These statistics haunt casino operators and game suppliers (including myself), who recognise that the audience of sports bettors is an uncharted territory brimming with opportunities. The approaching World Cup simply adds fuel to the fire for bettors to become potential casino players.

Wait, sports bettors are going to play casino games?

Exactly! But only if you give them what they want - a powerful betting feature. Sports bettors and casino gamblers have a lot in common, at least in terms of psychology.

"People who appreciate sports betting enjoy the experience of betting itself. Each gambling activity has its own distinct psychology, yet there are commonalities."

While people's motivations for gambling vary from financial gain to emotional engagement, enjoyment, excitement, and socialising, the method of obtaining it remains the same - placing a bet. So, transferring a sports bettor to a casino product with a betting component is simple - just give them what they want.

There is no better time to reach bettors than during the World Cup

Let's get back to the numbers. The 2018 World Cup resulted in €136 billion in bets globally - I can't think of a greater impetus to start reaching out to the sports betting audience. The 2022 World Cup is predicted to draw in 5 billion spectators worldwide, with a sizable proportion of them prepared to bet. There is no better moment than the World Cup and its pre-season to connect with sports betting fans and provide them with products of a familiar functionality. It's not about capitalising on the hype but rather about broadening the entertainment spectrum with cross-play games, which only adds to bettors' enjoyment of the major event.

Just put a spin on a betting mechanic!

We gained a 360 view of how to package a casino product to make it appealing to a bettor through tons of extensive research and A/B tests. Providing bettors with the ability to gamble whenever they choose, without being restricted to a specific schedule of sporting events, is already a trump card for casino suppliers. Instant games have proven to be a perfect match for this goal because they provide fast gameplay and instant results while also providing a gamified full-scale sports event to bet on. According to the latest polls, in-play bets are the most popular method of gambling, demonstrating once again that gamblers prefer fast-paced betting and immediate results.

Don’t think of casinos as a blindspot for sports bettors. They already have the simpatico with casino games,  even if they are unaware of it yet. Casino games take their marks and are set to revolutionise the World Cup experience this year, and Evoplay’s football pack is here to show you how to get started.