Industry News
‘Quality of Content Missing in Operator Retention Strategies’
Play’n GO’s Chief Commercial Officer Magnus Olsson delivered his verdict on the importance of using content to drive operator retention strategies on a standout panel at the 2023 iGaming Next conference in Valletta, Malta.
Joined by the CEOs of Crucial Compliance and Aspire Global, Olsson highlighted how the drive towards regulation in many markets had made player acquisition costs so high that ‘retention strategies through great content are what everyone needs to invest more in’.
While the panel moved to discuss the importance of RTP levels in retention strategies, Olsson added,
“I think it’s more about the content than RTP. If you’re a good supplier, you can design a game that is engaging and entertaining and has loads of both acquisition and retention capabilities.
“If you look at mechanics and volatility, I would say those two things are far more important [than RTP levels] in retention strategies.
“I think what’s missing in retention strategies today is an emphasis on the quality of content and entertainment value.”
The panel went on to discuss the importance of giving players a good experience immediately after you’ve paid to acquire that player, but that the slots game they land on first to play didn’t really matter.
Olsson disagreed with this view strongly and said,
“If your first experience in online casino is with a game that has a base game that just goes on and on, and basically has been designed for functionality like bonus buys, you end up with a very very bad customer experience – that person will probably never return to online slots. It’s not a good start.
“The first game a player sees has to be a high-quality game. One that really captures the player. I don’t think that a winning experience is required if they get to enjoy a high-quality, entertaining game.”
The discussion moved onto how markets, and therefore players, differ and Olsson was able to highlight the strength of the Play’n GO portfolio. He said:
“We have some amazing games in our portfolio that were released a few years ago like Lady of Fortune, which is perfect for markets with a strong land-based history and it’s nice to see them coming back in popularity – especially as it’s medium volatility with a relatively low max win of 500x. It shows that great games that are fun to play trump everything else.
“Where I think the industry can do better is to not focus so much on short-term thinking – what’s the latest release only etc.. – and get away from predatory functionality games in your retention strategies.”
Finally, the panel discussed VIP players and the future of revenue generation in a regulated reality. Olsson added,
“The old ‘80/20’ rule, where 80 per cent of the revenue comes from 20 per cent of the players in certain markets, like Germany, the UK, other markets in Europe, is gone forever.
“What Play’n GO would like to see is marketing that adjusts to this new reality. Where recreational and social players are the main audience. We aren’t seeing that yet.”
Industry News
Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising
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
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.
Industry News
Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director
Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.
Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.
In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the group’s sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xace’s ambitious expansion plans.
“I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. I’m looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,” said Petra Maria Poola.
Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: “Petra’s extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xace’s market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.”
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