Even amid a tough regulatory climate and rising tax rates, Mr Vegas continues to accelerate its marketing efforts in the country.
“We believe in our product and its ability to stand out in a crowded market,” said Marco Trucco, CMO at Mr Vegas. “That confidence allows us to continue investing, even when operating costs are higher than ever.
“Because we have a strong, differentiated casino product. We believe we can win market share in a less profitable, less crowded market. A lot of companies say that. We actually have reasons to believe it.”
Commenting on creative activations within sponsorships, Trucco emphasised: “Everyone loves creative activations and fan engagement ideas. We do them too. At the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts, our activations and brand presence, including the Elvis lookalike singing ‘Viva Mr Vegas’, were noticed and appreciated by 92% of the audience.
“That helps define the brand. But I disagree on the commercial value of most activation-linked promotions. They often become a time sink across legal, compliance, design, CRM and customer service. With tighter rules on data, privacy and competition, they are frequently high-effort, low-reward actions.
“So, I maximise sponsorships by making sure the cost is justified by TV exposure alone. Everything else is upside.
“The social media strategy also played a key role in this growth: “We use social media purely as a paid channel. I do not believe in organic social media for regulated casino brands.”
Advertising remains vital according Trucco – he detailed that regulated operators need to be allowed to advertise, stating: “I see a real risk that the anti-gambling industry succeeds in pushing for a full ban on online gambling advertising in the UK. I’m a big fan of good old linear TV because I don’t aim for coolness; I focus on results.
“I see a real risk that the anti-gambling industry succeeds in pushing for a full ban on online gambling advertising in the UK. It happened in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. It can happen here.
“Large incumbents are often ambivalent: they are publicly against it, but they also see it as an opportunity. A ban locks in their market share and limits competition. Personally, I would rather see this fought properly in court, like in Spain, on competition and proportionality grounds, than in public lobbying, where our usual arguments may be true but are losing.”