Seven out of 10 sports bettors utilize Twitter for their betting needs, new data released by the social network shows. The report indicates that the volume of bettor-focused content and the quality of Tweets have drastically increased over the past few years, as more states legalize betting and the practice is no longer seen as taboo.
Wagering has become a hot topic on Twitter, which describes itself as “the home for sports betting conversation.” Sports bettors are not only flocking to the platform for betting tips and predictions, but also for drama and memes surrounding their gaming activities. Twitter claims its timelines on an average NFL Sunday show that when the games are on, social media is open.
Twitter’s data proves that the platform is “the preferred resource for sports bettors” when it comes to information sources used to place a sports bet, alongside broadcast websites (e.g. ESPN, FoxSports, etc.). Additionally, sports bettors rank Twitter as “the #1 place” for staying up to speed on sports influencers’ opinions/predictions, injury reports/updates, team stats/records, lineups, Vegas odds, and other sports-related news.
While Twitter has long been experiencing an increase in sports betting-related activity on its platform, this is the first time the company is offering insights into its sports betting audience publicly. The data on sports bettors reflects the audience of people who use Twitter and at least one other social media platform, are above 18 years old, have bet on sports in the past 12 months, and live in a state where sports betting is legal.
According to Twitter, 72% of sports bettors check the social media platform to follow the status of their live bets once they’ve been made. But on top of being “the go-to,” the Twitter timeline attracts a premium sports betting audience and has “a direct influence” on their betting decisions, the company claims.
Sports bettors on Twitter spend 15% more on bets annually when compared to sports bettors on other platforms, data show. Moreover, 62% of bettors on Twitter place wagers weekly, which is more frequent than sports bettors on other platforms; and seven out of 10 sports bettors surveyed are on Twitter
Proof of the growing influence of the platform on the gaming landscape is that 33% of sports bettors on Twitter say they wouldn’t make as many wagers if it wasn’t for the social media service. Bettors rely on it “because of the unique combination” of content and conversation they find on the timeline: 36% of them use Twitter as their go-to source for anything sports betting-related.
The Twitter timeline often gives bettors FOMO, the study shows. About 65% of bettors on Twitter are most motivated to place a bet on a big event that everyone is talking about. And while the platform has many veteran sports bettors, it also attracts those new to the game: 51% of bettors on Twitter started betting less than two years ago, the company says.
Added value for sportsbooks
On the other side of the bettors themselves are the sportsbooks. As they start to act more and more like media outlets, they also see Twitter as a core component of their growth strategy. Sportsbook handles now pump out content nonstop, from memes to parlay promotions to breaking sports news. Many are even developing Twitter-centric activations to engage fans.
“Countless sports fans and bettors are avidly researching and interacting in real-time on Twitter, which underscores the platform’s effectiveness for customer growth and retention strategies at DraftKings,” says Stephanie Sherman, Chief Marketing Officer of DraftKings. “In addition to maintaining a strong brand voice on Twitter and engaging with fans organically, we’ve also seen impressive performance across all of our core metrics.”
This success has fueled DraftKings to explore and develop more custom programs, including #PeoplesParlay and @WhatsTheLine to deepen its connection with sports bettors on the platform. According to Sherman, the customer response thus far “has been positive and encouraging” as the brand looks to build further momentum this NFL season.
Stephanie Sherman
“Twitter has long been called the world’s largest sports bar – the place where people all over the world come to talk about sports,” says Mike Dupree, Director of Media & Entertainment at Twitter. “Now it’s also becoming the world’s largest sportsbook… Not in terms of taking wagers, but where people come to talk about the action and follow their bets.”
According to Dupree, Twitter has already seen more people Tweet about sports betting in 2022 than it did all last year – and that was before the NFL season’s kick-off earlier this month.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2022/09/14/64232-seven-out-of-10-sports-bettors-use-twitter-for-wagering-content–new-company-data-shows
