“ I’ m not convinced most casual players really understand what it means for a casino to be licensed, so they will favour an unlicensed brand with a more generous bonus offer should they come across one”
“ I’ m not convinced most casual players really understand what it means for a casino to be licensed, so they will favour an unlicensed brand with a more generous bonus offer should they come across one”
MARTYN HANNAH is the co-founder and managing director of online casino comparison site, Comparasino. He has spent more than 10 years in the industry, latterly as a marketing consultant for operators and suppliers. This experience allowed him to launch Comparasino. the online casino brand, which again will improve acquisition and retention.
Players still lack trust in the online casinos they sign up to and play at, and this is why so many use online casino comparison sites such as Comparasino to find reputable brands to engage with. Capping wagering requirements, in my opinion, will do a lot to overcome these trust issues.
CAPPED WAGERING REQUIREMENTS – THE CONS
Of course, with upsides, there will always be downsides and there are some drawbacks to consider here.
My biggest concern is that operators will further water down the value of the bonuses they offer to players to the extent that they have next to no value. Even now, we have some brands listed on Comparasino where the value of the bonus is under £ 5.
This is OK if the casino offers a really compelling experience across other areas – streamlined sign up, good choice of payments, great selection of games, rapid payouts, gold-star customer support, etc. – as all the bonus needs to do is convince the player to give the casino a go. But if it doesn’ t, players will continue to churn and possibly even turn to unlicensed sites for bigger bonuses. I have said this before, but I’ ll say it here again – I’ m really not convinced that most casual players truly understand what it means for a casino to be licensed, so they will favour an unlicensed brand with a more generous bonus offer should they come across one.
Another potential issue is that some operators, especially smaller brands, will see this as leading to another tightening of their margins, which will force them to question the viability of the market.
We are only just seeing a wave of new brands launch in the UK after uncertainty around the white paper led to a bit of an exodus, so it would be a shame to be back in that situation again. For a market to be strong and to thrive, consumers need choice. I don’ t think that will ultimately come to pass, but we can’ t be naive to the possibility, either.
DOES THIS SET A NEW STANDARD FOR BONUS T & CS?
Pros and cons covered, it’ s worth asking the question whether the Gambling Commission’ s capping of wagering requirements sets the standard for other regulators to follow. While it’ s too early to tell if the move will be a success, we can certainly compare the upsides to the downsides and, for me, the former trumps the latter.
You only need to look at brands like PlayOJO to see how lowering wagering requirements or, in its case, doing away with them entirely, can give you a competitive edge while delivering an experience that not only meets but exceeds player expectations. Transparency and fairness matter to players and what better way of demonstrating that than by offering bonuses that are exactly what they say they are. iGB L! VE 2025 • ISSUE 138 • 57