Industry News

When Times are Tough – Calling is Caring

Published

5 years ago

April 22, 2020

When Times are Tough - Calling is Caring

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Mikael Hansson, CEO of Enteractive, says that online gambling operators can still retain players even during the global sports blackout so long as they pick up the phone and give them a call

The global online gambling industry is facing a global challenge due to the ongoing crisis with cancelled sports events and many other difficulties. This is also the time for operators to show that they really care about their customers, and with the right approach they can come out on the other side with strengthened customer relationships.

This is absolutely the case for online sportsbook operators who are struggling to fill the void left by the world-wide cancellation of matches, tournaments and events.

While online casino and poker operators are seeing a rise in the number of players visiting their brands, there are concerns being raised over responsible gambling during this time.

This has seen regulators in countries such as Spain take fairly drastic measures such as banning all gambling advertising for the duration of the country’s lockdown.

But operators – even online sports betting sites – can and should be taking additional steps to reach out to players to reassure them and to remind them about the safe gaming tools offered.

Firstly, this is absolutely the right thing to do when it comes to being a responsible operator, and secondly it is a good opportunity to show players they are valued.

Retention is going to be critical if online gambling operators are to weather the storm. Opening a direct line of communication with customers is absolutely the best way to do this.

This is certainly the case for sportsbook brands who have to think of other ways to provide entertainment and value to customers while players and teams sit idle.

Pick up the telephone and speak to customers:

The best way of communicating with players is to pick up the telephone and speak with them directly. This allows for a human connection to be made.

Over the past week, we have seen that a quick phone call just to check in is highly valued by the customer, even with no sports events being held and limited betting markets offered.

You could simply ask how the player is doing, enquire about their situation – are they working from home, what are they doing to keep busy, etc.

Remember, this is a time where a lot of people are being forced to stay indoors and not spend time meeting with family and friends.

A quick call from their favourite sportsbook brand provides the feeling of community and socialisation they are seeking and strengthens their positive feelings towards the brand.

Of course, a good conversation would also open up to talk about additional game verticals such as virtuals, poker or casino and they can remind the player about these options.

But that’s not really what this is all about – It’s about relationships.

The main reason for calling customers is to strengthen the relationship between player and brand, not to upsell them additional products and services. That has always been the reason and it does not change because of changed circumstances.

Anecdotally, online poker has enjoyed a resurgence since sports events have been cancelled and lockdowns put in place – there is a great deal of cross-over between sports and poker.

So, if the sportsbook operator also has a poker product and the person talking to a customer thinks the player would enjoy poker, it is of course ok to make them aware of it.

Naturally, if the online gambling brand is able to build a stronger relationship with the player, they are highly likely to remain loyal to the brand and an increase in revenues occurs as a result, so caring for players does indeed have an undisputable ROI.

Re-think how you communicate with players:

Given increasing restrictions regarding how online gambling operators can market to players during the crisis, there is an opportunity for operators to rethink their communication strategies.

Because they are not able to target players with bonuses and incentives during this time, they are going to have to engage with them in different ways – as mentioned above.

But many will find that this actually improves the relationship they have with their players. This in turn will drive loyalty and ultimately retention even during these uncertain times.

It really just comes down to showing players that you value them and that you truly care.

Up Next

OPAP strengthens its position in online sports-betting in Greece through the acquisition of Stoiximan Group’s Greek and Cypriot business

Don't Miss

MrQ launches exclusive slot tournament feature in partnership with Pariplay

Click to comment

Industry News

MiFinity to Showcase Innovative iFrame at SiGMA 2024

Published

5 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

MiFinity, a leading global payment services provider, is excited to announce its participation at SiGMA 2024, held in Malta from 12 to 14 November. Visitors can find MiFinity at Stand 2012, where the team will be showcasing its award winning PayAnyBank service, and the latest version of the MiFinity iFrame and demonstrating how it helps iGaming operators acquire and retain players with a seamless, flexible payment experience.

Paul Kavanagh, CEO of MiFinity, commented: “SiGMA is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our latest developments and engage directly with the iGaming community. The MiFinity iFrame is a game-changer for operators looking to streamline their payment processes and enhance the player experience. We look forward to demonstrating its capabilities and connecting with both existing and prospective partners.”

MiFinity’s Business Development and Account Management teams will be on-site to discuss the new iFrame features in-depth and highlight how MiFinity can optimise payments for iGaming operators. They will also be showcasing MiFinity’s innovative suite of payment solutions developed specifically for the iGaming sector, including MiFinity PayAnyBank — a powerful tool that enables operators to send payouts directly to players’ bank accounts in multiple countries and currencies, enhancing the user experience with faster, more localised transactions and reduced FX fees.

The MiFinity Affiliates team will also be available to explain the benefits of MiFinity’s affiliate program, which offers some of the highest commissions in the industry and unique promotional opportunities via the MiFinity Bonus website.

Meet the MiFinity team at Stand 2012 at SiGMA 2024 to learn more about the company’s solutions and how they are transforming the iGaming payment landscape. Pre-book a meeting with the MiFinity team or drop by the stand during the event to explore how MiFinity can support your business.

Book a meeting here > outlook.office365.com/book/[email protected]/

Industry News

Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising

Published

5 days ago

November 1, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.

Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRV’s Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.

By using influencers and terms like “free money”, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointer’s findings.

Pointer’s research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as “fast money” and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.

Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.

With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.

Compliance Updates

UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024

Published

5 days ago

October 31, 2024

George Miller

UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour - operator data to Oct 2024

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.

This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.

Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.

This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.

The latest operator data shows:

online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.