Online-only bookmakers in the UK have a better brand perception than rivals with both online and land-based operations, according to a new survey.
UK-based online market research firm YouGov recently published new BrandIndex data, which ranked 10 UK-based betting operators in terms of favorable impression score. The survey, which didn’t deal with online casino or lottery brands, found all 10 brands generated a negative perception among respondents.
Of the 10 brands surveyed, the five worst-scoring brands were those with both online and land-based presence, while online-only bookies scored in the top five (of an admittedly awful result for the lot). YouGov CEO Stephan Shakespeare said the overall industry impression enjoyed a slight improvement since the last survey but the general negativity showed there is “still so much more to be done” to improve public perception.
Ladbrokes fared the worst, with a score of -19.1, followed by Paddy Power (-17.7), William Hill (-17.3), Betfred (-17.2) and Ladbrokes’ proposed merger partner Coral (-15). Among the online-only companies surveyed, 888 Holdings fared worst with a -13.2 score, followed by Bet365 (-12.6), Betfair (-12.3), SkyBet (-7.7) and BetVictor (-3.7).
YouGov also confirmed existing industry evidence that online betting remains a largely young and masculine pursuit. Males in the 24-35 age bracket were most likely to have wagered online or with a mobile device in the past year, followed by males aged 35-44, males aged 45-54 and males aged 18-24.
The age factor usurped gender dominance with increasing age, as males aged over 55 years were less likely to have wagered online than females aged 25-34 or females aged 18-24. The least likely demo to opt for an online punt were (surprise) females over 55.
YouGov says the cliché of the grizzled pensioner patronizing land-based betting shops isn’t entirely out of date, calling older men “still intrinsic to the survival and indeed the overall increased number of high-street betting shops.”
