Hockey-related hype and goofing on the Americans are tried-and-true tactics for winning over the hearts and minds of Canadians, and one of the country’s homegrown sports betting sites is using those staples to introduce and reintroduce itself to domestic punters.
Sports Interaction has a new look and a new marketing campaign to go with it that is heavy on Canadian staples and emphasizes what the bookmaker hopes will help it stand out from the crowd in the Ontario sports betting market and beyond.
SIA’s angle revolves around hockey, one of the sports Canadians can claim an advantage in over their American cousins (on a country-to-country basis; Canadian NHL teams haven't registered a Stanley Cup win in three decades).
Two 30-second commercials are running on television, SIA has a sponsorship deal for Hockey Night in Canada, and the company even recently bought a billboard near the Peace Bridge, the Canada-U.S. border crossing that connects Buffalo, New York, and Fort Erie, Ontario. The billboard’s message: "AMERICA DOESN'T KNOW JACK ABOUT HOCKEY."
Technically, the message is for a website, americadoesntknowjackabouthockey.ca, which takes you to an SIA ad featuring man-on-the-street interviews with Americans quizzing them on hockey.
The results are interesting, to say the least, but they underscore SIA’s message: If Americans don’t know anything about hockey, why would you wager on hockey using an American sportsbook?
"It's making a lot of waves," noted Michael Zitney, director of brand and content for SIA, in an interview with Covers this week.
Looks like some interesting signage for @SIASport has gone up near the Canada-U.S. border... pic.twitter.com/Lq4sG5WOim
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) October 11, 2023
The bookmaker is hoping the pride Canadians have about hockey and their knowledge of the sport will have them considering SIA for their next wager, and the site is dangling some localized options it hopes will catch the eye of local punters.
SIA’s new marketing campaign also comes after Sports Interaction recently shifted from its old online sportsbook and interface to a new one using the technology of U.K.-based Entain PLC, which acquired the gaming brand in 2022.
Now, SIA is legally run by an Entain subsidiary in Ontario, where there is a competitive market for sports betting sites, and outside the province by Mohawk Online Ltd., which is owned by the Quebec-based Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, which is partnered with Entain.
Nevertheless, the new SIA has a different look compared to the old version and bears a resemblance to its cousins in the Entain family, such as BetMGM (which Entain co-owns with MGM Resorts International). However, the upgrade comes with some new features, like the same-game parlays that have become table stakes for more recreational sportsbooks.
“While it is sentimental to say goodbye to our homegrown platform that’s been built up over two decades, we’re thrilled to introduce Canadians to Entain’s world-class sportsbook that provides a broader and deeper selection of betting opportunities they will enjoy,” Leon Thomas, Entain’s managing director for Canada, said in a press release. “Customers will be getting the best of both worlds with new features like same-game parlays while retaining the unique promotions, free-to-play contests, and localized props that we’ve become known for.”
Seems we’re causing a bit of a sh*t storm south of the border, as seen and heard on Quick Shift with @imseanavery and @mrkevinconnolly. pic.twitter.com/R7mPbOzmB2
— Sports Interaction (@SIASport) October 16, 2023
The new SIA still has to compete with plenty of rivals in Canada and Ontario, the latter of which allows private-sector operators to obtain licenses and offer their wares in the province. Around 30 sportsbooks have done so.
Sports Interaction, though, has shown itself willing to take a poke at its competitors, including by enlisting longtime NHLer Chris Pronger for ads that contain jabs at the marketing efforts of BetMGM and bet365.
“We wanted to create something that would get people talking,” Zitney said of the most recent campaign. “But most importantly, I wanted to make it feel like it's part of sports culture, to create that conversation where we're not just jamming something down people's throats, which, since last April, when everything opened up … nothing has really broken through. I feel with this kind of voice and this kind of conversation, this is going to help separate us.”
SIA is trying to distinguish itself on the product side as well. Zitney said the bookmaker is creating hyper-localized betting markets across Canada. On Wednesday, for instance, SIA's Ontario site was offering +2500 for Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews to score 50 goals in 50 games (also offered: +700 on a goalie-versus-goalie fistfight happening this season).
“We're Canadian speaking to Canadians,” Zitney said. “Being able to speak directly to the hockey fan because we understand the local markets is what differentiates us and that's what you’ll see reflected in a lot of our prop bets and through our content."
East vs West. 🏒 Marner vs Draisaitl. Who you got? 🤔
— Sports Interaction (@SIASport) October 17, 2023
(@chrispronger @Marner93)#chrispronger #leondraisaitl #mitchmarner #nhl #hockey #sportsbetting #mapleleafs #leafsforever #oilers pic.twitter.com/W7noeUm7O3
Some changes are on the horizon on the advertising front, especially in Ontario. The provincial regulator will start banning the use of athletes in iGaming-related marketing starting Feb. 28 of next year. Which means, in Ontario at least, SIA can no longer use Pronger, or current NHLers Mitch Marner and Leon Draisaitl, as it is currently doing.
But SIA is finding other ways to attract interest.
The company has a studio in its Toronto office that it will use for live watch parties with its content creators and experts three to four times a week, Zitney said. Bettors can tune in, watch the game with SIA’s hosts, and consider a bet or two.
“Nobody else in Canada has done this,” Zitney added.
