Will Arsenal beat Reading at Wembley in their F.A. Cup semi-final, and who’s your favourite to win the Grand National? Spring 2015 and April in particular will be an eventful time for European iGaming brands – from the online sportsbook vertical to poker and beyond. In the US, Major League Baseball is going to keep daily fantasy sports sites on the ball during a month that’ll also see poker brands focusing on live poker in New Jersey and Nevada’s new compact with Delaware.With spring in the air in April, iGaming acquisition managers in both the European and US markets need to focus on another kind of green – ensuring they optimise player acquisition and therefore their advertising ROI. To provide you with tips on fine-tuning your April campaigns, we look at the month’s major events.
UK Grand National
Scheduled for 11 April, the Grand National is one of the highlights in UK sportsbooks’ year. The race in Aintree will be watched on TV by more than 600 million people. Even better, over £150 million is likely to be wagered in UK online sportsbooks and betting shops this year.
Acquisition Tip #1:
To ensure they increase their share of the Aintree turf, sportsbooks can segment their campaigns and give the mobile channel an especially strong focus. Given that most punters will watch the event live on TV, betting via tablets and smart phones is sure to be bigger than ever.
To discover more about tracking your mobile campaigns, contact your account manager or our business development exec Sarah.
UK F.A. Cup Semi-Finals
On 18 April, the focus turns to football and the first F.A. Cup semi-final at Wembley, which will see Cup-defenders Arsenal take on Reading. The following day’s second semi finds Aston Villa playing either Blackburn or Liverpool.
Betting at online sportsbooks for the two semis is going to be colossal. Like the Grand National, mobile wagering will also be massive and operators should adjust their campaigns to reflect this.
Acquisition Tip #2: Targeting ads to players according to their location will pay off. One online ad campaign could target Arsenal fans in the north London area, while another could be served to Reading supporters in and around that town.
Are your ad strategies active in the Income Access platform? Find out more by contacting your account manager or our business development exec Sarah.
European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo
The European Poker Tour (EPT) rolls into Monte Carlo on 28 April. The EPT Grand Final in the Mediterranean town is going to be big for more than just high-rollers – online poker brands can also get a slice of the action.
Acquisition Tip #3: Operators can develop ad campaigns targeting players in Monte Carlo for the event. By using ad serving software like Income Access, acquisition managers will be able to specifically geo-target their ads to within the city’s boundaries.Contact us to find out more about our platform’s geo-targeting capabilities.
US Major League Baseball Season
April will also be a big month for US operators focusing on the rapidly emerging daily fantasy sports (DFS) vertical. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) reports that there are over 41 million fantasy players in North America. While their favorite sports are American football and basketball, a third of players field Major League Baseball (MLB) fantasy teams, according to the FSTA.
These 14 million fantasy players are counting the days to the start of the MLB season on 5 April, when the St Louis Cardinals visit the Chicago Cubs in their home stadium.
Acquisition Tip #4: To acquire MLB fantasy players, DFS brands can geo-target their online ad campaigns very specifically according to how the season progresses and which teams and individual players shine like a (baseball) diamond in 2015.
Reach out to your account manager or our business development exec Sarah for more info.
US Real-Money Online Poker
On 24 March, online real-money poker brands in the states of Nevada and Delaware began sharing their player pools. In April, the industry will be focusing on the compact’s impact on brands’ revenue. While real-money poker sites’ revenue in Nevada has remained relatively stable over the last three months, could the state’s deal with Delaware lead to growth? Even more importantly, will other states like New Jersey consider joining the compact?
Either way, New Jersey, the third state where real-money iGaming is a reality, won’t be out of the spotlight in April. On the 25th of the month, the World Poker Tour (WPT) hits the Borgata in Atlantic City (photo, right), and iPoker operators should take this as a marketing opportunity.
Acquisition Tip #5: Online poker operators can develop ad campaigns that geo-target players in town for the event.
Want to know how to set this up on our platform? Contact your account manager or our business development exec SarahFrom US online poker and Major League Baseball to poker in Europe and major sporting events in the UK, April is going to be action-packed for acquisition managers. What will you be focusing on? Tell us in the comments section below.
