Highlights from MECN’s Online Gambling Quarterly
When MECN (Media and Entertainment Consulting Network) launched the first edition of the Online Gambling Quarterly, they expected it to start slowly. The consultants intended to learn as they went along about what sort of content we all want to read along with what we have little interest in.
In its current format, the Online Gambling Quarterly shows us a data-driven format with up-to-date, valid information on the industry and with this has come some extraordinary stats regarding the magazine itself.
Now, more than 1,100 read the updates with the magazine creating greater than 32,000 page impressions in the first eight weeks. When shared on LinkedIn by editor and director of MECN Martin Oelbermann, the post was viewed around 1,000 times and liked, shared and commented on by at least 70 different people which is great news as we need solid information filtering to the right people.
The Q2 edition of Online Gambling Quarterly, the Summer Edition, has highlighted for us some interesting facts about the industry.
Current Business Climate
The report highlights that the majority of market experts and surveyed insiders, around 63% in fact, assess the current climate within the online gambling industry as only “satisfactory” at best, or even “poor”. Only around 37% of said people attest to the industry being “good”.
This in fact is a positive step, as during the last quarterly update only 29% of surveyed people labelled the industry as good, though the “poor” category has already risen slightly from 10% to 11%.
Future Business Climate
Meaning the next 12 months specifically, 40% of surveyed experts believe that the future business climate will be “good”, only a small increase on the 37% of people currently rating the industry as such.
Current Revenue Growth
In terms of the quarter-on-quarter figures, average revenues decreased in Q1 compared to 2018 Q4 by 7%. The best growth was achieved by leading iGaming affiliate Better Collective, whose revenue rose by 23% in this time.
As for the more reliable year-on-year figures Scout Gaming, the B2B daily fantasy sports provider, lead the way with a revenue growth of 111%, the average YoY rise being 17% across all companies analysed.
Future Revenue Growth
Betano, owned by the Stoiximan Group and available in a few European territories, made the biggest leap when it came to forecast future growth compared with the last quarterly survey, while the top entries in cash terms were understandably held by bet365, SkyBet and the Stars Group, owners of popular brands such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.
It seems then that the figures don’t really match up with what the insiders and experts are saying during surveys. The numbers look good and future growth is of course expected, especially as more and more American states legalise online gambling, yet those working in the industry appear a little more pessimistic.
The Q2 update also highlighted that PokerStars is the most active and successful brand when it comes to SEO marketing, while 888 and Leo Vegas are the best advertisers across Europe via affiliate websites.
The effect of mobile gambling was highlighted by the fact that 67% of all online gambling was done via mobile, up from 66% in Q1, with fully 82% of SkyBet’s business being done this way.
All in all then things look pretty sweet for the industry, with more and more mobile betting options surely being prioritised by providers who will also look to increase their SEO maximisation in the next 12 months. Let’s see what the next year brings!
