Recent news that BetMGM has debuted its Borgata Bingo brand in North America after launching in the Garden State is an interesting moment for the wider industry. MGM claims the app, built by joint-venture partner Entain, offers the first 75-ball real money online bingo product in the US.
The Borgata Bingo website and app offers players a full schedule of daily bingo as well as slots and jackpot games. It’s a bold move from BetMGM, which is the clear market leader in the Garden State and nationally where it is estimated to hold more than 30% of GGR share in the four states it is active.
But what does this mean for New Jersey affiliates, and does the opening up of the bingo vertical provide opportunities for them to engage with new player demographics? If other, more mature markets such as the UK are anything to go by, the answer is “yes”.
Bingo Appeals To Casual And Recreational Players:
New Jersey affiliates can leverage the arrival of online and mobile bingo in the Garden State to potentially reach and engage new audiences. Bingo often appeals to more casual players due to the low stakes, social nature of the game.
This makes it an ideal product for acclimating US consumers to online and mobile gambling for the first time as unlike with slots, the focus is on smaller deposits and longer playing sessions underpinned by entertainment and interacting with other players.
Generally speaking, bingo players are women aged between 30-50, but the game does appeal to younger players with those aged between 18-24 estimated to make up around 20% of the online bingo market in the UK.
The Cross-Sell Power Of Bingo:
Bingo is a powerful cross-sell product. Borgata Bingo, for example, also offers players slots and jackpot games as there is a natural affinity between these products. Affiliates can take advantage of this to push online bingo traffic to the online casinos they work with, too.
While the cross-sell potential between bingo and sports betting is more limited there are still opportunities to be explored especially when it comes to sportsbooks that offer freeplay games or the option to place prop bets and other simple betting formats.
Bingo! How Affiliates Can Get A Full House:
While it is early days for the bingo vertical in New Jersey and the wider US market, smart affiliates will begin to create dedicated pages – New Jersey online bingo apps, etc – now so that as it grows in popularity, they can ensure they are ahead of their rivals.
Just remember that the typical bingo player is different from an online casino player or sports bettor, so the tone and style of the content, as well as the information included, will need to be adjusted accordingly. Think more conversational while building trust.
Bingo will never be as big as sports betting and casino, but it still has the potential to be significant in the US market and affiliates should definitely get in on the action.