toward younger men with almost 40% of Millennial males open to sports betting, compared to only 14% of Millennial women. From a behavioral lens, engagement with sports betting platforms is well-represented across gender and generations. Over 25% of sports betting behaviors were driven by Boomers, while 10% were driven by females.
”Fence-sitting” consumers holding neutral attitudes have the potential to give it a try and to be a source of new growth. A large subset of US adults are simply against sports betting (41%), but a similar proportion (~45%) are neutral, creating clear growth opportunities for market participants. To capture these apathetic audiences, sports betting companies and their media partners likely need to extend beyond the marketing strategies that have proven effective with active bettors.
“Low risk” bets and education, together, may be the keys to converting non-bettors. While free trials remain top-of-mind for those who’ve yet to try online betting, about 35% of adults say that they want to be better informed about how to place bets. This is especially true for younger adults who are digitally savvy enough to try these platforms but hesitant to take the plunge due to uncertainty about how to place bets.
Sentiments about sports betting ads and partnerships are divided. Many adults are “neutral” toward companies and influencers partnering with betting firms (~40-45%). Those who have an opinion lean slightly more toward celebrities and TV networks as appropriate partners versus sports leagues and TV commentators.
Survey Methodology: Between May 27 and 29, 2023, DISQO surveyed 24,787 nationally representative consumers in its proprietary audience.
Behavioral Methodology: For the year between May 2022 and May 2023, DISQO also metered and analyzed opted-in audience members’ online behaviors to track searches and web visits to specific sports betting apps and sites such as DraftKings andFanDuel.
Download the “Making marketing wagers on online sports betting” report now.
