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Word of Mouth: Influencer Marketing in the Gaming Space

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Word of Mouth: Influencer Marketing in the Gaming Space
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Traditionally, Word of Mouth Marketing was considered as a free form of advertising or promotion, except today it’s no longer free. Nonetheless, nothing speaks volumes other than “Influencer Marketing”.

You might be surprised to learn that the gaming industry today is worth over a hundred billion dollars. According to new figures, in 2018 alone, the gaming industry generated an astounding $135 billion amassing a growth of 10.9% from 2017. This year, it is set to make $152.1 billion in global earnings.

These numbers say a lot about how the video game industry is a tough market to crack particularly because, with figures like these, the competition is very stiff, trends are fast-changing, and innovation is at an all-time high. Numerous companies have peaked in prior years but had failed to sustain that success because they were too late to adopt the latest technology or they ran out of creativity to improve their existing game offerings. But today, nothing says “viral” than getting your product or service out through viral marketing.

Live Video Game Streaming

The astronomical growth of the video game industry has opened doors to varied forms of businesses, marketing, and advertising, one of which is live video game streaming. Whoever said people hated watching other people play video games? That’s certainly not Twitch.

Twitch, a live streaming video platform, is a subsidiary of Amazon that focuses primarily on the gaming community. Twitch provides an avenue for gamers and gaming enthusiasts to share and watch their gameplays. Aside from hosting live streams, Twitch is an interactive platform that allows its community to connect with fellow players via Twitch Chat or to leave comments in real-time.

Much like YouTube, Twitch was successful in diversifying its revenue streams. Twitch monetizes its platform through advertisements, subscriptions, and merchandise sales. On average, Twitch has more than 15 million daily active users, making it the leading live video game streaming service in the world to date.

The success of Twitch has drawn in other major players such as YouTube and Facebook. YouTube Gaming Live, for instance, is a specialized channel that enables users to share their live gameplays and stream other people’s gameplay videos. Facebook, on the other hand, has created Facebook Gaming, which similarly, allows users to stream, broadcast, and share their favorite games on the Facebook app. Nonetheless, recent statistics show that Twitch still holds as the dominant player in the live game streaming industry accounting for the largest viewership in comparison to Youtube Gaming Live and Facebook Gaming.

Breaking Into the Limelight

With the ever-increasing number of audiences and patrons, we expect steady growth in the live game streaming industry. A strong and loyal fanbase is one of the strengths of the gaming community. And with people interested in watching gameplays after gameplays of their favorite streamers, and with spectators willing to spend just to see their teams battle it out in big E-sport tournaments, only means one thing in the world of business–profits.

Nowadays, video games are no longer just a hobby, it’s a career. Just like how Instagram stars and Youtube vloggers are a thing, game influencers are celebrities in their own playing field. You have probably heard one too many times how someone broke into the millionaire’s club while playing video games and it’s true, they’re living the dream! Gaming influencers with a significant following have caught the eye of both local and multinational companies reaching out to these personalities to get them to sign a deal.

And in this industry, word of mouth holds more power and influence to convert mere spectators into purchasing viewers. A study by Google showed that 90% of avid gamers would turn to Youtube for game reviews, tips, and video game suggestions with a 64% conversion rate. No wonder streamers are raking in millions of dollars from advertisements and promotions.

Consider the case of PewDiePie as an example. PewDiePie is the top-grossing game influencer today with 101 million subscribers on YouTube and an estimated net worth of $30-$50 million. His income streams all came from online advertisements, collaborations, referrals, and online merchandise sales. His career peaked in 2013 when he was the first YouTuber to reach 15 million subscribers.

The rise to fame of game influencers disrupted the way we do traditional advertising. And in an industry that continues to grow and expand in magnitude, game influencers hold a significant role both in the gaming community and in the business scene.

Truly, “word of mouth” has never been this powerful (and expensive!) as it is today, but as long as influencers are maintaining the quality of their content and are keeping the trust of their subscribers, influencer marketing will continue to move in leaps and bounds.

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Industry News

Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising

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The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.

Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRV’s Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.

By using influencers and terms like “free money”, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointer’s findings.

Pointer’s research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as “fast money” and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.

Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.

With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.

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Compliance Updates

UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024

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UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour - operator data to Oct 2024
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The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.

This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.

Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.

This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.

The latest operator data shows:

  • online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
  • real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
  • slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
  • the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
  • LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
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Industry News

Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director

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Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.

Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.

In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the group’s sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xace’s ambitious expansion plans.

“I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. I’m looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,” said Petra Maria Poola.

Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: “Petra’s extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xace’s market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.”

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