Which are the most liked sports bettor brands in the UK – and why?

The online sportsbook market is demanding and fast-paced. There are few industries in the world more competitive. Throw in the ever-evolving government regulations and you’re left with a tricky maze for marketers to navigate.

It’s never been more important for a brand to understand its customers and their spending habits, as knowing what makes bettors tick can give an advantage over competitors.

In the current climate, with UK consumers coming to terms with the aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the financial struggles of a cost-of-living crisis, and the ever-present spectre of war in Europe, sports bettors are having to be more discerning than ever.

That’s why brand recognition and trust are so vital. If a brand can establish itself as a familiar face, and a company that customers feel inclined to return to again and again, it can be in a strong position to succeed.

At Receptional, we wanted to understand the sports betting landscape, so we surveyed over 400 UK sports bettors in each of the last two years.

We wanted to gain an insight into their latest behaviours, and which brands are their go-to choices when it comes to placing a sports bet.

For the full results of our survey, analysing betting spend, betting personas, brand recognition, US comparisons and eSports betting, download the full report.

Which brands are first choice and why?

To get a sense for the most popular sports betting brands, we asked our respondents: “Imagine you were going to place a sports bet online. Which company would be your first choice to place a bet with?”

In previous surveys, we had presented respondents with a list of the top 10 UK betting brands and asked them which they trusted the most, but we were conscious that such a question might be leading the jury.

This time, we wanted to get a better understanding of brand recall, and to then discover if bettors actually put their money where their mouth is.

We found out that more respondents cited Bet365, Betfred, Paddy Power and SkyBet as their first choice this year compared to in 2022. Meanwhile, Virgin Bet snuck into our top 10.

Some brands saw their position drop off, with Betfair, Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill posting fewer mentions. BetVictor and Betway were not even mentioned at all by our respondents.

But how can we be sure that our survey respondents are reflective of the wider betting community? The best way was to compare their answers against search volumes for the top 10 brands named in our survey. To do this, we used data from our proprietary tool, Search Eye.

The top 10 brands rank for 5,459 related keywords, attracting over 32 million searches per month. Looking at branded keywords only, there is a general correlation between our survey results and share of search, although Bet365 and William Hill prove more popular among the wider betting population.

We can gain more nuanced insights by analysing brand preferences based on gender and age.

• Bet365 gains the lions share of first choices among men, with 22% of the total vote.
• Women tend to spread their bets across more brands, with Paddy Power edging SkyBet for top spot, earning 16% of the vote.
• Older bettors tend to plump for brands that retain a high street presence.

When we questioned respondents on what influenced their choice of sports betting brand, three main things stood out:

1. Punters prefer a range of betting options
2. They stick with brands they know and love
3. They want better-than-average odds

What can we learn from the results?

Our survey shows that bettors are a diverse bunch, with a roughly equal gender split and a broad range of ages. They are likely to decrease or maintain their average monthly spend in 2023, which is unsurprising given the economic uncertainty in the UK at present, particularly when it comes to personal finances.

But there are opportunities for sports betting brands to focus on the key points customers are likely to base their brand choices on.

A wide range of betting options will attract higher volumes of prospective customers. After all, if a brand can provide everything a bettor is looking for in one place, they’re less likely to shop around.

Brand reputation also plays a huge role, with the big hitters in the industry clearly benefitting from their status as household names. The trustworthiness associated with this should be leaned into when it comes to marketing.

Finally, and perhaps most obviously, competitive odds will always attract bettors. The more a consumer feels they are getting good value for the money they spend, the more likely they are to return time and again.

By focusing on these areas, sports betting companies can ensure they hold a strong position when it comes to bettor brand preferences.