On the surface, there aren’t that many similarities between sport and online casinos – roughly as many as people might find between sport and other video games. However, it could be argued that many sports fans find their way over to online casinos (as well as other types of online gaming), which begs the question of why.
Looking at the parallels between these activities runs deeper than just looking at the surface similarities of the activities – it runs into the different ways in which they’re promoted alongside each other.
The Sports Connection
The connection with sports is variable, and sometimes – as in the case of games like poker and blackjack – can seem opaque. However, when it comes to the kinds of slot games that you might find on an online casino for Canadians, there are many options which can strengthen this similarity, such as through slot games that use a football or basketball theme to create an immersive atmosphere. Strong use of audio-visual elements can help to improve this further, creating an atmosphere of the crowd and the same thrills that you might find on the pitch or the court.
Of course, there are also occasionally platforms and venues that offer both casino games and sports betting, which can make it much easier for a fan of one to hop to the other.
The Versatility of Online Games
The term ‘online gaming’ can apply to a wide variety of things. In this context, it might best suit online casinos, but given how those platforms are accessed on platforms much in the way that other types of mobile gaming would be, they can naturally extend to other types of games. Even if someone doesn’t consider themselves a person who enjoys video games, being a fan of casino games can act as a natural segue – especially when these casino games contain more ‘gamey’ elements such as mini-games or RPG elements. From there, popular online games like Rocket League and Fortnite, which are free and easily accessible on mobile platforms, can help to immerse a player in the online game sphere.
Advertising Methods
It’s also valuable to look at the role that marketing has had in bringing online casinos to sports fans. Due to the prevalence of sports betting in a lot of countries, getting sports stars to encourage platforms that offer betting games might not feel like too much of a stretch. This is something that’s very controversial in some parts of the world, but applied to that earlier situation where a platform is being advertised (even if the advert is only for sports betting and not for online casinos), it can work to draw people to the platforms regardless of their preference, letting them flow from to the other as they wish.
Having sports stars advertise other types of online games as well, such as FIFA, Madden and other sports games, can feel like a natural extension of the sport.
