GG.BET: Boosting brand awareness with tournament partnerships in esports
The esports industry is a unique vertical within igaming. How do you think it has changed over the past few years and what do you see being the key to its continual success?
“I feel that esports wasn’t taken as seriously as traditional sports. It was always seen as a lot more small-scale; when you mentioned esports, people would think of gaming sessions at home or playing with friends in computer clubs. Over time, however, professional tournament operators, large-scale events and esports teams and organizations began to spring
“That said, bookmakers were still hesitant to expand into esports or focus on esports competitions. That was when GG.BET was first starting to get involved in the industry. We believed that it would be the next big thing, and our bet paid off.
“There are now millions of esports fans around the world, and 640 million viewers worldwide are predicted to be tuning in to esports events by 2025. We’re now seeing more and more large-scale tournaments with incredible prize pools, and esports transfers are now big enough to rival those in traditional sports. Professional gamers are becoming celebrities and opinion leaders with millions upon millions of fans.
“More people are investing in the industry, while bookmakers are developing esports markets, generating buzz and offers, signing teams and partnering with tournaments. Countries are even starting to take increasing interest in hosting esports tournaments after seeing how many tourists they bring in. More and more people are building careers in the industry as commentators, analysts, content creators and streamers, while streaming platforms are providing more high-quality streaming options the world over.
“Game publishers are getting involved too, updating legendary games and adding new features to improve user experience. Mobile esports has also taken off and is already bringing in a whole new wave of fans. It won’t be long before these catch up to the leading esports disciplines.
“The key to success in igaming lies in whether or not the industry players – publishers, tournament operators, bookmakers, etc – can generate a steady stream of new opportunities for viewers. And, most importantly, these key players have to be prepared to work together. I’m not just talking about finding new formats and tournament ideas or nurturing esports talent.
“We also need to create shared esports content, activities for fans, new betting options for customers and so on, which is why GG.BET is constantly on the lookout for new product and PR opportunities. We offer unusual markets, create tournament campaigns, organize offers and activities, set up special esports projects, work with the media and our partner teams, and bring fans together at offline events. That’s what we need to do for the industry to develop. That’s where the real thrill is.”
How important do you think global events like the esports Olympics are for growing knowledge and popularity of the sport? In what ways can you use these events to catapult your own success?
“Saudi Arabia is making significant strides in developing esports. The 2024 Esports World Cup is taking place in Riyadh from July 4 to August 24, with teams from more than 20 different esports disciplines competing for their share of an impressive prize pool of over $60 million.
“This has set a precedent and prove that it’s possible to gather the best teams from a range of esports disciplines all under one roof, negotiate with game publishers, and organize competitions for fans of different games. I assume that having such experience was the decisive argument in the negotiations with the IOC.
“Now, with the announcement of the Olympic Esports Games, Saudi Arabia has secured the largest format of esports tournaments in the world for at least the next 12 years.
“I have no doubt that it’ll be a win for bookmakers too, even though betting activities are banned in Saudi Arabia itself. Yes, bookmakers won’t be able to come in as sponsors of the Olympic Esports Games, but they will gain another major event that will capture the audience’s attention. They’ll have new offers and activities to allow for a multidisciplinary business strategy, while their customers will get to enjoy a brand new experience.”
The BLAST Spring Final 2024 provided igaming fans the chance to take part in an offline British CS2 tournament in June. This year, the tournament offered a prize pool of $425,000 and drew a lot of attention. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this event and why did you choose to partner with this event in particular?
“GG.BET has been in the esports industry for a while now. We’ve always kept up to date with developments in the tournament sector, such as what tournament operators are offering to interested parties, how they engage with their audience, and what kinds of activities they organize. Working with BLAST was a really interesting experience because we like how they approach their work.
“When we spoke about working together, we saw that we both shared a real passion for esports and a desire to see everything done to the highest level. That’s why GG.BET became a BLAST partner for the entire tournament year of 2024. Together, we’re creating a comprehensive strategy for a whole series of tournaments, including the creation of exclusive content, coverage on different platforms, digital campaigns and offline events at BLAST Premier tournaments.
“Spring Final was the first tournament of the series where GG.BET had both an online and offline presence. The key thing for us was to a have a physical brand presence in the UK, a country with a rich betting history. We created an incredible meeting place for players, fans, journalists and influencers at OVO Arena Wembley called GG.BOOTH.
“Tournament-goers could make banners to support their favorite teams, win unique merch, speak to esports stars and enjoy autograph sessions with Team Vitality. Blogs and interviews were recorded, photos were shared. It turned out to be a great, memorable event. It was a brilliant experience, and we can’t wait for the next load of BLAST offline events.
“As for the online side of things, the tournament’s peak viewership reached 640,000 people during the grand final, and the competition’s overall number of views was in the millions. The GG.BET brand will have reached this entire audience.”
The event leads onto the BLAST Premier World Final. How important is it to build on future events to encourage player engagement and retention?
“BLAST Premier World Final will be the culmination of the tournament year for ourselves and BLAST. We’ve got two finals ahead where we’ll have the chance to interact with and potentially expand our audience. These kinds of events are important for a number of reasons. Every new tournament series allows fans to get to know the GG.BET brand a little better. And the better they know us, the more faith they have in the brand, which allows us to spend less money on customer retention and increase customer activity on our platform.
“The spring series had excellent results both online and offline, and we’re hoping to maintain this trend in the tournaments to come. We’re actively preparing for the autumn season and are already making plans for the World Final. That’s all I can say for now. Watch this space!”
Why are events like this important for growing the vertical as well as your own player base? How can they evolve to meet player needs?
“A fairly complex and sizeable industry has formed around esports competitions. At its core are game publishers, who create the games themselves and grant tournament operators like BLAST Premier the right to organize competitions. Tournament operators give esports organizations the chance to take part in competitions, win prizes and earn new titles.
“Sponsors are actively involved in all of this. They’re the partners who support tournaments and teams by giving their budgets a boost. In return, sponsors get the opportunity to put their brand out there and build up awareness among esports audiences. But the main thing is that esports fans the world over can support their favorite teams, watch matches from the comfort of their own homes and attend tournaments from different countries.
“Tournaments even inspire some people to get into esports themselves by becoming professional gamers or finding out more about the industry so they can set up their own esports channels and streams. And the main job of bookmaker and tournament operator partnerships is to do everything they can to develop their audience.
“They can do so not just with special offers, high-quality broadcasts and memorable merch, but also with esports content, such as analytics and statistics, meetings with teams, streams and shows with popular players, media publications and more. That’s what GG.BET’s audience has been asking for, and that’s what we’re trying to give them in every single one of our partnerships.”
Do you have any future partnerships lined up? What other ways has GG.BET been successful in boosting brand awareness?
“We aren’t ones to rest on our laurels! We’re already looking to arrange new partnerships with some of the biggest names in the industry. I can’t give you anything more concrete for now, as some of the deals are still in the planning or negotiation stages. But I can assure you that what we have lined up is every bit as exciting as what we’ve achieved so far.
“We’re also continuing to find and develop new formats alongside our longtime partners NAVI and Team Vitality, and we’re aiming to keep raising brand awareness with our exclusive esports content and activities. Apart from that, we’re constantly developing our platform and our social media presence.
“After esports fans find out about us through online streams, media or at the arena itself, our site and social media accounts become one of the first real places they can get to know the brand a little better. Which is why you’ll always be able to find a variety of GG.BET competitions and giveaways online. We’re also working with a range of streaming platforms and ambassadors to raise awareness of our brand among their audience and introduce them to GG.BET.
“Our goal is to consolidate our position as a leader in esports betting while continuing to develop the industry and create unique experiences and opportunities for our customers.”
What other plans do you have for this year and what can players look forward to seeing?
“We’ve spoken a lot about BLAST Premier, but that’s just one of the projects we’re currently working on. We’ve got a fair few tournaments coming up for different games, and even though we’re not partners, we always have offers and digital campaigns lined up for our customers. Follow our channels on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with our announcements and become a part of the GG.BET community.”