Since online gambling has become more prominent, one way it has gained ground in sports is through sponsorships. In recent years, we have seen the partnership between hockey and casinos become even stronger. This is evident in their sponsorship of individual teams, leagues, and even major hockey tournaments. Here, we’ll extensively discuss everything you need to know about these sponsorships.
What Do Casinos Stand to Gain Through Hockey Sponsorships?
Many people wonder why casinos continue to renew and expand their sponsorship in hockey. If you fall into this category, you’ll understand the concept better after today.
You see, hockey is one of the most popular sports in regions like the United States and Canada. In the US alone, hockey was estimated to have 2.6 million viewers per game in 2023, and this figure was even greater in 2022, with an average viewership of over 4 million. For Canada, about 22% of residents state that hockey is their favourite sport and they would prefer never to miss a game.
Casinos understand the popularity that this sport has, and they see it as a perfect opportunity to reach out to the masses. Note that the numbers outlined are from just two countries; now, imagine this on a global scale.
So, through sponsorships, casinos are able to connect with many audiences at once and convert them to customers. That is why you will see several of the top-rated casinos from CasinoTopsOnline constantly expanding into hockey.
Most importantly, it is not a one-sided relationship; teams and tournaments also benefit from these sponsorships. Here are two major ways
- Financial support: Casino sponsorships always come with several financial compensations. This is greatly beneficial to balance the salaries of coaches, general managers, and referees.
- Exposure: Depending on their contract, casinos are also tasked with granting publicity to hockey. This may involve putting players in commercials, or on posters, flyers, and different pages of their website. It grants exposure to players, teams, and the sport at large.
Notable Influence of Hockey Sponsorships on the Casino Industry
As we highlighted, it is a mutually beneficial relationship for both the sport and the casino industry. Below is an exploration into how much hockey has helped casinos, and it explains why they are continually promoting the union.
Increased Profits and Revenues
Casinos are always looking to balance their books business-wise. That explains the quest for multiple sources of income for most brands. Since this is the case, there’s no better way than to turn to one of the most popular sports in the world—hockey.
Each game featuring a casino logo or name helps drive the casino’s engagement and traffic. Most importantly, it generates revenue for those who register to actively bet on the game.
Unreal Brand Awareness
The NHL alone spans millions of fans worldwide, so it is an easy, no-brainer way of raising awareness of these casinos. By uniting with players, teams, and tournaments, they get record-breaking visibility that propels their brand within seconds of screen time. It starts as a curiosity for viewers, but sooner or later, most will be moved to try out these brands.
Reputation Boost
Imagine seeing a brand featured in the NHL. Can you ever think of it as malicious? Never! That is exactly what is going through the minds of casino owners.
Fans are aware that such a prestigious hockey league would never forge an alliance without proper scrutiny. They know that anything sponsored in a big game is tested and trusted; hence, they don’t have to conduct extensive research for fear of how legit a brand is.
This reputation boost is of great importance to casinos because they can convert leads quickly and easily.
Better User Experience
Putting the monetary aspect aside, do you know that hockey sponsorships force casinos to improve their user experience? But how?
Well, to make their campaign effective, casinos have to specially tailor some of their services for hockey fans. This includes things like
- Updated sports betting options for hockey.
- Improvements in user interface for fast bets.
- Real-time updates on hockey games.
- Bonuses and promotions for hockey lovers.
Although these things are done for business advantage, it is also beneficial for the casino in the long run. Even wealthy hockey players patronize these casinos, and beyond hockey fans, other players who use their services also enjoy these updates.
Behind the Scenes: Advantages to the Regulatory Aspects
This is dubbed as “behind the scenes” because not many people actively take it into consideration. The partnership between casinos and hockey has pushed certain barriers that have improved the regulatory norms. Below are some notable ones.
Perception About Gambling
As much as online gaming in casinos is becoming more popular and accepted, a significant number of people still refuse to see it in a positive light. The public perception is a bit flawed, so they’ve hardened their hearts to anything that involves casinos.
However, seeing hockey accept casino sponsorships has really helped alter the general perception. Now, people don’t view it as an illegal and negative activity. After all, their favourite sport won’t condone something that doesn’t benefit viewers.
So, it is safe to say that hockey, as a sport, is very pivotal to the masses’ acceptance of casinos and gambling as a whole. Now, placing live bets while watching games is seen as a norm.
This paradigm shift has helped to ease several regulatory restrictions placed on casinos. As they continually lower the restrictions, more room is being given to the expansion of the casino industry.
Better Regulatory Policies
Before, regulators didn’t have any problems with drafting regulatory policies as they deemed fit. But now, the gambling legislation is more refined.
Now, with big sports like hockey on the scene, regulatory bodies consult more individuals about the effects of policies—whether good or bad. On the other hand, top leagues like the NHL can put significant pressure on the regulators to reshape certain policies to be less stringent.
So, rather than banning outright, authorities have seen the light; it is better to legalize, regulate, and promote responsible gambling and, most importantly, tax the providers. That way, casinos will cooperate and follow due process, as opposed to working within a grey market.
Economic Impact of Hockey Sponsorships and Casinos
So, beyond the two major parties involved, how have these sponsorships improved the economy at large? Let’s look at two major areas.
Community Development Programs
Revenues generated from these sponsorships give room for extras that come in handy for community development programs. These programs feature both the casino and hockey management presence, giving back to the community.
Their functions range from promoting responsible gambling to creating local sports groups, forums, and other community groups that will shape society at large.
Job Creation and Increased Revenue
Hockey sponsorships bring in more customers for casinos—both online and physical—and with time, more hands on deck will be needed to handle this influx. In addition, local businesses get more patronage from tourists. Also, in the grand scheme of things, it means more taxes into the Government's pockets.
Going Forward With Sponsorships
These partnerships have set the ball rolling, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. With looser restrictions for casinos, we are going to see bigger sponsorships in hockey. Each team will continue to position themselves strategically to attract more and advance their allegiances. It is left to fans to enjoy the benefits that these partnerships bring.
Wrap Up
Critically examining hockey sponsorships with casinos makes everyone realize that it is a mutually beneficial partnership. The sport benefits from financial assistance, casinos benefit from a better reputation and more customers, fans benefit from a better user experience, and the Government benefits from taxes. So, in the end, everyone is happy—there are no winners and no losers.