TRAFFIC & STRATEGY
vulnerable players , but this is now impacting an online casino brand ’ s ability to acquire and retain players .
Take welcome bonuses , for example . The vast majority of casinos now give the same offering of 100 % up to £ 100 plus a handful of free spins . This is because they cannot be seen to be encouraging players to wager beyond their means by matching deposits to higher values or offering hundreds of free spins .
There is logic behind this but it is still something that risks pushing players to unlicensed sites – which we ’ ve seen at scale in the French market – where the bonuses up for grabs are far more generous than in the licensed market . It also fails to address the real issue with welcome offers , and that ’ s the wagering requirements that all players must complete in order to get their winnings .
For me , this is where the real danger of encouraging problem play comes in as players continue to deposit to complete the wagering requirement to turn their bonus cash into real money .
PlayOJO pioneered the nowagering bonus when it launched back in 2017 and it ’ s good to see other brands such as Heart Bingo doing away with playthrough requirements , too . Those that follow this lead give themselves a strong USP , which leads to building strong trust with players .
This is important because , despite a slowdown in the number
of new brands launching in the UK in recent years , demand for online casino play is still high . It ’ s this demand that gives operators plenty of opportunity to engage players not already signed up to their brands .
Bonuses are certainly a good way to catch a player ’ s eye but , once the deposit match has been spent and the free spins used , the
We all support the desire to protect vulnerable players , but this is now impacting an online casino brand ’ s ability to acquire and retain players
There are many reasons why operators have been reluctant to launch new brands in the UK market and the delayed white paper absolutely has had a lot to do with this
onus is on the casino to continue to deliver a high-calibre experience if it is to keep that player engaged for the long term .
Untapped demand
So what is it exactly that players are looking for ? The data coming from our recommendation engine indicates that payments are a key consideration for players . Not only in terms of the methods in the cashier – digital and mobile wallets are now a must – but also the speed of withdrawals .
Fast withdrawals and instant payouts are becoming non-
32 • iGBAFFILIATE . COM