Conferences
How to Keep Online Casinos Users Interested: Advice from Christina Thakor-Rankin
According to the Conversion portal, the gambling market increased by €4.3 billion in 2018, and its volume would grow by €3.9 billion in 2019. It means that the industry competition will become even higher. Therefore, it is quite important for online casino owners not only to attract new gambler, but also to retain the current ones. Well, what methods are the most efficient in this regard?
Tools for Retaining Online Casino Clients
The high-return gambling industry allures new companies interested in the expansion of their audience to the market. To attract and retain customers, online casino owners develop comprehensive marketing strategies allowing to fulfill players’ demands. One widens a range of casino offers, provides maximum transparency of transactions and access security, as well as adds new ways of withdrawals and major loyalty programs.
There are several efficient and, most significantly, legal tools that help to engage clients and encourage them to return to the resource again and again.
Christina Thakor-Rankin, a Leading Gaming Advisor at 1710 Gaming Ltd. and expert in betting, gaming, and gambling industries with 25 years of experience, has shared her opinion of how gambling online resources can retain steady clients.
Christina Thakor-Rankin will become a speaker at the Prague iGaming Affiliate Conference – event about affiliate marketing in online gambling by the company Smile-Expo, which will take place in the Czech Republic on April 18. The conference will gather top marketers, gambling sphere experts, affiite programs representatives and online casinos operators.
Special Offers, bonuses and loyalty programs
Appealing special offers include non-deposit games, registration bonuses, and cashback in case of losing. Such prizes and bonuses should be optimized for both new clients and regular visitors. Also, it is important to remember about loyalty programs with well-defined rules.
Christina Thakor-Rankin believes that exclusive customer specific deals and offers, and loyalty programs that offer a proper reward are the most efficient tools to retain online casino customers.
“We now live in a world where customers are always looking for the next thing. Being aware of this means we can stay a step ahead by making sure that we keep developing what we do.”
The reason for exclusive customer specific deals and offers is simply to mirror what customers get from other digital service and product providers, believes Christina. According to the expert, it refers to recommendations based upon historic activity, and it works for casinos and gambling sites.
Loyalty programs which really do reward regular customers with something meaningful are also important. Christina explains that it could be points which can be converted to cash or rewards in the form of gifts.
“For example, one of the casinos I use sends a small box of chocolates or a voucher on St Valentines’ Day or my birthday. Another one rewards regular logins with random free cash, spins or gift drops.”
However, expert shares that she probably wouldn’t advocate traditional deposit bonuses, as regulators are starting to take action on this and it’s a little bit boring.
Constant Product Expansion
The more diverse and high-quality games the platform provides, the more players the resource will get.
The specialist is sure that the first thing to attract players is always product, as if a product is no good, clients won’t stay.
“As an industry we’ve struggled with the next generation of players (the Millennials), and logic says that if we miss them, we will probably miss the next generation as well unless we start doing something about it now.”
Christina says that the problem seems to be that the new generation which has grown up in a fully interactive world does not seem to be so interested in a two-dimensional casino game. So, there has been some experimentation with VR and skill-based gambling to look at how we bridge the gap, but it should still be better developed.
“Until we get there, I think that more successful casinos will provide as much as possible to offer something for everyone and tailor products accordingly.”
Here the expert explains that some types of slots work better in different parts of the world, for example, fairy tale games work well in Europe but mean nothing to customers in emerging markets. At the same time, virtual sports are taking off in West Africa, but connectivity and cost of data mean it hasn’t gone online yet.
Push Notifications, Spam and Black SEO
Push notifications, special emails for registered clients, can inspire players for action and offer to place a bet.
Here, Christina believes that spam and black SEO are not as efficient as they used to be. She explains that customers are now far more aware of the tactics used by digital companies to push themselves up the rankings or get their products and services in front of them.
“It is not important if it is white hat or black hat, and improved spam filters help to ensure that even legitimate emails end up being blocked.”
The specialist says, it is only a matter of time before regulators step in, further reducing the effectiveness of traditional affiliate tactics.
“We also need to be aware that traditional SEO is now slowly but surely being superseded by voice – what used to be Google is fast becoming Alexa or Siri and this poses some interesting challenges but also some very interesting opportunities for new forms of affiliate activity.”
Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics in Online Casinos
Talking about AI and big data, Christina mentions that knowledge is power.
“The more we know about our customers, the better we understand their behavior, their motivation, their preferences, so, the better we can serve them.”
AI and data science have already started to take on the role of an “affiliate” on some websites, explains the expert, talking about recommendations for purchases, products or content based upon customers’ activity.
Christina believes data science and machine learning are just taking the principles of customer segmentation and CRM and automating them on a bigger scale. “What will be key is how applications interface and interact with customers,” says Christina.
Role of Affiliate Marketing
“Affiliates as we think of them in the world of gambling are really a child of the internet,” explains Christina.
According to the expert, currently, we’ve gone from internet to mobile, voice and virtual and projected reality. There was also a huge shift in regulation: an open internet market has become more restricted. Christina says that keeping in mind the need to limit exposure to gaming content until age has been verified and a new generation whose interest in casino is lower than previous generations, we see that life for online casino affiliates gets much harder.
“That does not mean they don’t have a role to play – the question will be whether the role is that of an affiliate or of an advocate and influencer.”
At the Prague iGaming Affiliate Conference, Christina Thakor-Rankin will deliver a presentation on the topic: From Affiliate to Influencer – engaging the iGeneration.
Learn more about affiliate marketing from the experts.
Use the promo code SAVE30 and get 30% discount. The amount of tickets is limited.
Details about the event and registration are on the website.
Conferences
Boomerang at SiGMA Eurasia and Affiliate World – Strategic Presence at Key Industry Events in Dubai
Boomerang visits SiGMA Eurasia and Affiliate World in Dubai in just one dynamic week. Remaining flexible and responsive, Boomerang unveils exciting opportunities and prospects poised to drive mutually beneficial affiliations and collaborations with partners
Boomerang is set to make a presence at two major upcoming events – SiGMA Eurasia from February 26-27 and Affiliate World from February 28-29, highlighting its dedication to nurturing strategic relationships and creating new avenues for collaborations on a global scale.
At SiGMA Eurasia, the Boomerang will seize opportunities to engage with industry partners during the core conference days of February 26-27. The team will attend the event to engage in meaningful interactions and explore potential partnerships throughout the conference, ensuring a flexible and responsive presence to meet with affiliates and industry peers. Welcome to arrange meetings with Boomerang’s representatives to explore potential collaboration avenues.
After a stopover at SiGMA Eurasia, the Boomerang team will shift its focus to Affiliate World on February 28-29. The Boomerang team will exhibit at Booth C18. With the company’s development roadmap, which includes launching new projects this year, Boomerang’s stand is essential for partners interested in exploring innovative affiliate marketing opportunities for iGaming products. Visitors are invited to the Boomerang booth to meet the team face-to-face and gain insights into prospective partnership possibilities.
Vitalii Prokofev, Chief Executive Officer at Boomerang, emphasized the significance of the company’s participation strategy: “Attending these events allows Boomerang to connect directly with affiliate managers and create convenient touchpoints, as SiGMA Eurasia and Affiliate World are perfect networking opportunities in the region. Participating is a chance for open communication with our current and new partners, as Boomerang is driven by a partner-first mindset. Working on cultivating an environment for mutual success, we look forward to productive meetings at both events.”
Vitalii Prokofev’s remarks accentuate Boomerang’s persistent focus on propelling affiliate prosperity through advanced, compliant solutions, proprietary technologies, and an enduring pledge to be a trustworthy, high-performing partner globally.
Conferences
iGB Affiliate on course to break all records at February’s farewell to London
iGB Affiliate is set to bid farewell to London in record-breaking style with show organisers projecting that the last edition prior to the show’s relocation to Barcelona in 2025 will register a circa 10+% increase in visitor numbers. Other key performance indicators are also in positive territory with the number of exhibitors and sponsors over 250, (+11% year on year) occupying a total of 13,647 sqm (11,758 in 2023).
Looking ahead to February’s event, Portfolio Director Naomi Barton stated: “Every metric that we reference is showing that iGB Affiliate will continue its upward trajectory, building on the substantial growth experienced in the last 2 years and demonstrating that for the global igaming affiliate sector, this is THE global event that customers need and want for their business success.
“The sense of positivity began immediately following registration opening in October, this was continued in November when we received a record 338 submissions for the iGB Affiliate Awards, and has been further evident with the high number of table bookings for the Awards evening and peak demand for accommodation at the show’s HQ Hotel, One Hundred Shoreditch.”
She added: “This being the last edition of iGB Affiliate to take place in London has certainly registered with the international igaming affiliate community – however, this show is all about the future. We know from the research that we undertake with stakeholders that the major motivator for visitors attending iGB Affiliate is the unique opportunity it provides to embrace everything that’s new in the sector.
“iGB Affiliate stakeholders want to stay on top of the latest industry trends, network with potential partners and clients, connect with industry leaders, gain insights into emerging technologies and learn from global igaming experts. All of these elements will be central to the iGB Affiliate 2024 show experience.”
Conferences
1xBet to share vision for betting’s future at iGB Live!/iGB Affiliate Amsterdam
‘A glimpse into the future and a chance to see what the industry will be like tomorrow’ is how Alex Sommers, Director of Affiliate Marketing at 1xBet, described the opportunities that he believes will be available to visitors attending the forthcoming iGB Live!/iGB Affiliate Amsterdam which is taking place across 28 September – 1 October at the RAI, Amsterdam.
The leading online brand which is the Diamond Sponsor for the affiliate event series, believes the long gap between major in-person gaming events has made industry professionals hungry for knowledge and networking. He explained: “We are confident that brands will be looking to the future. There was a long pause between major exhibitions, and we’re all clearly gathering here for big plans. And given that such a variety of companies will be represented in one place, it seems that we will discuss all aspects of the betting industry in general. Starting from the work undertaken by brands during the conditions that were in place last year, and ending with the new challenges that will face us.”
Presenting a compelling and passionate case for in-person and the reasons why the industry will be out in force at the Amsterdam-based shows, he argued: “Of course technology allows you to arrange a call with partners on the other side of the world in just a couple of clicks, but we are convinced that live interaction is a much more enjoyable method of communication. We are all human beings who enjoy interacting, communicating and meeting at events such as exhibitions.
“Moreover, at large events, there is always a festive atmosphere and the whole scale of the industry is felt. These emotions cannot be conveyed in the same way via virtual meetings. We’ve made big plans and look forward to meeting old acquaintances.”
The focus is firmly on partnerships both existing and new. “Many meetings with current partners are planned plus we also expect to meet new faces – all the time discussing interesting proposals and ideas ‘ he stated.
“Exhibition days are challenging but incredibly interesting. Our staff get up early in the morning and return late at night. And in the meantime – dozens of meetings and negotiations are planned. Such events help to unite our team even more, we get to not only know our competitors better but also ourselves. Therefore, we look at iGB only in the most positive way. We look forward to our trip to Amsterdam and invite everyone to chat and discuss partnership opportunities with us. There are very specific areas in which we will act, but we like to keep our cards close to our chest – what we can divulge now though is that people will be pleasantly surprised as we share our vision of innovations that will be introduced in the field of betting!”
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