Online Casino and Sportsbook Reputation Management

In modern market conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep players interested. The audience is affected by the high level of competition in the industry, the spread of a negative outlook on gambling, and gaps in the legislation of many countries.

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About the Term

ORM is a set of actions that need to be taken to create a positive opinion of the audience about casino companies, as well as their products and services. Digital platforms need to maintain an impeccable image both among players and B2B partners.

Reputation management must be ongoing but it is often associated with the minimisation of damage. This is the gambling firm’s response to attacks from competitors, a dramatic expansion of spontaneous negativity, and other factors. This is the key difference between ORM and PR (public relations).

Numerous studies publish the following statistics:

• 92% of users read reviews about bookmakers’ offices or online casinos before registering on such resources;
• 40% of players, after reading recommendations and feedback, form a final opinion about iGaming brands;
• 97% of clients lose to entertainment portals with low ratings.

In order not to lose the audience and remain competitive, operators need to introduce ORM principles.

Why Reputation Management is So Important

Gambling, more than other sectors of the economy, is susceptible to black PR and flashes of negativity in the media. This is affected by many factors, from the total rejection of games for money due to religious reasons to the illogical steps of the authorities who do not know how to deal with the grey market.

Those competitors who want to cause damage to honest entrepreneurs can also become sources of negativity.

It is important for enterprises to constantly remind their audience that online casinos and sportsbook platforms are legal businesses. They pay taxes, create jobs, invest in local IT infrastructure and, of course, fight ludomania.

Let us consider the benefits of implementing ORM in the gambling industry:

1. Effective competition. A powerful information attack launched by dishonest market participants can cause enormous damage to iGaming brands. To prevent this from happening, entrepreneurs need professional reputation management. This includes working with already emerging hotbeds of negativity, as well as potentially dangerous content, and reacting quickly.
2. Attraction and retention of the audience. 75% of users increase their level of trust in online casinos and bookmakers’ offices after seeing a positive review. Accordingly, the stronger the company is positioned on the Internet, the more clients it will be able to engage and keep.
3. Revenue growth. A competent ORM policy helps operators increase the GGR indicator, profitability, and other KPI metrics. Huge reputational losses, on the contrary, contribute to the outflow of real customers and a reduction in income.
4. Image improvement. Effective management will make iGaming portals famous and recognisable in the market. They will be trusted by not only players but also B2B partners. The implementation of an ORM policy transforms the reputation of a digital casino or a virtual betting shop into numbers: mentions on the Internet, sentiment analysis, reach on social networks, etc.

The Choice of an Effective Strategy

The goals and objectives of the reputational campaign are developed taking into account:

• specifics of the business (iGaming or sportsbook verticals);
• current and long-term plans (on audience coverage, profitability level, and launch of new activities);
• market features (conditions, legislation, level of competition, and advertising rules).

A well-thought-out ORM strategy also includes proactive work. This is an action plan in case of crisis situations, as well as a set of stabilising measures.

Close Monitoring

Experts study the iGaming brand and the firm’s key person mentions on the Internet. We are talking about specialised resources, thematic forums, media, social platforms, instant messengers, and other sources of information.

The Entrepreneur online publication states that 92% of consumers regularly read online reviews to learn more about the entertainment sector. For this reason, it is so important for companies to be present on those websites with which users interact. That is how they can quickly deal with the clients’ problems before they turn into negative feedback.

Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM)

In this case, the emphasis must be placed on positioning digital casinos or sportsbook portals in search networks. Specialists focus on Google, and much less often on Yandex and Yahoo.

The work is being carried out in 2 key areas. This is the displacement of bad reviews from the top results and the promotion of the “correct” relevant pages that are well-indexed by algorithms.

The following methods are used to combat negativity:

1. Removal. This is the most obvious but not always the easiest option. To remove a negative article or complaint, it is possible to directly contact the owner of the resource. If a publication does not comply with the site’s policy (for example, posting false and defamatory information), then there is a chance that the administration will quickly block it.
2. Displacement. Marketers post reviews and press releases on reliable Internet platforms (which will definitely rise in search results), increase the coverage of positive recommendations, and encourage real users to provide feedback about an online casino or a bookmaker’s office more often. Thanks to this, negativity is replaced by favourable data on the iGaming brand.
3. Processing. Managers respond to negative reviews on behalf of the company and communicate with disgruntled players to convince them. This demonstrates that project owners care about the customers' opinions. If the people’s claims are justified, then it makes sense to publicly apologise. If not, it is important to correctly argue your position.

Search engine reputation management includes a set of the following actions aimed at improving SEO:

• creation of a mobile version of a casino or a betting site;
• filling the desktop resource and mobile application with high-quality reference material;
• placement of external links on authoritative platforms;
• usability improvement (speed of download and playback, as well as the easiness of interaction);
• publication of useful thematic articles.

Competent SEO optimisation simplifies the ranking of gaming sites and improves their position in search results. Moreover, the tool makes negative content less influential and increases the significance of positive mentions of entertainment brands on the Internet.

Social Media Presence

The main tasks of this type of promotion are:

• influence on the opinions of players and competitors;
• formation, support, and development of a loyal audience;
• building a trusting relationship with clients;
• support for fast communication.

The effectiveness of the above-mentioned actions directly depends on the website’s policy regarding games for money. The friendliest social networks in their respect are Telegram, Twitter, and VKontakte.

These platforms offer a large selection of tools for communicating with users, posting/commenting on public pages, as well as creating communities and universal chatbots.

Interaction with Facebook and Instagram comes with several restrictions. These resources have the highest rates of traffic and audience engagement.

To communicate with customers, it is better to create official accounts in all popular instant messengers. There, operators should inform about updates (slots, promotions, and tournaments), react to reviews, and quickly respond to those who show interest in the gambling company.

It is also possible to add unique hashtags, launch competitions for community members, and much more.

In social networks, as in the case of search engines, it is important to respond to negative feedback in a timely manner.

Creation of High-Quality Content

Expert and image materials are needed for any ORM strategy, be it SEO optimisation, presence on social networks, or engagement only with negative feedback.

Effective content management includes:

• posting positive reviews on authoritative resources;
• publication of texts and optimisation of entertainment;
• placement of PR materials on news websites and thematic platforms;
• development of specialised solutions to ensure that satisfied players leave good feedback and generate additional content;
• registration on industry forums;
• creation of accounts in Google My Business to communicate with B2B partners.

The task is closely related to guest blogging. This is the placement of positive reviews and publications on third-party resources. The material must be expert, original, useful, and addressed to a specific audience.

The tool is similar to the work of the iGaming brand “advocates”. These are opinion leaders (athletes, celebrities, and high-rollers) who say good things about the entertainment company, advertise its services (promotions, tournaments, or bonus offers), and protect against negativity.

ORM Policy for Casinos and Betting Shops

Let us consider the features of reputation management for enterprises that work in the niche:

1. Legal activity. It is important for business owners to focus on the lawful operation of digital resources, as well as the availability of licences and certificates of compliance. This inspires more confidence on the part of customers. Even if users do not plan to place bets in the near future, they will still be sympathetic to such gambling brands.
2. Fair play. Another source of negativity is the manipulation of session results and non-payment of prizes. Legal portals always transfer winnings in full and on time. They never cheat with the outcome of rounds and work transparently. Reputation management should be based exactly on these principles.
3. Protection against ludomania. Black PR is often based on the fact that websites accept bets from minors or customers with signs of addiction. This is another misconception. Legitimate business values ​​its name and reputation. It launches step-by-step verification for all clients to identify persons under 18 years of age and prevent them from playing.

The introduction of ESG principles is one of the trends in the casino and betting industry. Environmental protection, gender equality, and effective management initiatives are excellent information guides. With their help, operators can promote their brands and make them look better in the eyes of customers.

Playtech, IGT, Flutter Entertainment, Betsson Group, Entain, and other providers are actively promoting ESG standards. Gambling corporations are investing in green energy, reducing CO2 emissions, creating inclusive jobs, developing healthcare projects, and building schools/sports grounds.

An effective method of reputation management is patronage. It is possible to support different teams, leagues, or individual events. This approach is characterised by a wide coverage of the audience, a good response from users and B2B partners, as well as a quick return on investment.

Sponsorship is a legal promotion method even in those countries where other types of gambling advertising are prohibited.

The Main Things about Reputation Management on iGaming Sites

The term means a set of measures to create and maintain a good opinion of the entertainment brand among players and B2B partners.

Key features of the solution:

• The advantages of ORM include effective competition, customer acquisition and retention, and revenue growth. The tool allows business owners to effectively combat negativity and black PR.
• Such a strategy can be based on active monitoring of mentions of casinos or bookmakers’ offices on the Internet, creation of high-quality and relevant content, as well as SEO optimisation. Reputation management requires a mandatory social media presence.
• ORM campaigns are built around such theses as legal activity, fair play, and protection against ludomania. Entrepreneurs should also remember that sponsorship contracts and public support of ESG initiatives have a good effect.

Besides, we provide the following useful services:

• preparation of a business plan;
• installation of payment systems;
• integration of security software;
• supply of furniture and equipment for gambling halls;
• marketing of gambling projects and much more.

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