The online casino market fragments under pressure from non-operator competitors

In the second half of 2026, the ranking of the top 10 online casino competitors has changed significantly. Increased competition in core keyword rankings has reduced the visibility of major brands in the sector. The most notable case is the 72% drop in visibility of 32Red, owned by FDJ United, which has fallen from second to tenth place. William Hill also lost its leadership to BOYLE Sports, while Betfair, Paddy Power, and Netbet have completely dropped out of the top 10. Unibet barely holds on in fifth place, and operators like Grosvenor, Parimatch, and BetGoodwin have increased their positions by leveraging redistributed traffic. New entrants, including SmoothSpins, BetVictor, and Sun Bingo, are appearing in the lower ranks of the leaderboard.

Increase in online casino keywords and its impact on visibility

Keyword data for this semester reveals an average increase of 31.8% in the number of keywords positioned compared to the first half of 2026. However, this growth did not translate into greater overall visibility, as the market average dropped by 31.5%. The main cause is the loss of positions in core terms like 'casino' and 'slots', which recorded search volume increases of 22% and 49%, respectively. William Hill and Betfair lost relevance in these terms against non-operator competitors.

Parimatch stands out with a 37.7% increase in visibility, achieving top 10 positions for 13 core terms and capturing traffic that formerly dominated its rivals. BOYLE Sports, on the other hand, added 132 new keywords to its main clusters, with 75.8% of its expansion coming from these groups. In contrast, the rise of long-tail keywords, such as 'online roulette games' — which increased by 635 points — has little effect on the visibility of mainstream brands if they are not positioned in the top spots, which has particularly benefited new entrants like BetVictor, SmoothSpins, and Sun Bingo, improving their EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) scores.

WAR: The shift in the metric defining presence in search engines

One of the clear consequences of these position losses is the deterioration of the weighted average rankings, known as WAR (Weighted Average Rank). For an operator to gain significant visibility from a term, it must be among the top five results, as positions below number 12 make it virtually invisible.

WAR is calculated by weighting the average position according to the volume of key searches. An example:

• 'casino': search volume 40,500, position 2
• 'slots': search volume 60,500, position 3
• 'online roulette games': volume 720, position 25

The formula: (40,500×2) + (60,500×3) + (720×25) / (40,500 + 60,500 + 720) = WAR ≈ 2.7

The lower the WAR, the higher the operator's overall visibility. This metric explains why the increase in the number of positioned keywords does not necessarily imply greater overall presence. 32Red, for example, saw its abandonment of top positions in 43.5% of its keywords lead to a WAR of 4.74 in the first half rising to 21.12 in the second, relegating it to secondary pages of results.

The competition from informational media and the new challenge for online casino operators

The diversification of content types in SERPs by search engines, especially the inclusion of definitions from pages like Wikipedia or specialized news, dilutes the preeminence of traditional operators for more competitive keywords. Search engines are weighting specialized and news sites that demonstrate expertise and knowledge of the sector as more reliable and authoritative, leading to improvements in EEAT and consequently, better positions for these portals.

"This preference for informational content elevates global competition in the SERPs and weakens the dominance of established operators," notes the analysis from Stickyeyes.

This explains the rise in the ranking of brands focused on specific niches and the decline of traditional leaders as they compete against both new operators and specialized informational media.

Summary: effects of the fragmentation of the online casino market

The main conclusions of the Stickyeyes study for the second half of 2026 in the online casino market include:

• The increased competition for core keywords is causing a more fragmented market.
• Strong brands like William Hill and 32Red have lost key positions, facilitating the entry of new players in specific niches.
• Increasing the number of positioned keywords does not guarantee greater visibility; the key remains occupying the top positions in higher volume terms.
• Search engines prioritize content rich in information and authority, multiplying the competition, also from outside the operating sector.

For those seeking more information on organic growth in the online casino market, Stickyeyes recommends contacting William Conboy, Director of iGaming at the consultancy.