Love them or hate them, influencers have their place in the world. Many businesses have benefited from using influencers to market their products and services and the online gambling sector is no different. In Canada, the gambling industry is growing fast and this seems to correlate with the gambling streams popular on Twitch and numerous social media sites.
We take a look at how casino influencers might adapt to become more effective in the coming years.
“influence” (CC BY 2.0) by Sean MacEntee
Specialists
The major band casino marketing departments may start to classify influencers by their gambling specialities rather than by what makes them distinct people. For online casinos, it all comes down to surrounding the business with the right people. They’re looking to build influence centres for each type of game available. This will result in a slots expert producing content on and around the newest games and preferably some backdoor access to development teams, allowing players to get an idea of how the latest slots are created. A table game pundit could cover blackjack, roulette, baccarat and different poker games.
That is a lot to cover, but even with the multipliers and live dealers, the basic strategy doesn’t change hugely and new releases are rarer than other casino games. Next, would be an online bingo games specialist, also reporting on the latest niche categories such as slingo games and some communication on what new games are in the pipeline would be beneficial.
Finally, the game show experience games require a specialist and as the hosts are such an integral part of these games, they’ll need access to produce interviews and some behind-the-scenes footage.
The most successful individuals will be those that can demonstrate a level of authority in their field above all others and build a reputation as an important voice for specific real money games. To do this, influencers will need to address the current lack of transparency over the gambling deals they’re making a profit from. The issue of influencers being able to gamble with no risk, essentially playing with fake money while claiming to be using real money, needs to end.
Using game specialist influencers means that online casinos will often be looking for micro-influencers, those with fewer followers, but strong personal bonds with their audience. Companies have realized that an influencer with great engagement rates is better than someone with just a huge following.
One of us didn’t make it through the metal detector, can you guess who!? pic.twitter.com/lAoeCHoGop
— lil miquela (@lilmiquela) September 17, 2022
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All together now
As more companies and marketing firms understand the value of working with influencers, they are looking for innovative ways to build stronger long-term relationships. One option that is being pursued is to bring the influencer programs in-house to enable companies and influencers to collaborate more directly. Often referred to as brand ambassadors, in-house influencers can be trained to ensure protocols are followed and communication is on point. Being an in-house influencer ensures transparency, as their loyalty is unambiguous, therefore endorsements are authentic and genuine.
Online casinos are at the forefront of new tech as we have seen with mobile optimization, cryptocurrency options and plans for VR casinos. As such, don’t be surprised if the in-house influencer programs progress to see the introduction of CGI gambling influencers. Created through AI and the latest computer-generated graphics, CGI influencers are already promoting brands and could soon be the norm.
The casino influencer market will inevitably alter as new technology and trends emerge, just like all other marketing methods. While influencers often attract criticism, there’s no doubt they can influence consumer decision-making and will play a role in the continued growth of the gambling mark
