Major sporting events, such as the 2024 European Football Championship, allow bookmakers to attract new players and activate inactive ones. Optimove's data on rate trends during these peak events can inform improvements to operators' marketing strategy for Euro 2024.
🖼️ The big picture
The 2022 World Cup has seen a surge in betting activity, with more players participating but a decline in the average bet amount, indicating a shift towards more casual betting behaviour. The tournament also attracted more new depositors, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for operators to retain these newcomers after the event ends. Players who made their first deposit during the tournament showed lower retention rates compared to those who started betting at other times of the year.
1. More bettors on peak events, lower average bet amount
Optimove data from the 2022 World Cup shows that significantly more bettors engaged in betting during the tournament than during normal months.
The influx of new depositors, or new players, peaked in November 2022 with a 50% jump at the height of the tournament, as shown in the graph below. The rise in overall sports betting led to a 38% increase in December, as shown above. While remaining well above baseline, it highlights the important connection between the completion of a major event and the anticipation of the next major one—in this case, the resumption of the American football regular season. Using this knowledge as a retention strategy can greatly benefit operators.
Pro tip: For Euro 2024, operators can actively promote the Paris Olympic Games, starting just twelve days after Euro 2024 ends.
2. Increase in the total amount of deposits
Total deposits rose sharply during the 2022 World Cup, increasing by 22% and 24% in November and December 2022 respectively compared to the average off-season month. However, the average deposit amount has decreased (see chart). This decline can be attributed to the influx of new casual players who, as a demographic, typically place lower bets than regular football bettors, as shown in the graph above ☝️.
3. Newbies come and go
The percentage of new depositors more than doubled compared to the average off-season month, increasing by 113% in November 2022.
💡 Turn these trends into a retention strategy using these tips:
Attract more football fans: European football is a major betting destination, with almost every bettor placing at least one bet every year. For iGaming operators, optimizing effective marketing communications requires offering the right incentives through preferred channels at the right moments to initiate their engagement.
Keep their interest: Newcomers brought in during peak events tend to leave quickly. Retain them by emphasizing the excitement of upcoming major sporting events.
Increase Rookie Participation: Tournament year rookies often exhibit lower betting tendencies compared to their off-season counterparts. Keep them active with personalized offers and betting recommendations. Plus educate them about betting options to prevent premature disinterest.
Diversify offerings: While soccer takes precedence, tournament players often explore other sports. As other smaller tournaments and sporting events approach, marketing efforts must provide clues about the different interests of players and convey accurate messages to attract them.
