UK online gambling advertising up 1,386% since 2007

UK online gambling advertising has risen 1,386% since 2007, driven by growth in sports betting and mobile, a new report from Markets and Research has revealed.

The report shows that sports betting accounts for 45% of all search impression volume, driven by horse racing betting, with William Hill’s strength in the vertical consolidating its position as the leading egaming advertiser.

Casino, on the other hand, is dominated by 888, which the report describes as having implemented “an aggressive strategy across both organic and paid search”. This is likely to be aided by its agreement with Facebook to launch the real-money Bingo Appy and Magic888 Casino products, which were described as designed “to capitalise on the growth of social media.”

Mobile, which has become a key driver of growth for sportsbook operators including Hills and Paddy Power, has seen a significant increase in search impression volume which grew 75% over the course of 2012. The Irish operator was also praised in the report for developing “a seamless integration between “¦ TV advertising and social media platforms”, using a strategy that “communicates with great effect” the company’s brand proposition.

On the corporate level PR Week reports Paddy Power’s relationships with Powerscourt for UK financial communications and Weber Shandwick for corporate affairs are under review. Paddys’ newly-hired director of corporate affairs told the publication that the business was looking at how it “tackles some of the bigger issues affecting both the company and the industry”.

The UK’s two leading land-based bingo operators, Mecca and Gala, are also ranked among the leading companies on Markets and Research’s aggregated click share index. Gala was commended for its “solid organic coverage”, while Mecca was described as having effectively leveraged pay-per click strategies to “maximise its exposure”.