Offshore sportsbooks have always walked a thin-line between being legal or illegal in the U.S. and several other jurisdictions. Part of their success is due to the internet with them spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on SEO and other marketing efforts. Thanks to these efforts, offshore sportsbook sites have been getting thousands of visitors every day. However, this is about to change as AI Search Engines Are Killing Offshore Sportsbook and Reshaping the Offshore Sportsbook Industry.

Over the past year, the emergence of AI-driven search engines and generative AI search tools like Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Bing's AI-powered interface have started to change how users interact with information. While this evolution affects virtually every industry with a digital presence, one particularly impacted sector is the offshore sportsbook industry.

As a marketing and SEO consultant who has worked with clients in both regulated and grey-market gaming spaces, I’ve had a front-row seat to these changes. The traditional rules of SEO are rapidly evolving, and the implications for traffic, visibility, and user acquisition are significant. This is especially true for offshore operators who often operate outside of the mainstream advertising ecosystem.

How AI Sportsbook Results are Directly Reshaping the Offshore Sportsbook Industry

AI Search Reduces Click-Through Rates (CTR)

One of the most immediate effects of AI in search is the drop in CTR. This is because AI results tools like Google's SGE summarize the answers for the user. Thus, users get the info they need without having to go anywhere else. This change is particularly painful for offshore sportsbooks, since many of them rely heavily on organic traffic. Especially for long-tailed keywords like “best sportsbooks for US players” or “crypto sportsbooks with fast payouts.”

AI Overviews on Google & Bing Are Skipping Top-Ranked Sportsbook Sites

A major shift that can’t be ignored is how AI-generated overviews in Google and Bing are now sitting above traditional Search Engine Result Page (SERP). Even above the #1 organically ranked sportsbooks! These overviews, powered by generative AI, scrape and synthesize information from multiple sources to deliver immediate, summarized answers to the user. For offshore sportsbooks, it means even if their website or an affiliate website ranks at the top, they often get bypassed by the AI overview/answer.

This directly affects offshore sportsbooks in two key ways:

• Reduced Visibility: Even if your site ranks #1 organically, it's being pushed further down the page. Right below the AI snapshot, “People Also Ask” boxes, and potentially ads. This results in fewer impressions and dramatically lower click-through rates.
• Less Control Over Messaging: AI summaries may include or exclude your brand based on how much authority and consensus it finds about you across the web. Worse, it may source biased, outdated, or incorrect content, and there's little recourse for offshore operators due to their often-gray legal status.

This means that even when offshore sportsbooks successfully outrank regulated competitors in the traditional 10-blue-link paradigm, they still face an uphill battle against an AI layer that filters, condenses, and at times, circumvents their messaging entirely.

The Impact of AI Search Engine Overviews on Offshore Sportsbooks

According to a recent case study by Blind Monkey Media on Impact of AI-Powered Search Overviews on Offshore Sportsbooks, the rise of AI-powered search engines, specifically Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Bing’s Copilot are reshaping the visibility and performance of offshore sportsbooks in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Focusing on two major operators, BetUS and BetOnline.ag, the study analyzes changes in keyword rankings, traffic patterns, and user behavior for high-intent searches like “bet on sports”, “online sportsbooks”, and “where to bet on sports.”

AI-generated summaries are drastically reducing their click-through rates and visibility by promoting licensed competitors and bypassing offshore brands entirely. The report reveals measurable declines in impressions and CTRs post-AI rollout and offers actionable strategies for regaining traction.

The Key Takeaways from that case study are:

• AI Summaries Are Replacing Organic Listings - Google and Bing now serve AI-generated answers at the top of SERPs, pushing even #1 ranked sites down and often omitting offshore sportsbooks entirely.
• Significant Drops in CTR and Impressions - Despite maintaining high rankings, sites like BetUS saw CTR drop by over 50%, and BetOnline.ag lost up to 40% of traffic on key terms.
• Offshore Brands Are Often Excluded or Flagged - AI overviews favor licensed sportsbooks, and in some cases, even issue warnings against unregulated sites—eroding trust and further reducing clicks.
• Traditional SEO No Longer Guarantees Visibility - Keyword optimization alone isn’t enough. AI prioritizes entities with high trust signals, broad coverage, and brand authority.
• Strategy Must Shift Toward Authority and Presence - To remain competitive, offshore sportsbooks must focus on brand mentions, structured data, expert-level content, and off-SERP discovery channels like podcasts, Reddit, and YouTube.

The Decline of Thin Affiliate Sites

The days of low-effort affiliate sites ranking for high-converting sportsbook terms are fading fast. AI search models penalize content redundancy and reward depth, relevance, and originality. Many offshore sportsbook affiliates are already reporting declines in organic traffic, not due to penalties, but because AI-generated summaries now bypass their content entirely.

Affiliates will need to adapt by either becoming more authoritative (e.g., producing high-quality, journalistic reviews and industry insights) or pivoting to platforms less affected by AI summarization, such as YouTube, podcasts, and social channels.

In fact, some gambling affiliates sites that used to be big source of leads for offshore sportsbook, switched to a different model and no longer advertise offshore sportsbooks. For example, Covers.com which used to advertise offshore sportsbooks no longer accepts them.

Regulatory Visibility: A Double-Edged Sword

Regulatory Visibility: A Double-Edged Sword

AI models tend to favor licensed, regulated operators for obvious reasons. Both because they are cited more often in credible sources and because of user trust signals embedded in their online presence. For offshore sportsbooks, this creates a growing gap in visibility. In some cases, AI-powered search even warns users about the legal status of certain sites, directing traffic away before a click happens.

This means offshore operators must double down on transparency, education, and user experience. Providing clear information about licensing (even if it's international), fair play, and user protection can help counterbalance some of the trust deficit.

Opportunities in Voice & Conversational Search

While AI search poses challenges, it also offers new opportunities. AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are influencing how users ask about and discover sportsbooks. Queries like “What’s the best sportsbook for betting on European soccer with Bitcoin?” are becoming more common. Therefore, these conversational search experiences often favor brands that are clearly positioned and well-reviewed.

There’s a growing opportunity here for offshore sportsbooks that embrace structured data, long-form FAQ content, and conversational SEO to align with how AI interprets user intent.

What the Future Holds for the Offshore Sportsbook Industry

As AI search evolves, they will become more controlled and selective. Rather than acting as a gateway to the open web, search engines are turning into knowledge engines. Hence, they will decide what users should see based on context, trust, and content authority. For offshore sportsbooks, this could mean diminishing visibility in traditional search but rising importance of omnichannel strategies.

What should offshore sportsbooks do?

• Invest in brand building - AI favors known entities.
• Diversify traffic - Relying solely on Google is a risky strategy not only for offshore sports betting sites but every business in general. To diversify their online presence, offshore sportsbooks need to build a presence on Reddit, Discord, X, YouTube, and other emerging AI-native search tools.
• Double down on content quality - E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is more relevant than ever.
• Adapt SEO strategies for AI - Structured data, entity recognition, and semantic optimization are the future.

Practical Implications:

• Being featured in the AI Overview requires more than good SEO. It requires being consistently referenced across authoritative and diverse sources.
• Content must be factually rich and structured in a way that helps AI models parse and trust your information.
• Offshore operators must treat entity recognition, brand sentiment, and topical relevance as core parts of their SEO strategy and not as afterthoughts.

Increased Emphasis on Brand Authority and Mentions

Generative AI models often derive answers from a variety of trusted sources, including forums, review aggregators, and affiliate content. For offshore sportsbooks, this means that being mentioned across authoritative websites and communities is more crucial than ever. Unlike traditional SEO where link-building was the backbone, modern AI-influenced search favors brand presence and topical authority.

Final Thoughts

The rise of AI in search is a disruptive force but not a death sentence for the offshore sportsbook industry. However, it will be tough for their SEO and marketing team as will require a shift in mindset. Basically, a move away from “rank and bank” tactics, and a commitment to brand legitimacy, content depth, and user-first strategies.

For those willing to adapt, AI isn’t just a threat. It’s also a powerful new channel for user discovery, brand storytelling, and competitive differentiation.