When PASPA was repealed in 2018, the sports betting boom which arose as a result created opportunities for operators, suppliers and affiliates, while also ushering in a new era for gaming. The industry has progressed quite rapidly in the eight years since PASPA’s judicial overturn, although more traditional practices remain despite the growth of online gambling and ease of consumer access.
In Nevada, which once stood as the lone focal point of sports betting across the US, in-person registration is still a required process for each operator looking to gain licensure in the state. Elsewhere in the country, no other jurisdiction features such stipulations, leaving the Silver State as a final holdout in forcing consumers to travel to a physical casino prior to signing-up for a sports betting platform.
While some may question whether this could force Nevada residents toward alternative methods of betting, opportunities to drive consumer interest and form omnichannel experiences still remain for operators. For affiliates, finding the right marketing strategy to help operators achieve consistent foot traffic could foster developments which extend beyond the rise of online gaming in recent years.
Why have in-person sign-ups become obsolete?
While a handful of US states which legalized sports betting after the repeal of PASPA began with in-person registration, all but Nevada eventually turned to online sign-ups following consumer frustration. In Illinois, certain bettors would have to travel an hour or more to a physical casino to register with a respective sportsbook, which led many to turn to neighboring states where remote sign-up was available.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Illinois abandoned the state’s in-person registration requirement, having also cited concerns over players opting for black market platforms in favor of needing to travel. What began as a means to ensure player protection and identity verification was ultimately leading bettors to the same unprotected platforms state lawmakers were looking to avoid in the first place.
For Nevada, however, the success of its commercial properties still outweighs the thought of concluding the state’s in-person registration requirement for operators. While the choice still leaves plenty of opportunistic wiggle room for operators already residing on the Las Vegas Strip, the chances of a FanDuel, DraftKings or Fanatics entering the market continues to weaken.
Which operators still feature in-person registration in Nevada?
Still, there are multiple sports betting operators in Nevada offering in-person registration to users, including:
BetMGM
Caesars Sportsbook
William Hill
Circa Sports
STN Sports
The requirement has soured interest from operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings in entering Nevada due to the diminished ability for either to partner with a retail facility and provide physical registration. Despite the somewhat limited capacity for operators, Nevada still creates sizable competition among the state’s sports betting entities.
While in-person registration no longer extends outside of Nevada, showcasing an ability to market land-based promotions could help affiliates grow their own consumer base before long
A seemingly endless race to drive consumers toward respective land-based properties leaves plenty of opportunity for affiliates to assist Nevada operators in separating themselves from the pack. As someone who routinely walks through casino-resorts located on the Las Vegas Strip, the efforts to drive in-person registration are noticeable almost instantaneously.
Where affiliates could enter the scene is helping operators use in-person registration to focus attention not only on the sports betting side, but also for retail casino verticals. After all, part of the reason in-person registration is still required in Nevada is to ensure the state’s retail gaming business doesn't succumb to the growth of online gaming.
Instead of pitting the two against one another, affiliates can showcase how an operator’s digital and land-based offerings work in tandem to provide omnichannel experiences for players. Much of an affiliate’s work can be displaying promotions, prop bets or sign-up offers from online entities, but is there room for similar marketing strategies on the retail end?
How can affiliates market in-person betting registration?
The answer may be simple in practice, but one which forces affiliates to extend beyond their digitally focused horizons. While most affiliates work closer with iGaming entities, understanding how to begin marketing the retail offers provided by nearly every casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip could open a new world of cash flow for the right organization.
Connecting the land-based promotions with sportsbook registration offers should be easy for affiliates, but the responsibility still falls upon operators to ensure high guest service standards once potential consumers walk through the door. Especially in the case of operators such as BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook, finding ways to extend bettors’ interest to multiple verticals could also bring balance to the affiliate space.
What is certainly an iGaming dominated industry can expand to inform readers and bettors of the retail offers currently available to them in various markets across the US. While in-person registration no longer extends outside of Nevada, showcasing an ability to market land-based promotions could help affiliates grow their own consumer base before long.
As Nevada hopes to accomplish with its in-person registration requirement, affiliates could help drive casino traffic just as much as help boost activity on the sports betting side. Whether it’s new game launches, free play credit or rewards opportunities, there’s no limit to the amount affiliates can advertise for land-based operators. The more interest affiliates can generate amongst bettors for retail offerings, the less frustrated Nevada residents may feel in having to travel to a casino to sign-up for a respective platform.
Will affiliates begin moving toward land-based operations to help expand marketing capabilities, or is the space set to remain focused on assisting digital operators for the foreseeable future?