US bookies entice with special deals at the start of the NFL

The US National Football League (NFL) season causes an immense stir year after year. More than 17 million people watch the games live in the stadiums in the United States alone - not to mention the viewing figures for the television broadcasts. Overall, the NFL is one of the most attention-grabbing professional leagues in the world. The national betting volume is correspondingly huge. In order to get as big a slice of the cake as possible, the local bookies are already competing with pretty special bonus offers at the start of the new season.

The NFL is more than just a sport in the USA - it can be seen as a cultural phenomenon. The popularity of American football is fuelled by a deep-rooted tradition that goes far beyond weekly entertainment. Games like the Super Bowl are national celebrations that are shared by families and friends. The sport also offers an unrivalled level of drama and excitement, heightened by the strategic element of plays and tactics. Added to this is the immense media presence: no other sporting event in the USA attracts so many spectators, either in the stadium or in front of the television. The season is short and compact - every game counts and can influence the course of the entire competition, which increases the tension enormously.

Accordingly, bookmakers are investing a lot of cash in player acquisition: As the Public Gaming Research Institute announced, sports betting providers invested a whopping 237.8 million dollars on TV advertising alone in the period from 1 September 2023 to 26 December 2023. This is likely to increase again this year. In addition, the top brands, especially FanDuel and Fanatics, have come up with very special bonuses to attract fans right at the start of the season. These include, for example, the raffle of a large amount of fan merchandise or free access to certain paid content.

This development shows how much the market has professionalised since the Supreme Court paved the way for the legalisation of sports betting in the US in 2018 - a trend that has only begun to emerge in Germany so far. While US bookmakers are investing millions in advertising and bonuses, the initiative in Germany - despite the growing interest in American football - remains comparatively restrained.

FanDuel, Fanatics and Co. are trying to score points in the huge NFL betting market with special bonuses

The big players in the US sports betting market such as FanDuel, Fanatics, DraftKings and others are stepping on the gas during the NFL season with sophisticated and sometimes innovative bonus offers in order to secure and expand their market position. The strategy behind this is clear: football is not only the most followed sport in the USA, but also the most lucrative betting market. According to Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel, this is the ‘most important customer acquisition moment’ of the year. Accordingly, providers are getting creative to set themselves apart from the competition.

FanDuel is strategically leveraging its partnership with YouTube to increase its reach. As part of a deal, new and existing customers who wager at least $5 will receive a free three-month trial of ‘NFL Sunday Ticket,’ giving them access to exclusive live game broadcasts.

FanDuel is also highlighting its ‘Hunches’ campaign, which encourages players to bet on their intuition. This is a feature where customers make personalised betting suggestions.

Fanatics takes a different approach by utilising its strong links to the sportswear industry. With the so-called ‘Jersey Drop’, the bookie is launching a large-scale promo campaign in which customers can win jerseys from their favourite teams. The jerseys will not only be distributed online, but also handed over in person in cities such as Chicago and New York, creating a direct customer experience.

Other offers include the Fanatics-exclusive ‘FanCash’ system. Players who place bets on the platform earn bonus points that can be used to purchase merchandise - a clever way to promote the link between sports betting and merchandise purchases and build long-term fan loyalty.

Other major providers such as DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook offer more traditional but still very high bonuses to attract new customers or retain existing players:

• DraftKings: New customers receive $200 worth of bonus bets and a free month of NFL+.
• Caesars Sportsbook: Here, customers are offered up to $1,000 in the form of a ‘rebet’, which means that the first bet is refunded if it loses.
• BetMGM: New customers can receive up to $1,500 in bonus bets if their first bet misses.

Regional sports betting providers, especially in Las Vegas, also rely on unusual promotions to make a name for themselves:

• Circa Sports organises the ‘Circa Millions VI’ competition, which pays out guaranteed prizes of 6 million dollars. There is also the ‘Circa Survivor’ competition, in which the winner can receive 10 million dollars.
• SuperBook organises seasonal competitions such as the ‘SuperContest’ and the ‘Pro Football Season Wins Contest’. These offers are focussed on high winnings and a competitive nature, which attracts experienced bettors.

Such deals are actually less surprising when you consider that the links between the NFL and gambling are generally expanding.

Can we also expect exceptional NFL bonuses in Germany?

Even though the hype surrounding the NFL in Germany has grown steadily in recent years, there will hardly be any bonus campaigns in Germany on the same scale as in the USA. Although American football is also enjoying increasing popularity in Germany - as shown by the impressive 4.5 million ticket requests for the NFL league games in Munich and Frankfurt in 2023 or the stable TV ratings of 750,000 viewers on average for the RTL broadcasts - the German betting market is set up much differently in terms of structure and regulation.

German customers have to be prepared for more modest offers. These are usually so-called ‘odds boosts’, in which the odds are temporarily increased for particularly relevant NFL games. However, these are usually daily and short-term in nature and cannot be compared with the large-scale, long-term promotions in the USA. Despite these restrictions, there are also occasionally attractive NFL offers in Germany. These are often in the form of exclusive promotions that are communicated via newsletters or for existing customers. These can be special free bets or bonus promotions for top NFL games such as the Kickoff Game or the Super Bowl.

Although the NFL is steadily growing in popularity in Germany, interest in betting on American football remains limited compared to the USA. According to surveys, there are around 18 million football fans in Germany, which is impressive by European standards. Nevertheless, football continues to dominate the betting scene, which is also reflected in the range of bets offered by German bookmakers. American football often ranks behind traditional sports such as football, tennis or handball.

Conclusion

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