Ahead of next week’s AskGamblers Awards 2018, we caught up with three winners from last year – BitStarz, King Billy and ShadowBet – to find out their thoughts on how to make it in the igaming industry.
Strategy to keep players engaged
Srdjan Kapor, Affiliate & Marketing Manager, BitStarz
For starters, I believe it’s important to keep maintaining the quality we already have throughout the operation, furthermore it’s extremely important to stay innovative and quickly adapt to what players are asking for, and listen to what they have to say. After all, they’re the ones playing in your casino, so we always let them have their voices heard.
I’d also like to think that we do have quite a bit of offers and promotions available for our players, such as Slot Wars, Table Wars, Bora Bora Adventure, Rook’s Double Cash, Reloads, Free Spins Promos, Loyalty Bonuses and so much more. Players should get rewarded for their loyal play, and we put a lot of emphasis on that. I think it’s also important to stay active on sites like AskGamblers and on forums online where you can actually address the players directly out in the open. By staying transparent, being open and honest, you show you’re trustworthy, and trust is everything.
Ruslan Legenzov, Affiliate Manager, King Billy
You know the old cliché “it’s easier to reach the top than staying on it”. It’s exactly the same thing about the players. The online casino players are exposed to an overabundance of casinos, in the tens of thousands, something which makes them, sometimes, less loyal: “what you don’t give me, I will find elsewhere!”. Our strategy in order to remain the players’ first choice is to give them the support, the authentic story, the loyalty program and the numerous promo offers and campaigns that they will find nowhere else.
Artur Różycki, Head of Affiliates, ShadowBet
We are still developing new features and improvements, but to give you a little hint, I can tell, that our players can expect another similar to Ouroboros game coming soon. The game will be even more engaging and giving our users more choices to decide how they want to play. We are working hard to have it ready, but we are now in the first stage of the project. Release is expected in Q1/Q2.
Advice for newbies
SK: It’s a very fast-paced industry and for us it’s vital to find a niche. As mentioned earlier, a lot of casino there offer the same products, which means that you have to isolate the things you are able to change and focus on making them the best you possibly can. Once more, also listen to players and look around online what the players are missing at existing casinos and try to incorporate their feedback in the product you have or are trying to create.
RL: Yes, I do have three pieces of advice.
One: don’t pretend to be someone else than who you really are. This is a magical, but very hard industry that easily rejects you if you do not deliver.
Second: strive for the new. This is an industry, literally changing day by day. The casinos of 2030 will, probably be something we cannot even conceive now. So, don’t, ever, be afraid of the new!
Three: Visit all main iGaming events. Skype is not enough. Only by meeting these people close, will you begin to understand what in means working in iGaming.
AR: Observe a lot. Learn by studying cases did by other brands. Talk with experienced people, participate in conferences. Don’t be frightened and experiment.
Where is the industry headed?
SK: I think more casinos will incorporate Artificial Intelligence in terms of the operation, including machine learning and predictive analysis when it comes what offers to provide to the players. If you can include the brilliance of AI in combination with the human element and personality, you’re on to something.
RL: I can speak about some things short-term. We are sure to see changes in 2019 in terms of regulation as well as new software for retention and acquisition. On a global level, I believe we will be witnesses to an extraordinary growth of both the US and Asian markets.
AR: I believe, that all the countries will regulate their markets as Sweden or UK already did. This is the future of the gambling industry. This means stricter approach to compliance and marketing. From one side it’s very good for the players, but from the other side it’s harder for Casinos to advertise. Anyway, only the best casinos will survive and ShadowBet will be among them.
