Last year Bovada bet big on global trade by shuttering several of their UK-facing sites in order to focus on the rapidly growing Asian market. Bovada took this strategy one step further by focusing on the Asian expat market, as well.
Focusing on international markets, and especially expatriate markets is a great way for gambling affiliates to build up new audiences that are ready to play, but might not have reliable sources to do so.
Here are a few tips for affiliates who are interested in expanding into new international gaming markets and demographics.
Expat vs Internationals
Before getting too far along it’s worth asking whether you want to go after international players or expatriate players? Bovada is going after both, but smaller sites may find more value pursuing expatriate players who are nearby.
Thanks to the global economy, many countries host large numbers of foreign workers. For example, there are as many as 55 million Chinese and 25 million Indians living outside their home countries.
The good news about expats is that they’re oftentimes fluent bilingual, allowing affiliates to craft content in their native tongue, avoiding translation headaches all together. And because visiting workers usually return home at some point, they can be valuable in-roads to their home markets.
Content for Expats
Because sports is something of an international language, sports betting affiliates have an easy go of it when it comes to grabbing international players. Writing about Korean soccer or Indian Premier League cricket won’t be a leap for someone who’s covered those sports in other markets.
That said, affiliates should do some homework before wading into new markets. Offending local sensibilities is easy, even for experienced travelers, so taking some time to learn about regional customs is always a good idea. Baccarat, for example, is pretty mysterious to Western Audiences, but is absolutely huge in the Asian market.
International Promotions
Bovada isn’t the only online gambling company that’s reaching abroad, so asking your affiliate manager about international promotions is a good idea.
Bet365, for example, accepts deposits in Indian Rupee and even offers bonuses for players who open accounts from India. Just ask and you might be surprised.
Finally
Opening new markets to international and expat players is good way of building new revenue streams. And as more countries legalize and liberalize gaming markets, it’s a sound, long-term business strategy.
How do you market to expats and international players? Share your tips in the comments section below.