Why Do Online Gambling Sponsoring Rugby Teams

Gaming and sports have always worked together closely, for multiple reasons. In fact, some of the most played video games are FIFA, NFL, and NBA, but there are also casino games that use sports as their theme. Meaning there is obviously a strong synergy between these two industries. Furthermore, the reason why sports clubs are so profitable is that they get sponsored by online gambling companies. However, it seems that these sponsors are primarily interested in sponsoring big soccer, football, and rugby teams. Here we will go over all of the reasons why the online gambling industry often invests so much in rugby teams. 

Online Casinos Want to Reach Their Target Audience

It’s true that a lot of people all over the world enjoy playing casino games online, but the majority of those players are men in their  30s, 40s, and 50s. The same can be said for the rugby audience, as there are viewers of all ages, but middle-aged men make up the majority of those viewers. Moreover, rugby is really popular in Europe and casino online sites in countries like Poland, as well as UK and Ireland want to promote their platform to people who live there. They have all sorts of bonuses and incentives and it’s in their interest that potential players know about all of these promotions. Since, the main portion of their potential users also watches rugby, sponsoring these teams and having their brand displayed on jerseys just makes sense.

Increased Brand Awareness

At first glance having your brand displayed on a sports match doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. There are lots of other brands there and those are all companies that are doing well. That’s partially right, if you are displayed on a single game it won’t make much difference and it will cost a lot of money. However, branding is an important aspect of any business, and this is just a part of the whole branding campaign. In other words, branding is more than the sum of its parts, and it’s one of the most effective ways to build trust. Trust is important in any line of work, but that’s especially true for online gambling sites. Basically, branding helps with the following things:

• Easier to stand out in a saturated market
• Good for employee morale
• Customer loyalty
• Improves consistency
• Easier user acquisition
• Increases trust and credibility

People are really vigilant when they play on real money online casinos. They don’t want to make big deposits with operators that they never heard of before, after all, no one can guarantee that they won’t be scammed. So, a branding strategy is there to create a trustworthy image for a certain brand, and in this case, new users won’t have to second guess their decision to make a deposit. There are so many online casinos out there, so having a recognizable brand in this industry is priceless.  

People Love to Support Their Favorite Rugby Teams

Supporting a certain team can also be very beneficial for gambling companies. Some people cannot decide where to place bets or play casino games, because they are just casual players. Meaning, bonuses, and promo codes are not that relevant to them as they play only a few times a year. So, if they are going to spend money, they might as well spend them on a brand that supports their team. This way they are indirectly supporting that same team as well.

Social Responsibility

Online gambling is a controversial topic, and these companies are not always viewed as a positive influence on the community. There are those that feel this is a harmful source of entertainment and don’t approve of the ads that are aired. Meaning it’s really important for these companies to do something positive for the community. Supporting sports events, and even some other social and charitable causes is another part of a branding campaign, but at the same time it’s a way to give back to the community.

Change in Legislation

Because online casinos and sports betting are so controversial the legal changes surrounding those businesses are slow. Meaning, companies want to be a force for a positive change in order to suppress negative connotations that surround this business. By doing so, they increase the chance of online gambling being legalized in more countries. These are all new potential markets and a chance for these companies to grow. 

Exclusive Rights to Users

Being a generous sponsor can also give you access to certain perks during the matches. For example, the wi-fi that the audience has access to can be tweaked. It can be a wi-fi with the sponsor’s name, and it can also limit the use of other sites. Meaning, if someone wants to place bets during the match using that internet connection they would have to do so on your website. If they try to access another operator the access will be blocked. This means sponsors can get brand new users, and anyone who plans to place wagers on live bets will have to use that online casino.

Conclusion

Over the past two decades, we had a constant rise in gambling sponsors on pretty much all major sports events. Rugby teams also welcome these sponsors as they increase the revenue of their sports club. With more funds, they can bring new talent on board, increase their fan base, and even increase future revenue potential. Moreover, organizing or hosting the events is really expensive, so the money needs to come from somewhere. After all, improving the team requires a lot of investment and managers are hoping the team will get noticed by sponsors.