Place Your Bets: An Exploratory Study of Sports-Gambling Operators’ Use of Twitter for Relationship Marketing

in International Journal of Sport Communication

Click name to view affiliation

Emily StadderUniversity of Windsor, Canada

Search for other papers by Emily Stadder in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
*
and
Michael L. NaraineBrock University, Canada

Search for other papers by Michael L. Naraine in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
*
Restricted access

Worldwide, sports gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry. Despite the industry’s size and success, little research has been conducted on sport-gambling operators (SGOs), and no research has examined their presence on social media. As such, this exploratory study aimed to examine the social media habits of SGOs through a relationship-marketing lens. To do so, 16,466 tweets were collected from the Twitter accounts of six Australian SGOs, with descriptive statistics from tweets presented and Leximancer performing automated thematic analyses. Results indicated that SGOs are discussing professionalized sport, influencers, and subbrands, as well as extensively making use of hashtags and mentions. Given these results, the strategies that SGOs are using to communicate and interact with their consumers focuses particularly on a North American professional-sport and horseracing context. This research contributes to the growing understanding of social media stakeholders in sport and provides an initial starting point for future research on SGOs given the recent legalization of sports gambling in the United States.

Stadder is with the Dept. of Kinesiology, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada. Naraine is with the Dept. of Sport Management, Brock University, Saint Catharines, ON, Canada, and the School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Australia.

Stadder (staddere@uwindsor.ca) is corresponding author.
  • Collapse
  • Expand
  • Abeza, G., & O’Reilly, N. (2014). Social media platforms’ use in building stakeholder relationships: The case of national sport organizations. Journal of Applied Sport Management, 6(3), 103126.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Finch, D., Séguin, B., & Nadeau, J. (2018). The role of social media in the co-creation of value in relationship marketing: a multi-domain study. Journal of Strategic Marketing. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/0965254X.2018.1540496

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., & Séguin, B. (2019). Social media in relationship marketing: The perspective of professional sport managers in the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL. Communication & Sport, 7(1), 80109. doi:10.1177/2167479517740343

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Séguin, B., & Nzindukiyimana, O. (2015). Social media scholarship in sport management research: A critical review. Journal of Sport Management, 29, 601618. doi:10.1123/JSM.2014-0296

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Séguin, B., & Nzindukiyimana, O. (2017). The world’s highest-paid athletes, product endorsement, and Twitter. Sport, Business and Management, 7(3), 332355. doi:10.1108/SBM-08-2016-0040

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Abeza, G., Pegoraro, A., Naraine, M.L., Séguin, B., & O'Reilly, N. (2014). Activating a global sport sponsorship with social media: An analysis of TOP sponsors, Twitter, and the 2014 Olympic Games. International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 15(3/4), 184214. doi:10.1504/IJSMM.2014.072010

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Armstrong, A., & Carroll, M. (2017). Sports betting in Australia: Research summary. Australian Gambling Research Centre. https://aifs.gov.au/agrc/sites/default/files/publication-documents/rss_sports_betting_in_australia.pdf

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Blaszka, M., Burch, L.M., Frederick, E.L., Clavio, G., & Walsh, P. (2012). #WorldSeries: An empirical examination of a Twitter hashtag during a major sporting event. International Journal of Sport Communication, 5, 435453. doi:10.1123/ijsc.5.4.435

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Cha, M., Haddadi, H., Benevenuto, F., & Gummadi, K.P. (2010). Measuring user influence in Twitter: The million follower fallacy. Proceeding of the fourth international AAAI conference on weblogs and social media. https://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/ICWSM/ICWSM10/paper/viewFile/1538/1826

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Chang, H.C. (2010). A new perspective on Twitter hashtag use: Diffusion of innovation theory. Proceeding of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 47(1), 14.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Gainsbury, S.M., Delfabbro, P., King, D.L., & Hing, N. (2016). An exploratory study of gambling operators’ use of social media and the latent messages conveyed. Journal of Gambling Studies, 32, 125141. PubMed ID: 25644444 doi:10.1007/s10899-015-9525-2

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Gainsbury, S.M., King, D.L., Hing, N, & Delfabbro, P. (2015). Social media marketing and gambling: An interview study of gambling operators in Australia. International Gambling Studies, 15(3), 377393. doi:10.1080/14459795.2015.1058409

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Gambling Commission. (n.d.). Advertising/marketing rules and regulation. http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/for-gambling-businesses/Compliance/General-compliance/Social-responsibility/Advertising-marketing-rules-and-regulations.aspx

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Gillooly, L., Anagnostopoulos, A., & Chadwick, S. (2017). Social media-based sponsorship activation—A typology of content. Sport, Business and Management, 7(3), 293314. doi:10.1108/SBM-04-2016-0016

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Gordon, R., & Chapman, M. (2014). Brand community and sports betting in Australia. North Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Grönroos, C. (1996). Relationship marketing: Strategic and tactical implications. Management Decision, 34, 514. doi:10.1108/00251749610113613

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Grönroos, C. (2004). The relationship marketing process: Communication, interaction, dialogue, value. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 19(2), 99113. doi:10.1108/08858620410523981

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Harker, M.J. (1999). Relationship marketing defined? An examination of current relationship marketing definitions. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 17, 1320. doi:10.1108/02634509910253768

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Herzog, A. (2019). The dos and don’ts of hashtags. https://business.twitter.com/en/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-hashtags.html

  • International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. (2017). Annual report 2017. Retrieved from https://www.ifhaonline.org/resources/Annual_Report_2017.pdf

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Lamont, M., Hing, N., & Gainsbury, S. (2011). Gambling on sport sponsorship: A conceptual framework for research and regulatory review. Sport Management Review, 14, 246257. doi:10.1016/j.smr.2011.04.004

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Lauletta, T. (2018, May 18). The Supreme Court has overturned the federal ban on sports betting—Here’s what that means for the immediate future of gambling in America. Business Insider Australia. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/supreme-court-sports-betting-decision-what-it-means-2018-5?r=US&IR=T

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Lopez-Gonzalez, H., Estévez, A., & Griffiths, M.D. (2018). Controlling the illusion of control: A grounded theory of sports betting advertising in the UK. International Gambling Studies, 18(1), 3955. doi:10.1080/14459795.2017.1377747

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Lopez-Gonzalez, H., Guerrero-Solé, F., & Griffiths, M.D. (2018). A content analysis of how ‘normal’ sports betting behavior is represented in gambling advertising. Addiction Research & Theory, 26(3), 238247. doi:10.1080/16066359.2017.1353082

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Maderer, D., Parganas, P., & Anagnostoppuloas, C. (2018). Brand-image communication through social media: The case of European professional football clubs. International Journal of Sport Communication, 11, 319338. doi:10.1123/ijsc.2018-0086

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Maher, A., Wilson, N., Signal, L., & Thomson, G. (2006). Patterns of sports sponsorship by gambling, alcohol and food companies: An internet survey. BMC Public Health, 6, 95. PubMed ID: 16608525 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-95

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Milner, L., Hing, N., Vitartas, P., & Lamont, M. (2013). Embedded gambling promotion in Australian football broadcasts: An exploratory study. Communication, Politics & Culture, 46, 177198.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Miranda, F.J., Chamorro, A., Rubio, S., & Rodriguez, O. (2014). Professional sports teams on social networks: A comparative study employing the Facebook Assessment Index. International Journal of Sport Communication, 7, 7489. doi:10.1123/IJSC.2013-0097

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Naraine, M.L., & Parent, M.M. (2016). Birds of a feather”: An institutional approach to Canadian national sport organizations’ social media use. International Journal of Sport Communication, 9, 140162. doi:10.1123/ijsc.2016-0010

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Naraine, M.L., & Parent, M.M. (2017). This is how we do it: A qualitative approach to national sport organizations’ social-media implementation. International Journal of Sport Communication, 10, 196217. doi:10.1123/IJSC.2017-0006

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Naraine, M.L., Wear, H.T., & Whitburn, D.J. (2019). User engagement from within the Twitter community of professional sport organizations. Managing Sport and Leisure, 24(5), 275293. doi:10.1080/23750472.2019.1630665

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Oxford Economics. (2017, May). Economic impact of legalized sports betting. https://www.americangaming.org/sites/default/files/AGA-Oxford%20-%20Sports%20Betting%20Economic%20Impact%20Report1.pdf

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Parliament of Victoria. (2003). Gambling Regulation Act 2003. https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/resources/legislation-and-regulation/

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Pegoraro, A. (2010). Look who’s talking—Athletes on Twitter: A case study. International Journal of Sport Communication, 3, 501514. doi:10.1123/ijsc.3.4.501

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Spredfast. (n.d.). The 2018 social audience guide. https://www.spredfast.com/social-media-tips/social-media-demographics-current

  • Statista. (2017). Global gambling market gross gaming yield (GGY) from 2001 to 2019 (in billion U.S. dollars). https://www.statista.com/statistics/253416/global-gambling-market-gross-win/

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Thomas, S., Lewis, S., Duong, J., & McLeod, C. (2012). Sports betting marketing during sporting events: A stadium and broadcast census of Australian Football League matches. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 36(2), 145152. PubMed ID: 22487349 doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00856.x

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Thompson, A.J., Martin, A.J., Gee, S., & Geurin, A.N. (2018). Building brand and fan relationships through social media. Sport Business and Management, 8(3), 235256. doi:10.1108/SBM-04-2017-0024

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Twitter. (2019). How to use hashtags. https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/how-to-use-hashtags

  • Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. (2018). Latest edition of Australian gambling statistics. https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media/latest-edition-australian-gambling-statistics/

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Wang, Y., & Zhou, S. (2015). How do sports organizations use social media to build relationships? A content analysis of NBA clubs’ Twitter use. International Journal of Sport Communication, 8, 133148. doi:10.1123/ijsc.2014-0083

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Williams, J., & Chinn, S.J. (2010). Meeting relationship-marketing goals through social media: A conceptual model for sport marketers. International Journal of Sport Communication, 3, 422437. doi:10.1123/ijsc.3.4.422

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zion Market Research. (2018). Global sports betting market will reach USD 155.49 billion by 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/12/24/1678117/0/en/Global-Sports-Betting-Market-Will-Reach-USD-155-49-Billion-By-2024-Zion-Market-Research.html

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 4192 1245 60
Full Text Views 142 48 1
PDF Downloads 123 51 2