Intertops’ pioneering US marketing and the origins of social betting models
Our SiGMA series, “The Online Gambling Industry: Tales from the Past,” is back. This time, industry legend Ian Sherrington reflects on early US marketing strategies deployed by Intertops and connects the rise of social dynamics in betting markets to the cultural phenomenon of the reality TV show Survivor.
The early days of social betting
Unearthed promotional archives reveal that Intertops partnered with top US public relations firm Edelman PR Worldwide in the early 2000s to expand its foothold in the lucrative American market. The campaign blended traditional sports wagering with novelty bets tied to cultural events, such as Groundhog Day, and leveraged widespread media placements to build brand awareness.
A key focus of the article is the Survivor reality TV series, which debuted in the U.S. in 2000 and became a mass-audience draw. Intertops capitalised on its popularity by offering odds on the show’s outcomes, illustrating an early form of social betting that engaged viewers beyond conventional sports markets.
Ian also frames Survivor itself as a precursor to modern prediction markets and decentralised wagering systems, highlighting structural parallels in how information asymmetry, alliances, and reputational incentives drive both competitive reality formats and speculative markets.
The piece concludes by noting that increasing regulatory scrutiny in the US ultimately curtailed these high-profile marketing efforts, forcing Intertops to pivot its strategies, and hints at upcoming articles exploring how the operator adapted creatively in a rapidly changing landscape.
Click here for the full article.
Missed an instalment? Catch up below:
PART ONE: The online gambling industry’s tales from the past
PART TWO: The first online wager
PART THREE: Exploring the origins of online gambling jurisdictions
PART FOUR: How the law reacted to the rise of online gambling
PART FIVE: How online gambling used emerging web technologies
PART SIX: The shared high of love and gambling
PART SEVEN: Why it took traditional bookmakers years to go online
PART EIGHT: Interview: Casinomeister founder Bryan Bailey gets candid
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