Boomerang Partners CMO: World Cup ‘traffic supernova’ can transform a business

Boomerang Partners’ recent growth in online sports betting across its partner network is impressive, and your strategies for the following year seem to revolve more heavily around that sector. Is that fair to say, and what opportunities are driving that focus? 

You’re right – we’ll try to move in that direction. We are gaining momentum and aim to attract as much sports traffic as possible (between 2024 and 2025, such traffic grew by +194% in the Boomerang affiliate ecosystem).  

Why sports? For starters, online sports betting drives uniquely high engagement. Unlike online casino traffic, which can be more transactional, sports fans are inherently loyal – they follow leagues, teams and tournaments year-round, creating a steady, recurring flow of users. This isn’t just about volume; it’s about quality. Sports audiences tend to have longer retention rates and higher cross-product migration: many users who start with online sports betting later transition to online casinos. 

Seasonal peaks amplify this. Take major tournaments – like the Euros or Olympics – they act as accelerators. During these events, media buying dynamics shift: competition for ad space intensifies, but so does user intent. We’ve observed that online live betting, in particular, spikes several times higher on mobile during such peaks, where convenience and real-time engagement drive conversions.  

Your partnerships in the sporting world itself must drive this focus too? 

Our partnerships also play a role. As the Regional Betting Partner of AC Milan (now in our second year), we’re leveraging a brand and tapping into a global fanbase that aligns perfectly with our target demographic. This isn’t just sponsorship; it’s a strategic alliance that fuels trust and drives qualified traffic to our partners.  

Looking ahead, the opportunities are clear: online sports betting sits at the intersection of passion and technology. With AI-driven personalisation, we can now tailor offers to user behaviour in real time, whether that’s a pre-match or live bet on a favourite team. As mobile continues to dominate, we’re optimising our platforms to capture that on-the-go engagement. 

Online sports betting drives uniquely high engagement. Unlike online casino traffic, which can be more transactional, sports fans are inherently loyal

How do you find that user engagement and conversion trends differ between online sports and casino verticals, particularly when it comes to major sporting events? What would your pitch look like to potential partners in advance of the men’s football World Cup next year, for instance? 

The differences between sports and online casino engagement are quite pronounced, especially during major events. Online sports betting follows a highly event-driven pattern – during events like the football World Cup, we typically see traffic spikes that are several times higher than the baseline. Users become almost hyper-engaged, checking scores, odds, and live updates multiple times throughout the day.  

Online casino engagement is more consistent day-to-day but becomes more event-driven during major sports tournaments. What’s fascinating is the cross-pollination effect – we’ve noticed that about 5-10% of sports bettors will try online casino games during halftime or after a match, especially if the platform makes it easy to switch between products. This migration typically happens in predictable patterns: after placing a pre-match bet, during half-time breaks, or following a significant match outcome. 

The World Cup is a traffic supernova that can transform a partner’s business if they have the right strategy in place. The partners who win are those who view it as an opportunity to build year-round loyalty, rather than just capturing short-term spikes. With the proper preparation and our data-driven approach, we can help partners maximise their share of this massive opportunity.  

What’s the key to retaining players who come into contact with Boomerang Partners during a seasonal peak or major event?  

Online sports betting has a unique retention curve. During major events, we typically see a three-phase retention pattern: First, there’s the event-driven spike, where users are highly engaged due to the tournament itself. Second is the post-event drop-off, which affects approximately 70-75% of acquired users. The critical third phase is long-term retention.  

A successful retention hinges on two interconnected strategies: Let’s start by establishing an emotional connection. Sports fans form strong emotional attachments during tournaments. It is vital to capture this momentum by immediately offering personalised content that extends the experience. For example, after the World Cup final, sending users highlights, team-specific offers, or fantasy league invitations helps keep that emotional connection alive. And, of course, I must mention the tiered communication strategy. One-size-fits-all retention doesn’t work. We segment users based on their event behaviour into three categories:  

• High rollers. Big spenders during events need VIP treatment and exclusive offers. 
• Regulars. Consistent but moderate users respond best to loyalty points and regular content. 
• Casuals. Occasional bettors require nudge-based reactivation campaigns.  

Partners who implement this tiered approach typically maintain 30% higher retention rates through seasonal transitions.

The partners who win are those who view it as an opportunity to build year-round loyalty, rather than just capturing short-term spikes

What are some emerging conversion trends you’re seeing at the moment in online sports betting? 

We’re seeing a clear shift toward mobile-first, in-play dominance. Over 85% of current online sports betting transactions now happen on mobile devices, with live betting accounting for 60-90% of total wager volume. This is a fundamental reimagining of how users interact with sports. The “second screen” experience – where fans watch games while simultaneously betting via apps – has become the norm, especially among millennials and Gen Z. For partners, this means optimising for micro-moments: push notifications with live odds boosts during critical match phases now drive higher click-through rates than traditional banner ads.  

When examining conversion across different online bet types, distinct patterns emerge: pre-match bets continue to form the foundation of user acquisition, with 20-40% of first-time deposits originating from traditional pre-event wagers. However, online live betting now accounts for the majority of revenue – approximately 60-90% of total stakes come from in-play action, with particularly strong conversion during halftime and key match moments. Special bets have emerged as the “conversion accelerant,” with novelty markets like player props, next goal scorers, and tournament specials driving click-to-deposit rates 5-20% higher than standard match odds. The most successful are those who create effective transitions between these online bet types – using pre-match interest to hook users, live betting to maintain engagement, and special markets to boost average spend.  

Finally, there’s growing emphasis on cross-sport and cross-product conversion. Traditional “big five” football leagues still drive volume, but niche sports like esports, tennis and even table tennis are seeing faster year-over-year growth in online bet counts. Savvy operators are capitalising on this by creating “sports corridors” that guide users from mainstream events to specialised markets.  

Boomerang Partners previously stated that it wants to triple its user base in 2025. How much of that is being achieved with new product launches compared to the refinement of current offerings? 

You’re right – one of our key strategic priorities is the expansion of our brand portfolio. It plays a significant role in achieving ambitious growth targets, such as tripling our user base. But this approach isn’t just about adding new products – it’s about creating a diversified ecosystem that captures different user segments and online betting behaviours. For instance, enhancing existing platforms with features like live streaming integrations ensures maximum value from current users.  

The balance between innovation and optimisation is critical. Major tournaments, such as the football World Cup, act as accelerators for both strategies – new product launches can capture the influx of casual bettors, while refined offerings retain the core audience. We’ve found that partners who align their product mix with these cyclical opportunities – launching targeted apps or verticals ahead of peak events – see the strongest user growth. Ultimately, it’s not an either/or equation; it’s about synchronising market expansion with continuous platform evolution to create multiple pathways for user acquisition and retention.  

The “second screen” experience – where fans watch games while simultaneously betting via apps – has become the norm, especially among millennials and Gen Z

Gamifying affiliate performance the way you do with the Golden Boomerang Awards certainly draws attention, but what’s the deeper strategic thinking behind structuring an event in that way? 

The Golden Boomerang Awards is a carefully designed strategy that addresses one of affiliate marketing’s fundamental challenges: sustainable partner relationships. When we launched the first season in 2024 and continued with the second in 2025, our primary objective was to cultivate the community rather than achieve short-term traffic spikes. What makes the affiliate channel powerful is its human element – real people with expertise, connections, and motivation. The Awards structure creates multiple layers of value: the 11 competition categories recognise different strengths and specialties, ensuring partners of all sizes and approaches can participate meaningfully. 

The global recognition aspect is particularly strategic. By creating a platform where partners can showcase their expertise internationally, we’re building a professional identity. Top performers aren’t just earning rewards; they’re establishing credibility that enhances their business beyond our partnership. This approach transforms the traditional affiliate dynamic. Rather than a transactional “you send traffic, we pay commission” relationship, we’re fostering a true partnership. Access to our brand portfolio becomes more valuable as affiliates grow within our ecosystem. Individual offers and dedicated support – including our analytics team’s assistance – create a graduated value proposition that rewards loyalty with increasingly powerful tools and opportunities.  

The deeper strategy is network effects: as we build this community of recognised affiliates, they become ambassadors not just for our brands but for our affiliate program and platform itself. Partners who achieve recognition through the Golden Boomerang Awards develop attachment to our ecosystem that goes beyond commission rates – they become emotionally and strategically invested in our ecosystem, because it’s built to reward not just performance, but partnership. This creates a defensible advantage in a market where affiliate poaching is common and partner switching costs are traditionally low.