Shifting searches in newly regulated markets

In the initial flurry to capitalise on a newly regulated market, operators and affiliates alike can be guilty of rushing in, thinking that their knowledge from ‘mature’ markets is immediately applicable.

Those with the deepest pockets always have a certain brute force advantage but there are certainly brands who have shown that they can anticipate, understand and respond to local search queries as they emerge and evolve, and brands that have been much more self-involved.

The key thing to note is that as regulated betting becomes normalised, the nature (and value) of searches changes - so the ability to pivot is key.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the observations we’ve made in the US states, Philippines, India and Brazil.

A movable feast

What bettors search for in the early stages of regulation often falls into two types of query -

1. Searches from bettors who have had exposure to black and grey markets and who might be more informed about online betting than others
2. Searches from those new to online betting and who might have more fundamental questions around how things work, safety, deposits and payouts and so on

In the early days of regulation in New Jersey, we saw informational queries like ‘how to bet’ regularly appear in the search landscape:

Whereas now, mature states see volume from transactional-intent queries relating to specific aspects of betting, including bonuses:

It’s important to look beyond the ‘buzz’ countries - particularly for smaller affiliates, startups and newer operators.

Prioritising markets where the overall size of the prize may be smaller but where you may have advantages over the competition is key. Real profit beats potential profit every time.

Looking east

Investing in understanding audiences in less crowded markets could be a better use of time and cash than battling it out in markets dominated by well-funded behemoths who are over-investing.

With that in mind, in the Asia-Pacific region, the online gaming industry is growing rapidly and running into the billions with countries like the Philippines and India coming into increasing focus.

While we can’t ignore that China still accounts for a huge proportion of online betting despite having unambiguous laws against online gaming, other markets may be more immediately interesting for brands keen to ride the wave of regulation.

The Philippines has successfully accelerated the legalisation of online gaming since 2016 under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) meaning investigating local trends could reap rewards.

In English alone, some key terms that are being searched for include:

In India, while gambling laws vary by state there seems to be some positive movement around more consistent rules, including updates to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to address online gambling.

Looking at betting-related terms that are being ranked for in India can be intriguing, particularly the interest in apps content:

Brazil in focus

At the time of writing, Flutter has just agreed to invest $350m with and incorporate its Betfair Brazil business in return for a 56% stake in a new ‘Flutter Brazil’ entity after agreeing a deal with local experts NSX - the owners of the highly successful Betnacional brand.

With an increasingly favourable regulatory outlook and a huge population with a demonstrated passion for sport, free-to-play games and mobile apps, it’s little wonder that brands of all sizes are keen to get a piece of the pie.

As we enhance our local market presence through traditional advertising channels, we anticipate a significant uptick in search volumes, particularly from bettors who are either seeking regulated options or exploring online betting for the first time.

This shift is likely to generate a surge in ‘how to bet’ queries, similar to trends observed in regulated markets as we see in U.S. states as they come ‘online’ to regulated betting, but let’s take a look at some examples:

Noticably, Brazilian audiences are already highly familiar with sports betting as well as casino products such as viral crash game Aviator, in addition to the Fortune Tiger suite of titles.

In this evolving landscape,we’d expect affiliates to become increasingly influential, even amid the big money operator deals taking place.

Their role will expand to negotiating more favourable terms with both established operators and newcomers entering the market. This strategic shift will leverage their growing presence and expertise in connecting bettors with safe and attractive operators.

Additionally, it's crucial to recognise that a substantial segment of the Brazilian audience is already familiar with offshore betting sites.

Consequently, searches in Brazil tend to focus on advanced topics such as bonuses, odds, and promotional incentives, rather than the foundational queries related to signing up, withdrawing funds, and understanding legal regulations.

As with other markets with an offshore/grey market component, this established familiarity means that our marketing strategies should account for a more sophisticated audience that is already well-versed in the nuances of betting - so brands need to decide which kind of bettor they’re best placed to serve, and how they’ll do that.