IN SI GHT
POST PA SPA –
A NEW KLONDIKE
OR F OOL’S GOLD?
There’s been an outbreak of gold fever in post-PASPA America with prospectors rushing to exploit
the new gilt-edged opportunities, writes Mark McGuinness. But will all this contagious excitement
favour the e-braves, or will land-based operators strike gold too?
A NEW KLONDIKE has emerged following the US Supreme Court’s
strikedown of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act
or PASPA. New claims are being staked every hour in this modern-
day gold rush as the igaming industry positions itself to mine the
mother lode that is sports betting in the land of the free.
America is without question one of the biggest gambling markets
in the world, both from a land-based standpoint and the ongoing
potential of individual states introducing legislation to allow for
the provision of other forms of intrastate and interstate online
sports betting. As an impassioned marketer, I am fully immersed
in all the latest marketing and tech thinking coming out of Silicon
Valley, the Bay Area and Palo Alto. Coupled with my passion for
igaming, I believe the USA will once again regain its crown within
online gaming. It’ll be like the Ryder Cup, we’ll wrestle it back
from Europe. The US will go on to lead the way with innovation in
regulated and socially responsible gambling entertainment.
So can land-based gaming and entertainment destinations in
the USA flourish in this continually evolving, connected world
post PASPA? Sure they can, and to back up my optimism I would
cite three major physical entertainment industries that have all
embraced digital marketing strategies. The first is the movie and
theatre industry, which has withstood the advent of video and retail
chains that resulted in a stay-at-home audience watching films on
50in TV sets. Rather than struggle, Hollywood has flourished, and
movie theatres are setting records within an environment that offers
the consumer so many different ways in which to watch a film.
The second example is Disney. Its physical destinations are
flourishing, but would this still be the case if the company hadn’t
evolved and invested heavily in digital channels and marketing?
Without distributing its brand proposition to engage and to
captivate, then I doubt whether the entertainment behemoth’s
land-based business would have survived.
My final example is the NFL, which continues to grow through
the use of ingenious digital marketing strategies. These help it
reach new fans and, in turn, drive interest and physical attendance
at the sporting venues.
“I believe the USA will once again
regain its crown within online gaming.
It’ll be like the Ryder Cup,
we’ll wrestle it back from Europe”
So, what’s the secret sauce these land-based businesses
flourishing in the digital space all share? Well, firstly there is no
B2C (business to consumer) or B2B (business to business) silo
MARK MCGUINNES S has more than 22 years’ experience in digital marketing director roles with
private and public igaming operators. He currently serves as the resident igaming futurologist and CMO
of BetOlimp, and is the founder of esportsbet.com a resource for gamers and sports bettors who wish
to start betting on esports.
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iGB Affiliate Issue 69 JUN/JUL 2018