Survey: Majority of Sports Bettors & Fantasy Players Show No Platform Loyalty as Users Scale Back Dollars Waged and Participation due to COVID-19 With fierce competition for users, platforms and operators need to rethink how they can separate from the pack, build engagement and loyalty to succeed in these challenging times

HPL Digital Sport (HPLDS), a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern focused on helping fantasy sports and betting brands become more relevant, found in a recent snap survey of more than 600 sports bettors and fantasy players, that three out of five (60 percent) sports bettors and fantasy players aren’t loyal to one platform.



The survey also found, despite the impacts of COVID-19, that 75% of users said their interest in sports betting and fantasy sports had stayed consistent or increased, while a quarter reported a decrease in interest. However, the harsh reality is that users are scaling back their participation. Forty percent of respondents said that they have scaled back the amount they bet, 31% reduced the number of bets they make and 30% cut back on the amount of fantasy sports sites on which they play.



“It’s not surprising that sports bettors and fantasy sports players are spending less due to the pandemic,” said Ed Moed, CEO of HPLDS. “What’s concerning is very few sportsbooks or fantasy platforms have built any real user loyalty. Especially as both start ups and existing players infringe on marketshare by launching innovative new offerings in emerging markets and hundreds of millions of dollars go to waste on user acquisition that doesn’t yield results. It’s critically important that platforms understand that there is a loyalty gap and they need to change the way they engage with users.”



Given the increased volume of platforms and operators to choose from, HPLDS asked what may sway users into becoming loyal players or bettors with one particular platform. Survey participants overwhelmingly look to who they trust and how will they associate more personally with a specific brand:



• 36% - If the ads or promotions sent to me were more personal, witty or connected with me beyond promotional codes (e.g., put in $20 and you get a bonus $20 to bet with, refer a friend and get $100 bonus for your account, etc.)
• 29% - If friends and/or family referred me to play or bet there
• 27% - If the company developed relevant content for me (e.g., videos, articles, podcasts, etc.) that I can learn from or entertain myself on social media channels
• 24% - If I knew that the company is giving back to communities or organizations
• 20% - If the company clearly looked and communicated how it is different from all the others
• 14% - If celebrities or well-known sports industry experts communicated great things about it



Given the intense frequency of sports betting and fantasy sports ads during the leadup to the NFL football season, less than half (49%) of respondents reported that sports betting or fantasy sports ads prompted them to bet or play.



“Users stated two to one that friends/family referrals are more important in building loyalty and trust than celebrity and expert endorsements. How many platforms are actually thinking of leveraging the right influencers?” said Ed Moed. “We’re experiencing a sea of advertising sameness that doesn’t allow one brand to stand out from a message, content, or sophisticated design standpoint. Users are bombarded with the same generic content, from the same media and social channels resulting in too much wasted money.”



For more information please visit https://hpldigitalsport.com/.



About HPL Digital Sport:

Hot Paper Lantern Digital Sport is a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern (HPL) that works with fantasy, sports betting and e-sports brands to build greater brand relevance, gain a competitive edge and acquire new audiences. The group’s unique value proposition is how it integrates specific services such as: strategic branding, customer research/analytics, digital marketing, public relations and social media strategy, experiential and creative design to maximize building brand, while acquiring customers for its clients.