The Roar

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

The Roar is BetMGM’s blog, delivering deeply researched sports betting content for fans developed by BetMGM’s in-house editorial team. Unlike traditional sports media, The Roar focuses on actionable insights, proprietary analysis and betting-first storytelling tailored to the modern bettor. 

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

The Roar sets a new benchmark for engagement in sports betting content by delivering expert-researched insights that help bettors make more confident, informed decisions. While many competitors chase scale through AI-generated articles, BetMGM has built a premium content experience anchored in credibility, originality and deep subject matter expertise. It is setting the standard for what a sports betting blog can be. 

This approach creates a uniquely high level of engagement: bettors return not just for odds, but for interpretation — trend identification, matchup edges and analysis unavailable in traditional sports media. In 2025 alone, The Roar attracted roughly 1 million returning users, demonstrating that bettors consistently come back when content delivers genuine, expert‑driven value. Articles like daily MLB Home Run predictions and weekly Heisman insights cultivated loyal readership habits and high repeat visitation.

By proving that quality over quantity drives better engagement and business outcomes, The Roar challenges the industry to prioritize expertise, transparency and bettor education. Its success signals a shift toward smarter, more responsible and more compelling betting content across the sports media landscape.

Objective

The Roar was built to educate, empower and engage sports bettors with best-in-class insights — helping them make smarter decisions and stay ahead of the latest odds, trends and storylines. During the eligibility period, our objective was to evolve the blog into a trusted destination for serious bettors, shifting from broad sports coverage to content aligned directly with the top betting markets and high-intent audiences.

This strategic refinement had several goals:

• Provide deeper, more actionable betting analysis, leveraging expert research, matchup breakdowns, and trend identification not found on traditional sports sites.
• Increase sportsbook registrations and conversions by delivering timely, odds-based content with seamless pathways into the BetMGM app.
• Strengthen SEO and organic reach through consistent, high-value content targeting key betting terms and markets.
• Elevate editorial quality: as competitors increased output using AI-generated articles, The Roar doubled down on credibility, human expertise and accuracy.

Strategy & Execution

The Roar was built around the mindset of the modern sports bettor who wants fast, trustworthy, expert-level insights. Our strategy focuses on delivering unique, deeply researched content presented in a clear, engaging and actionable format. 

• Bettor-first content strategy. In 2025, we refined our editorial approach to prioritize top betting markets. This shift led to standout recurring articles such as our daily MLB Home Run odds — our best-performing series — and our weekly Heisman Trophy odds and analysis. By centering on the topics bettors care about most, The Roar became a destination for insights directly tied to real betting behavior.

   

• Expert written, high-quality analysis. While competitors leaned into AI-generated volume, BetMGM committed to a “quality over quantity” model. The Roar’s content is created in-house by seasoned subject matter experts with deep experience:
  • Nick Hennion (NFL) – VSiN, NBC Sports, The Action Network, Forbes Betting
  • Shane Jackson (MLB) – MLB.com, WynnBET, Bet Chicago Sports

  • Ryan Hannable (Golf) – Author of The Ultimate Book of Golf Trivia

    Weekly content from ESPN veterans Jeff Goodman and Jason Sobel

     

• Seamless betting integration. Dynamic odds embeds, clickable bet types, and instant bet slip loading create a frictionless experience that lets readers act on insights confidently.

Organizations

• BetMGM web content and SEO teams. 

Links

•   Website

Credits

Ryan Hannable
Manager, Editorial Content
BetMGM

Andrew Doughty
Content Operations Manager, SEO
BetMGM

Chase Kiddy
Senior Web Content Writer
BetMGM

Nicholas Hennion
Senior Web Content Writer
BetMGM

Shane Thurston
Web Content Writer
BetMGM

Corey Burkhardt
SEO Analyst
BetMGM

Fernando Lamarre
Head of SEO
BetMGM