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It has never been more crucial for operators and game suppliers alike to implement effective methods for engaging players.
Across the world, various factors have come into play to make markets increasingly saturated. The widespread shift to digital – a process which would have occurred organically, but at a slower rate – has accelerated hugely as a result of the pandemic and the closure of land-based operations.
We continue to see a scramble for supremacy in the nascent and potentially huge US online market, too, while tighter regulations across the world have served to increase the need to maximise player value.
In this ultra-competitive environment of the modern day, I believe it is crucial that engagement methodology is driven by data. Implementing the right promotional tools now can make the difference between success and failure for many years to come.
As I see it, the future shape of bonusing will be defined by a seamless user experience. Most operators today do not work with a single platform or game vendor and while many of the individual tools may be effective on their own, a cohesive and frictionless playing environment is absent. In this sense, a unified, configurable bonus engine that creates entertaining experiences regardless of game vendor will serve as a distinct competitive advantage.
The fact that very few operators work within a single market, platform or currency, means that attempting to configure all of their content providers to a set of specific requirements and managing this process is extremely challenging. That is especially so given a set of disparate, non-unified tools from other vendors. If operators are handed a solution that supports multiple vendors, while handing granular control, this means they are able to configure any game of their choosing, regardless of the supplier, while selecting the relevant currency and language options. As regulated markets continue to open up worldwide, offering the widest breadth of content, tailored to a specific locality is vital, as is getting to market quickly. Such a solution can cover both of these goals.
Ultimately, the success or failure of any promotional campaign rests on effective, meaningful analytics and reporting. Across many organisations, the extraction of relevant data through multiple platforms can be problematic, involving a complex set of integrations of third-party systems. Once again, I see a unified approach to data, with a reporting engine collating information into a single console, as being the way forward for modern-day operators needing to focus resources on marketing and player acquisition.
In terms of the types of promotional tools that are proving to be successful at the moment, tournaments certainly continue to rank near the top of the list. Competitive gaming adds excitement and a social element to the player’s journey and on the operator’s behalf, a provider can typically offer this at no extra cost. This naturally leads on to increased GGR and customer lifetime value for the operator, due to players being engaged, motivated and rewarded. Tournaments are best implemented as a single tool, built to deal with the various regulatory requirements for each jurisdiction. Whether considering tournaments, free spins or other bonus types, the unifying crucial factor that can differentiate a provider is the offering of out-of-the-box functionality for any third party, with a seamless cross-platform UI, effective segmentation and flexible rewards for players.
Predicting the future is always a difficult task but as I see it, the direction of travel for promotional tools is one that will be data-driven. Improved analytics will result in players being offered increasingly personalised and relevant incentives that can be launched quickly, for increased engagement and retention and to the benefit of all stakeholders.
