Last week I shared the results of a very interesting report, Player’s preferences in iGaming Marketing, done by Optimove with you. Covering multiple areas of online gambling, the respondents gave us a good insight in how players think in regards to what they are looking for from casinos.
Loyal players are obviously something all casinos are looking for but even as a player, you want to find a spot that can give you what you want. We’re all expecting a casino to have an attractive site, fun promotions, generous bonuses, a large number of quality games and speedy payouts among other things.
Players Are Picky and They Should Be
Because the industry is so incredibly competitive, players have the right to be picky and if you can’t offer all of it, boom – they are off to the next competitor.
Last week’s post covers a lot of that information so click here in case you missed it.
Who Are the Responders?
Today’s part of the presentation covers covers how casinos communicate with players, why players pick a place to play, what and how they play and of course, who prefers a crypto casino.
Before I move on to the results, let me share the demographic of the responders. The study was based on queries from 396 US citizens, who played online during September/October 2023. All of the respondents were at least 21 years old and from households with a minimum annual income of $75,000.
Unsubscribing is allowed
How Much Is Too Much?
Being approached by casino sites can be flattering for many but it can definitely reach a point when it’s just too much. Nobody wants to be bombarded with messages all day, every day. I mean you’re not dating this casino, right?
When it comes to the actual frequency of promotional messages, the Optimove survey shows that as many as 86% of players say they do unsubscribe from sites due to excessive/irrelevant emails/text or push notifications. I can definitely relate to this as I have no interest in being harassed because that’s pretty much how it feels.
Frequency of marketing
What is an Acceptable Frequency?
Not all players are the same while some love the attention and love bombing, others think one email is too much. According to the responders, almost every third player finds the frequency of promotional communication from casinos to be overwhelming.
Finding an acceptable level isn’t always easy but as you can see, the majority are fine with the current amount of contact messages.
How to get players attention
Make It Relevant
It’s no surprise that relevancy is the most important thing for players for them to actually open the email or message. Personally I find it almost insulting at times when you get offered something that is the complete opposite of anything you have shown interest in before and as a casino you should know your players better.
If you want players to actually see your offer, make sure it’s interesting instead of using the spray and pray marketing method.
Preferred method of approach
How Should A Casino Approach You?
I prefer to be contacted via email because I’m a very private person and a text message or phone call feels too invasive. Looking at the results from the survey, the majority of players (57%) do prefer email as a method of communication.
How much do you actually read?
Open Rates and Reasons
To actually open the emails is a different story and I was honestly surprised to see that as many as 53% of the respondents say they open at least half of the messages they get. On the other hand, I think the only way to get that number to go up is to make sure the offer is even more relevant.
Personalized promotions
Make Sure to Personalize Offers
I have already touched on the importance of relevance for players to even look at offers being sent to them. The next level of relevancy would be to personalize them and looking at the images above, you can see that players expect operators to personalize offers based on player’s history.
iGaming site improvements
Players Want to See These Types of Improvement
There’s no site that is perfect in all areas, no matter what anyone says. Whether it’s design, number of games, betting options or just about anything having to do with the product, there are always improvements that can be made.
So what do players wish casinos could improve on and what features should they implement? According to the players participating in the survey, faster loading time is the number one problem players face. I am in full agreement with that but today’s generation isn’t exactly known to have a lot of patience either.
Other features worth noting are Enhanced Mobile Compatibility and Simplified Navigation.
Players want these features
In terms of any requested new features, Esports betting is high on the list.
Do you have multiple accounts?
Multiple Casinos and Accounts
It’s a known fact that the average casino player tends to have accounts at 2-3 different casinos. This is backed up by the results from this survey, which can be seen in this image. As many as 82% have 2-3 different accounts.
The amount of people with 4-5 accounts was perhaps a bit surprising to me even though if I think about it, it shouldn’t be. I know it’s the norm these days but the thought of juggling this many accounts exhausts me.
Do you use all accounts?
Put Your Accounts to Use
On the other hand, just because you have multiple accounts doesn’t mean you’re actually using them all. They can be from years ago and you haven’t touched them for a long time.
Looking at the percentages, players with 1, 2 or 3 accounts are the ones putting them all to use.
One of the reasons why players are not using all accounts could be the fact that the communication received isn’t as personalized and relevant as it is from other casinos.
Trying new sites
Why Do Players Look For A New Online Casino?
Thinking the grass is greener on the other side is a classic way of thinking and in some cases it actually is. In this industry for example it’s simple because the greener grass can be better promotions, which is also the number one reason players explore their options. As many as 51% of the respondents agree to this.
Other reasons are: Recommendations (22%), User Experience (20%) or better Branding (6%).
Reasons for choosing a casino
The Top 3 Reasons For Choosing a Casino
With 51%, offers were the single most important reasons for trying a new casino, but what if we take a look at the Top 3 reasons? Surprise, surprise, Bonuses and Promotions is still at the top of the list at 67%.
Customer support is a very important part of your experience but it’s nearly at the bottom with a mere 16%.
Reasons for players gambling
We Play for the Entertainment
The pure entertainment value crushes the field when it comes to reasons why we play. As you can see, the 11% Excitement and Adrenaline Rush is miles behind Entertainment’s 51% . If you can make sure players are entertained while playing, you have accomplished something that is difficult to achieve.
The entertainment factor also puts a lot of pressure on the game providers to continuously come up with creative games and ideas. If they get lazy and comfortable, there will be other providers that will swoop in and take over, which creates healthy competition.
Preferred categories of games
Video Bingo Takes the Lead
Slots are still the most popular casino game but as far as this particular survey goes, Bingo is the king of the hill. Sure, it’s very close as it’s 51% for Bingo and 50% for Slots, but still.
Most popular games
BlackJack Is the Number One Choice
In terms of any specific games being played online, Blackjack takes the top spot on the podium, closely followed by Sports Betting and Roulette.
Funny enough, those happen to be my Top 3 whenever I make my way to Las Vegas or any other land based casino. I do like Slots online though.
Crypto casino
It’s a Crypto Casino World Out There
I will end with perhaps the most important question of them all – Are you using crypto casinos? I’m glad players have realized the advantage and beauty of crypto casinos as there are so many good ones out there. I’m sure you have seen the list of my favorite crypto casinos?
What Have We Learned?
That was a lot of information but I think it’s pretty easy to follow and also related to the answers. Casino managers looking to improve their products will hopefully see the results as well because the better their casino operates and communicates, the more players will sign up. It’s that simple!
Whether you agree with the results of the survey or not, you are more than welcome to give your feedback in the comments section below. I would love to see it.
Don’t Forget to Celebrate Halloween!
Also, today is Halloween and I hope you receive a lot more treats than tricks this evening. As you have probably noticed at your various casinos, there are plenty of brand new Halloween themed slots out there.
We have reviewed a few of them here on the site and if you have missed it, simply click here and here to get all the yummy details.
Bugs and hisses from us at BCK!
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