Could Aviator’s Ambassador Create a Trend for iGaming Companies? 

Crash gaming is a relatively new gambling phenomenon. The flagship title, Aviator, now has a dedicated ambassador. In this article, we discuss what this could mean to the company and wider industry. 

The crash game Aviator is owned by Spribe Studios. In April this year, they announced a brand ambassador for its game in the form of Merab Dvalishvili, a UFC fighter. Spribe has had close ties with the UFC since last year, when it signed a sponsorship deal with the company. Its logo has now been seen on pay-per-view events and fight nights and it is the official game of the competition. In the article below, we discuss the partnership. 

Aviator’s New Ambassador

Currently one of the top bantamweight competitors, Merab Dvalishvili hails from Georgia, the same country Spribe has their operations in. Like Spribe, he is a true success story from the small country in the far east of Europe. After training in martial arts as a youngster, he moved to the United States at 21 to become a competitive fighter. 

He follows the first ambassador for the game, Alex Pereira. Also a UFC fighter, he is of Brazilian origin, though he also operates in the United States. He was a former middleweight champion but is the current lightheavyweight champion at the time of writing. It is unknown if his deal has ended or if both will continue as ambassadors for the title and the sport. 

The Rising Popularity of Aviator 

Aviator arrived in 2019 and was soon a huge hit in online casinos. At its heart, the game is quite simple. Players must bet on the trajectory of an onscreen object, in the case of Aviator, an aircraft. The longer they hold their nerve, the more multipliers are added to their wager. However, if they do not cash out in time, then when the aircraft crashes to the ground, they lose their total. 

Simple it may be, but it is this that is the game’s biggest asset. You don’t need to understand symbols and bonus rounds like slots. You also don’t have strategy and probability like you do in poker or blackjack. It is a fun gambling game great for total novice players or experts. 

Added to this are a host of social features not found in other titles. When you play Aviator, you are entered into a lobby at the start of the game. This allows you to chat and communicate. As everyone is betting on the same title, it creates a sense of community. Slots are played alone, and card games are played against the dealer or each other, so few other games foster this kind of team camaraderie. 

This has led to it growing a bank of around 12 million monthly players. In London this year, the company won Breakthrough Company of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards EMEA due to its success. However, Aviator may face a tough legal battle ahead. Recent lawsuits have been filed against it in Georgia due to a dispute over the Aviator brand name and logo. This is now going to be sent to international courts, where they could possibly lose the name and use of the design. 

Ambassadors in iGaming

Individual games having their own casino ambassadors is quite a rare thing. Usually, when ambassadors are used in the online gaming sphere, they are hired to provide a face for a large operator. This is because the online companies can often come across as quite faceless, so hooking them up to a real, relatable celebrity is an astute branding move. 

Usually, ambassadors take the form of sporting legends. This also makes sense, due to the close ties casinos have with online sportsbooks. Lionel Messi, Mike Tyson, and NFL player Andrew Luck have all signed deals with casinos at some point to operate as ambassadors. 

However, it is not always sports stars, and very often celebrities from other fields are approached to take on the mantle. Ryan Seacrest, presenter and Hollywood legend, has been the face of a casino, as has socialite Paris Hilton. Probably one of the strangest was British comedian Johnny Vegas, who, with his deadpan northern grit, was hired to launch a casino brand in the United States. 

Ambassadors have only really been a thing over the past two years, but it is a growing trend. In the US, many regulations for online sportsbooks and casino usage have only just been decided, so it makes sense that these marketing ideas are coming into play now. 

However, both brands and ambassadors must tread carefully. In Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where online gaming laws are fairly liberal, celebrity ambassadors are less prevalent. This is due to the laws regarding how gambling is marketed. It is more than plausible that this could also change in the US and elsewhere. 

Ambassadors exist for all brands, and iGaming is no different. Yet by getting one for a stand-alone game as opposed to a company, Spribe could be ahead of the curve. We may next see ambassadors for slot machines or live casinos, and Spribe will have been the genesis of this.