How the MMA Community Has Boosted the Gambling Industry

Mixed Martial Arts might not be as popular as soccer, football or basketball, but it is definitely a sport that is gaining more and more audience every day. Ever since this sport went mainstream, many boxing and combat sports fans started becoming obsessed with it. In 2018 there were 451 million Mixed Martial Arts fans, according to Nielsen Sports DNA. And this industry and UFC have managed to grow even bigger under the influence of Dana White,  the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This was when MMA started living up to its potential. 

MMA Popularity and Influence

As one of the fastest-rising sports in terms of popularity, MMA is looking to catch up with the boxing viewership rates. And since we are talking about a sport that goes beyond the octagon, we also need to mention its cultural and business influence. We all know that the most popular sports and athletes on the planet go way beyond sports – there are sponsorships, collaboration with apparel brands, streaming networks, casinos, and sportsbooks, and so much more. As a matter of fact, MMA helped boost the gambling industry around the planet. 

MMA and Casinos

If you didn’t know already, it is common that MMA events are organized near or even at some big casino venues. Some of the famous fights near brick-and-mortar casinos have been held in Las Vegas, Singapore, and even Macau. And while most of the MMA events are organized in areas such as O2 Arena, or the Staples Center, events at casinos that these brands sponsor are quite common. 

And it is quite simple how can this help the gambling sector strive. The events organized near casinos will accommodate a 90% male audience, who won’t think twice about placing a few bets on the fight or spinning a reel to relax after the event. Since they share the target audience, sponsorships and collaboration with gambling brands are not anything new in the world of sports.

The Change in Audience

With the appearance of online casinos, new technological advancements, and of course, the switch of generations, the land-based casinos are slowly losing this battle. The casino brands are trying their best to widen the demographics by implementing different techniques and changes. One of the changes is trying to widen the demographics with the help of the MMA fan base. Since their fan base consists of fairly young people, organizing an MMA event near a casino will bring a younger audience. However, it is a well-known fact, that online casinos are slowly replacing land-based casinos. It is easier to stay at home and play online, rather than dress up and go out. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of games, slots and different types of casinos, so anyone can go through the useful information about any of them. For example, there are casinos with minimum deposit requirments and the members of the MMA community are able to play without risking great amount of money. Just check the review of 1$ deposit casino to see for yourself. 

Celebrity Influence

Even if the MMA community can help boost the gambling industry in many ways, as shown above, it can also help boost the industry through the fighters. Everyone knows that celebrities and athletes can be incredible influencers and trendsetters. This is why the paparazzi follow their every move, and their fans are often trying to imitate the behavior, lifestyle, looks, and more. 

Bringing in a starfighter such as Conor McGregor to a casino venue has become a standard. Thus, a particular celebrity can influence the audience to boost client acquisition in a specific casino. This is yet another reason that might bring a new type of audience to casinos and motivate them to place bets, play table games or slots. 

This is precisely why most brands offer sportsbooks betting as well. The outpour of new clientele during the MMA events has shown that the people who are visiting are possibly interested in making sports bets as well. Live MMA events at casinos have always affected the levels of betting activity.

Conclusion

The impact Mixed Martial Arts have on the gambling industry is bigger than anyone could have imagined. Measuring its impact on this industry based on the analysis of every single casino on the planet is practically impossible. But, with all the struggle that the casino owners have been through in the past couple of years, the MMA influence probably feels like a breath of fresh air.