Link building for US casino content: How to handle a changing landscape

Sometimes link building is a simple process: You know who you want to see your content, and you know where to find them. This is predominantly the case for niches with a bit of history behind them, where the data is ages old and rarely changes very much.

When it comes to a newer niche, however, you do have to be prepared for a more complicated picture. This is the case with, for example, the US casino and iGaming sector in general. By definition, this is a young niche: It was only in 2018 that the state of New Jersey brought a case before the Supreme Court that ended with states being allowed to regulate gambling on their own terms. Since then, betting online has quickly become a big market.

This has meant that there is more demand for content about casinos and how they work in the USA. That, in itself, is a complex picture, given that the legislation passed in New Jersey will not be the same as that passed in Pennsylvania or Virginia. And it means that building links for that content is similarly complex. It gets even more so when you learn some of the stats about betting in the USA.

If you work off instinct, which may be informed by stereotypes, your initial intention may be to build links by looking for male-oriented sites, but that would be a mistake. One recent study revealed that 57% of online gamblers in the States are female. While the numbers do include bettors at social casinos, that statistic still indicates that iGaming content should be written and promoted with both sides of the gender divide in mind. Speaking of social casinos, it is known that during pandemic lockdown, as many as 64% of American bettors increased their online betting activity - this may be an audience that would be worth informing of the option of social “sweeps casinos” that don’t necessitate spending.

Another statistic which may surprise you but which should inform your efforts in link building is that 85% of Americans surveyed admit to having placed a bet in their lifetime. This makes it clear that there are few areas that are off-limits for placing links. For social reasons, some discretion in sourcing links and placing them is still a good idea, but it’s evident that there is a large audience for iGaming content in the USA.

Finally, it is a good idea to be conscious when you are link building for USA iGaming clients that there are still several states that do not permit online betting, some of which probably never will. It is best to avoid placing, or even asking to place, links on sites which originate in those states, as it creates a potentially delicate legal situation.

Are you interested in improving keyword ranking and organic player acquisition in the US? Panoptic Media work with 5 of the top 10 operators and 6 of the top 10 iGaming affiliates globally. Send a DM to this page or email [email protected] if you'd like to learn more.