Leadstar Media, one of the largest affiliates in the sports betting world, is now fully licensed in two US states. The company has over twelve years of experience working with online sports betting and casino brands. In recent years, the company has seen rapid growth, and now boasts a huge portfolio of global brands.
The company’s two US brands have been up and running for almost a year now and are already seeing significant traffic. UnitedGamblers.com is a site that provides up to date information on gambling in the US as well as in-depth reviews of online casinos and sportsbooks. BettingScanner.com, its second brand, is focused on matching its visitors with the best sportsbook.
Eskil Kvarnström, CEO and co-founder of Leadstar Media says “it’s great news that we are now fully operational in New Jersey and Indiana, this is the first step in our expansion into the US.” The company, which is now in sixteen markets, has big ambitions for its US brands “we know that with all our experience in the industry we can be the best betting affiliation business in the US.”
The US legalized sports betting at a federal level in 2018, since then each state has had to decide where they stand. This has led to a patchwork effect across the country, with states at different stages of the legalization process. New Jersey, for example, opened up its market in 2018 with very few restrictions. Other states have opted for a more bespoke setup, with Oregon for example only permitting online sports betting through their state lottery.
BettingScanner’s website manager Nils Edmondson believes this situation has had a positive effect on the industry “if the biggest market in the world suddenly opens up there would be a goldrush” he explains “since it would also be an immature market, it would leave many customers without experience with betting online vulnerable, instead we can see a steady immersion.”
Leadstar Media, have clearly identified three states as the frontrunners in the US sports betting market; New Jersey, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Leadstar’s product director, Jacob Ljunggren has noticed some interesting trends in how US bettors behave compared to Europeans “we see more interest in mobile betting, over 80% of Americans use their smartphone” he explains “In-play betting is also even more popular in the US.”
Leadstar Media ran a nationwide survey in February to better understand the US gambling market. Their results revealed that only 41% of Americans were aware that the federal ban on sports betting had been lifted. The survey also ranked all US sportsbooks in terms of brand awareness. As expected DraftKings and FanDuel topped the polls “these two brands have a long history in the US as fantasy sports operators” says Edmondson “but we were surprised to see how they are currently so far ahead of the other brands.” DraftKings with a 44% national brand awareness just beats its rivals FanDuel who had a 41% brand awareness.
