YouGov: DraftKings most visible legal betting brand in US

| By Stephen Carter
DraftKings is the most visible brand in the nascent US sports betting industry, according to exclusive polling from YouGov.

The brand was recalled by some 37% of the 1,178 who had seen advertising and sponsorship by legal providers in the last 30 days in their state.

FanDuel ads were seen by 30% of the sample, followed by Caesars Sportsbook on 19%, then BetMGM by 16% and Barstool Sportsbook by 10%. 

There is evidence that offshore sportsbooks retain a notable presence in the market, the polling revealed. Advertising by Costa Rica-based Bovada.lv is recalled by 4% of the sample, with 14% also remembering campaigns by other brands not referenced in the questionnaire.

“When we look at states where online sports betting is already live we find advertising recall for smaller brands grows substantially, particularly among existing gamblers”, said Oliver Rowe, global sector head for leisure and entertainment for YouGov.

The poll of a representative sample of 2,233 members of the US public aged 18 between 19-23 November 2021, showed that nearly half (47%) could not recall any ad campaigns by betting brands.

However, in states where online betting is legal with multiple providers, just 21% were unaware of either advertising or sponsorship:

“Two thirds (68%) of those who believe online sports is now legal in their state say they’ve recently seen at least one ad each day, and over half (56%) say they see at least one sponsorship message daily”, Rowe added.

Concern that ads would prompt people to spend too much on gambling is expressed by 44% of the US public, while 54% agree that advertising and sponsorship needs to be more carefully targeted to avoid underage demographics.

Only 14% are confident that operators have effective measures in place to ensure bettors don’t get into trouble by wagering beyond their means.

“These issues need to be monitored as more states come on line to ensure the industry can see and understand any possible downturn in sentiment. A preemptive approach seems sensible”, said Rowe.

You can read the full brand view article, Legal sports betting: the US public’s view, here.