It is fair to say that the move which saw US states begin to legalise gambling within their boundaries is the biggest move the industry has seen for many years, writes Bettor Media‘s Jack Holmes.
Everyone is looking to take a slice of the pie, and when you think how many people live in the US, how many sports fans there are and the craving for gambling, you can understand why everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon.
It doesn’t matter what type of gambling you look at, people are trying to get sign-ups and interest from the legalised states in the US.
Some of the companies trying to do this are European gambling companies, which are trying to use their experience and knowledge to their advantage. Games are now readily available to those who want them, such as jackpot slots at Slotsia, alongside a variety of table and card games as well as much more.
But what is it that appeals to European companies about the US, and can they take a hold before companies from the US make their mark?
The experience of European companies
When you look down the list of gambling companies that operate in Europe, you will see that they are some of the biggest and most experienced in the world. This certainly gives them the edge.
Yes, they may have the issue of being relative unknowns in the US, which is something they need to deal with, but they do have vast experience providing betting to millions of Europeans.
This experience can lead to sign-ups because European operators know how to create offers, promotions and much more that really capture the imagination of gamblers.
There are also setup issues. A European company that offers sports betting already has a sportsbook in place, and because these deal with worldwide sports, rather than regional ones, no changes need to be made before it opens up to the US market. The same can be said about casinos, they have hundreds of games available, and these can all be played by Americans, just like they can Europeans.
Through many years of trial and error, correcting mistakes and getting a feel for the industry, the European gambling service has developed into what it is today. That is no fluke, and without the help of European companies setting up in the US, this isn’t something that US gamblers would be able to get a hold of straight away.
The future
What we have seen already in this industry is that some of the biggest names in US gambling have teamed up with European providers to try and create a combined service.
This is the best of both worlds and will certainly help gamblers who are in the US. Here they get the name they know and can trust, from places such as Las Vegas or those who have previously offered other interesting pastimes such as fantasy sports gaming.
On top of that, they get to see and feel the experience that companies have picked up after they have offered gambling for a long time. This experience cannot be bought, and cannot be replicated by a fantasy sports provider, as sports betting or casino gaming is far different from that.
With this in mind, it would be no surprise to see US start-ups, or those who are moving into gambling for the first time, look for European partners to help them get their venture off the ground.
There is no guarantee this will work of course, but when you look at it in full as a plan, it is certainly the safest way to try and operate, and the one that has the least amount of risk attached to it.
Gambling in the US has seen very rapid growth already, and there are no signs of this slowing down. Success seems inevitable, and yes, their companies have worked well to bring that. However, the European influence has been there for all to see, and without that, we could have seen a different story.
Expect gambling in the US to continue being successful, and expect the Europeans to keep looking for opportunities themselves where they can add and make a difference to this.
This article was authored by Jack Holmes from Bettor Media, SEO specialists for the online gambling and iGaming industries.