iGB Affiliate 43 Feb/March 2014 | Page 78

INTERVIEW The media world was buzzing on January 9, 2014, when the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA (locally known as the Sixers) and the New Jersey Devils of the NHL became the first major US-based professional sports teams to sign a sponsorship deal with an online gambling company, PartyPoker. To learn more about the story behind this ground-breaking deal, and what it means for the future of online gambling in the United States, iGB Affiliate spoke exclusively to Scott O’Neil, CEO of the Devils and Sixers. How will the PartyPoker brand be integrated into the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers teams, and within the Prudential Center? There will be marquee signage. In Philadelphia there will be a big PartyPoker. com sign in front of both benches; you can imagine that every time we’re on TV, the money shot is the one of the bench. At Prudential Center, the PartyPoker logo will be on the boards and on the ice, so at both venues there will be some great exposure in perfect placement for TV. There is terrific signage throughout. There is electronic signage on the LED boards and there are signs after replays on both buildings’ scoreboards. It’s not just about signage. It’s great for brand recognition and connection. I think there is something magical about sports and there’s a huge amount of trust that goes between sports and the fans. For Sixers and Devils fans, a brand partnering with their team is an endorsement of that product. It’s safe, comfortable and trustworthy. The signage certainly helps with this. This deal is much more than brand recognition. We’re connecting with fans on the concourse and educating them about online gaming and the opportunities that PartyPoker is offering, and we’re also carrying out full social media integration. Then, we’re incorporating our legends, guys like Ken Daneyko who won three Stanley Cups with the Devils and is a fixture in the community and a TV personality. Allen Iverson I would say is the same on the Philadelphia side. He’s one of those guys that can light up a room. When you have such strong iconic legends in and around an agreement, I think it really helps the visual environment come to life. It’s great for us, PartyPoker are great partners; smart, aggressive and they want to be number one in this space. For us, we want to make sure that we’re with the right partners. From their end, in the state of New Jersey, there’s one team with ‘Jersey’ in their name, and that’s the Devils. The 78 iGB Affiliate FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014 Prudential Center attracts two million people every year, and with endorsement from brands that eight million-plus people in Jersey trust, it makes sense for all of us. With sports fans the world over, there’s an emotional attachment to their team, and there’s a community spirit among the fan base. With the online gaming companies and alcohol companies that sponsor football and rugby teams in Europe, there has to be some distance between the younger element of that family community and the catchment audience that you’re trying to target with the sponsorship. What sort of things are in place with your deal to ensure that this advertising and branding is targeted at the right segment of the audience? I can say, unequivocally, that when Disney on Ice comes to town, there won’t be big PartyPoker signage. In all seriousness, we’re putting in the standard precautions. We have a lot of experience working with land-based casinos and alcohol brands and online gaming doesn’t seem to be any kind with the PartyPoker brand will benefit you? What does it bring to the table that perhaps other gaming brands lack? From the beginning, I’ve had this core belief that people do business with people; companies don’t do business with companies. We sat down formally with these guys for the first time at the Leaders in Football conference in London. Then we met a couple of partners, and everyone we met within this company we seemed to connect with. We appeared to be very likeminded, which was important. Secondly, I was struck with their analytical capabilities, their understanding of data and how to translate that. That’s really important to us, and we certainly think there’s some cross-marketing opportunities down the road. Given their stage of development now in the US, we’ll certainly get in front and help them with brand recognition and driving traffic and getting people in New Jersey to play. The experience is very good online, and once we have loyal users and players, I think there’s certainly an “From the beginning, I’ve had this core belief that people do business with people; companies don’t do business with companies.” of lightning rod. We’ve been working in a promotional capacity with the land-based casinos on the sports side for six years. You’ve got 50 million people playing poker in the US, and I’m sure that there’s always a segment of the population that is concerned about gaming and concerned about liquor consumption. Everyone has the right to voice concerns. We’re comfortable and confident that we can put (and have put) the right controls and targets in place to make sure that the promotions are seen by the right people. It’s a wasted message if it’s mis-targeted. You’ve touched on their brand reach but how do you believe the association opportunity for us to learn from the data and hopefully have them help us when they build their database. It’s a really symbiotic relationship. The significance of this deal has been keenly felt within the iGaming industry. How significant do you think this partnership is given the fledgling state of the online gaming market in New Jersey? Not only do I think it’s important for New Jersey, it’s important nationally. The world may not be watching, but the US certainly is. I know some of the surrounding states like Illinois and Pennsylvania and further afield in California, are watching closely to see if it fits together and make sense. I think