Australia has a robust casino culture, clearly reflected in the growth of new and existing brands. In 2023, the market size reached 4.0 billion dollars and is expected to continue upward. An estimated growth rate of 6.2% puts the projected revenue at 8.5 billion dollars before the end of 2032.
Technological advancement tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G internet speed, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) are core drivers of the industry. Nevertheless, all these product advancements can only be communicated to the target market through advertising, marketing, and brand development.
Across the globe, many casinos and gambling brands adopt different strategies to achieve this goal. The first is to stand out from others and create awareness. Indeed, there is no better way to do this than to use someone with an influential personality that matches the target.
Today, celebrities form the core of many casino advertisements. Most brands, through endorsements and brand ambassador deals, use superstars to influence their brand image. This article highlights the impact of celebrities in boosting the Australian Casino culture and some of the top influencers who have made their mark.
The Impact of Famous Players and Endorsements on Casino Culture in Australia
The role of celebrities in brand development and marketing cannot be overemphasized. In most cases, the influence is so powerful that people often focus more on the influencer than the true satisfaction they get from the product/service.
Typically, the best online casinos in Australia interested in real money deposits from players often adopt two strategies. The first is to pay celebrities to appear in short media campaigns across different platforms. This is called influencer endorsement deals and is usually the most popular, especially among the biggest brands and celebrities.
Another way to do this is by creating a sponsored post on product features, game selections, and promotional offers. Casinos pay famous social media influencers, depending on whether it is TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. Below are some celebrities/influencers and their endorsement deals.
Shane Warne
Born in September 1969, Shane Keith Warne was one of Australia’s finest Cricketers. He started his career at the University of Melbourne while representing the school Cricket Club in the Victorian Cricket Association. Shane worked his way to the top with a fantastic career stat from 1990 to 2013. He played for the Australian national team between 1992 and 2007, winning the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999.
After he retired from professional cricket, he found a new love in poker rather than playing cricket. He signed a sponsorship deal with the top poker site 888.com, where he was subsequently featured in the 2005 edition of the World Series of Poker. In his words, “Nothing will replace the 20 years of cricket in my life, but there are a lot of similarities,”.
Warne emphasized that both games require skill and discipline. He was associated with the poker brand for many years and used his fame as a cricketer to popularize poker in Australia.
Brian Christopher
Brian Christopher is arguably one of the biggest YouTube influencers in the iGaming niche with his channel, Brian Christopher Slots. Brian is famous for his work promoting slot games. He boasts about 700k followers with a whopping 571 million cumulative views from about five thousand video uploads.
The channel started in June 2006 and has since positioned Brian on the global map as a top celebrity consideration for casino brands looking for partners.
Brian has an existing partnership with the Las Vegas-based Plaza Hotel. Most recently, he landed an endorsement deal with the prestigious BetMGM. Brian Christopher described BetMGM as the best destination for players interested in real money gaming. Undoubtedly, there are many more options, but this is what the entire marketing gimmick is all about. BetMGM leverages his passion, enthusiasm and millions of subscribers to promote its brand.
Andrew Michael Bogut
Andrew had his fair share of ups and downs before making a breakthrough as a professional basketball player. Originally from Croatia, Andrew was born in Melbourne, Australia. After a series of challenges during the early days of his career, he leveraged his Croatian heritage to work with players like Toni Kukoc and Sinisa Markovic, who helped him to get back on track.
Some foremost highlights of his career include winning the NBA in 2015 and the NBL Most Valuable Player in 2019.
After a successful basketball career, Andrew Bogut continues shaping Australia’s sports landscape. He partnered with sports betting site PointsBet to create brand awareness and boost customer confidence. The platform leveraged Andrew’s population of domestic and international fans to promote the platform.
Michael Clarke
Michael John Clarke was an Australian cricketer. He was born in April 1981 and made his debut appearance for New South Wales at seventeen. This came despite medical scan reports that showed he had three degenerative discs, which could hinder him. Clarke took it as a challenge, engaging in rigorous core strengthening routines to manage the situation, and it worked.
Michael Clark went on to have a very successful career before retiring in 2015. He captained the Australian National Team between 2011 and 2015. Clarke won the Cricket World Cup twice, in 2007 and 2015. The last one was the most memorable, as he was the team captain, after which he resigned from professional cricket that same year.
He has since then been involved in different collaborations with many casino brands, promoting the industry by leveraging his tenacity and proven track record for success. He had an endorsement with BetEasy in 2019. This was one of those healthy promotions that did not stir controversy, as the goal was to promote responsible gaming.
Conclusion
Celebrity brand endorsement and campaigns are a popular option often used by big brands. This marketing strategy continues to effectively introduce new brands and expand existing products and services. Particularly for the iGaming industry, most casinos and betting platforms often collaborate with renowned sports celebrities, movie stars, and influencers to create brand awareness.
While many have argued that this may have a negative effect, especially on young players, there is no doubt that the influence of celebrity endorsements, when used correctly, cannot be overemphasized. For instance, Michael Clark’s deal with BetEasy was to promote responsible gaming, which is quite commendable.
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