There are almost 5000 gambling brands in the world, and a lot of them operate on an international scale. The industry is becoming more competitive, and brands really need to innovate to stand out. Experienced casino players in Canada tend to rely on review sites or tier lists to find the best operator. You can find such a list on casinofiables.com and see what is considered the best casino site overall. That being said there are multiple categories you can browse and find operators that better align with your personal preference.
Still, there are many casual players out there who gravitate towards the operators that are advertised on TV or during big sports events. Some of these operators are even mentioned at https://casinoofthekings.ca/online-gambling/ as the best online casinos in Canada, but the majority of sites on these lists aren’t big corporations. In other words, they don’t spend money on big collaborations with celebrities. They haven’t reached the point where they can see meaningful returns for such investments.
Here we will focus on the top promo collaborations between athletes and gambling sites, and talk about the benefits of this relationship.
Importance of Promo-Collaborations Between Sport Players and Online Gambling Sites
Celebrity athletes have fans all over the world, and many young and aspiring athletes look up to them. Because of this star power, many brands want to collaborate with top-performing athletes and include them in their commercials. Usually, companies that manufacture equipment and general sportswear collaborate with famous sports players. After all, these partnerships feel natural. That being said many athletes love to bet and play casino games. Often they use new and reputable gambling sites, and they aren’t going to shy away from collaborating with these brands.
There are many benefits to collaborating with the most famous sports players:
- Increased brand awareness.
- Fans of the athlete will more likely use that operator as they feel they are indirectly supporting their idol.
- Generating trust and brand loyalty
- Better media coverage
- Attracting more sports fans as potential new users
Of course, gambling is a controversial topic and some of the famous sport players aren’t always sure how their fans will react to the collab. So, even if these athletes love to gamble, they might be hesitant when it comes to supporting certain brands.
Related: Ricky Casino Sign Up Guide 2023: Welcome Bonus, Free Spins and Deposit
Criteria for Selecting the Best Promo-Collaborations
Here we will mention some of the most notable collaborations between athletes with big star power and online gambling sites. The main criterion is that the athletes in question are famous worldwide.
Conor McGregor and PariMatch
Back in 2019, Conor has a promo collaboration with PariMatch. This was a 2-year long agreement that allowed PariMatch to use Conor in their marketing campaign in the CIS region. This also meant that Conoro joined the club of fighting athletes that also promoted PariMatch, Mike Tyson, and Alexey Oleynik.
The promo materials consisted of around 15 shots of Conor that were used to generate big posters and billboards. This was a really big deal because Conor McGregor was the most-paid and popular athlete during that time. Also, PariMatch had massive brand exposure during the Moscow UFC event that year, so it was a very successful collaboration. Additionally, Conor made a big announcement that year that he will be returning to the cage, so really managed to elevate the hype.
Cristiano Ronaldo and PokerStars
PokerStars is a big brand in the world of online poker and poker tournaments. Over the years it has collaborated with many celebrities and athletes. Rafael Nadal and Neymar Jr are some of the biggest celebrities that appeared in PokerStars shows, however, the biggest brand ambassador of them all was Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back in 2016, Ronaldo got the chance to show the world that he is very passionate about another hobby, poker. The collaboration included short videos of celebrities who are playing against one another. The winnings would then be donated to certain causes. Ronaldo was playing against Miss World and against Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul. In the end, he triumphed against both of these opponents, and his videos have received millions of views.
Conclusion
These were some of the most well-known collaborations between athletes and gambling companies. That being said there are plenty of other examples out there.
- Shaquille O’Neal and Wynnbet
- Michael Jordan and DraftKings (he is a board member now)
- Wayne Gretzky and BetMGM
- Charles Barkley and FanDuel
- and many more
Gambling companies love to sponsor sports events and tournaments because they get to reach their target audience. Those who watch sports are more likely to place bets and play casino games. So, even with millions of casual players, the companies will still benefit from these partnerships.
