The Impact of Social Media on Sports Betting

It is an understatement to say that social media plays an important part in most people’s lives nowadays. That is understandable, given that these platforms allow people to share ideas, grow/promote their businesses, and stay connected with each other. According to some sources, the Internet had around 5.44 billion users in April of 2024, and 5.07 billion of these individuals used some form of social media, representing 62% of our planet’s population. Naturally, these figures will only swell as these sites and apps seep deeper into how we function in everyday life.

The sports betting sphere and online gambling in general have greatly benefited from the rise of these networks, as in the era before them, gambling operators faced strict marketing restrictions in most territories. When the Internet appeared, many countries with a laxer stance towards betting hobbies had laws in place regulating this sector, and they banned the marketing of gambling pastimes over the radio and TV. Usually, these regulations were less stern regarding operators advertising in print, but they sometimes included that arena as well. What they did not include was Internet marketing. That was so because the majority of these laws got passed before this technology got introduced to the masses, making it a Wild West, where anyone could do pretty much anything.

Now, many regions still do not have laws that dictate what gets allowed on the Internet, and most cannot stop operators from posting whatever a platform permits. Hence, virtually everyone participating in this industry has turned to using social media for targeted marketing campaigns. But, these platforms have been responsible for the emergence of betting influencers, thriving gambling communities, different types of novel scams, and more. So, they have changed the game quite a bit, and below, we expand on this in a more granular way.

What Platforms Dominate in the Betting Relam

Without question, Twitter, now called – X, is the most utilized social media network for gambling promotions. That is so because it allows all types of content and has few restrictions. From the mainstream batch, it is probably the least limiting choice for content creators and businesses alike. It also focuses on users supplying concise information.

On the other hand, Facebook, which focuses more on long-form content and still ranks as the top platform of its kind, prohibits real money gambling marketing. The same goes for TikTok. Yet, both hubs allow social gambling businesses to run ads. Instagram only allows gambling-related content with prior written permission. We have seen many of our reviewed crypto sportsbooks use Instagram to promote their giveaways and promotions, but due to X’s less restrictive policies, most Internet bookies choose to run their promos on X.

Concerning community building, it seems that Discord is the preferred choice, with many operators favoring it over Reddit. That is chiefly on account of Discord delivering more features and highlighting real-time conversations. It supplies extensive customization options, more robust moderation tools, features like polls and announcements, and better cross-integration with other platforms.

The Positives of Social Media in the Online Betting Landscape

We touched upon the fact that these platforms have given gamblers space to gather, discuss, and share their experiences on how to get better in sports betting. They also provide a support network for bettors of all levels, not only in terms of advanced insights but also in moral aid via sage advice on how one should approach this practice and by fostering a sense of belonging to a community. Social media can too get used as an avenue for collaborative learning, experts’ tips on avoiding pitfalls, and peer support.

Social media platforms are also great info hubs, as places like X are customarily ones where breaking news gets reported first, whether through posts made by insiders or official sources, like an athlete or team’s official account. They are also treasure troves of analysis of predictions, giving everyone a diverse set of perspectives. Of course, some may be ill-advised and uninformed, but more on that below. They also supply sophisticated targeting options that let online bookies reach potential customers based on metrics like Web behavior, displayed interests, demographics, and more. These parties also utilize them to boost engagement via interactive campaigns and contests that try to build buzz around their brand.

The Negatives of Social Media in the Online Betting Landscape

As noted above, when one allows anyone to post anything, the risk of people getting fed unverified and misleading information grows substantially. Moreover, these platforms have allowed people to form echo chambers where they get exposed to info that confirms their biases. That holds as much weight for politics as it does for betting. On top of this, to gain attention and more followers, some accounts may purposefully exaggerate/sensationalize information, which leads some individuals to make wagering choices based on hype that may be unjustifiable. That creates an erosion of trust in expert opinion, and the people who do know what they are talking about cannot hawk their credible recommendations, in situations where bettors have become less likely to seek helpful advice if they have already gotten burned once.

Studies have also reported a correlation between problem gambling and a high rate of social media use. That is understandable, as some accounts glamorize betting, showing how big wins can change lives. That generates an unrealistic expectation regarding what this pastime is about and what it takes to be profitable. That may cause irresponsible betting behavior, the same way as peer pressure can, which occurs only in multiple forms. For example, seeing others do well and bettors wishing to emulate that success. The constant exposure to promos can also create a sense of urgency and pressure for gamblers to bet more often, leading to a significant loss of funds.

We have not yet gotten into scam artists and phishing attacks that target bettors through messages that guarantee insider tips or info on fake betting systems. There are also privacy concerns, such as the info gamblers share on these platforms getting harvested by malicious parties for nefarious purposes.

Regulatory/Ethical Considerations & Future Trends

It should not surprise anyone if top markets see regulations that will require licensed bookies to face limitations concerning the type of content they can post on their official accounts. We assume such measures will include forbidding targeted ads and rules designed to protect minors from getting exposed to gambling-related content.

Right now, influencers and bookmakers can be mandated by some regulators to provide educational content that promotes healthy betting habits. That gets done to raise awareness about the risks of people developing gambling compulsion, and we assume more measures will get passed in this direction. On the topic of influencers, we also predict that more rigorous rules will come into play to try to avoid conflicts of interest, ones that stop social media personalities from supplying potentially misleading information for personal gain.

Helplines will also, no doubt, get better promoted by everyone in this sector on social media going forward, as will voluntary self-exclusion practices and responsible betting ones. Aside from regulators taking a more proactive role, AI will also play a super vital part in rules enforcement in this evolving landscape that will surely reshape this sphere in ways we cannot yet estimate.

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