BGO

BGO Entertainment, the multi-brand  gaming firm launched in 2012, has appointed Mark Quayle as chief executive officer as the group looks to expand its operation to Gibraltar.

Formerly head of UK operations for the Kindred Group, Quayle brings over 17 years of
industry experience having joined Betdirect back in 2003 before it was acquired by 32Red in 2006.

Alex Holt, co-founder of BGO, said: “It’s great to have Mark on board and we’re looking
forward to working with him as we take the business to the next level.

“Mark was an integral and valued part of the management team who successfully grew the 32Red brand and we’re confident his experience with such a large casino operator will be a huge asset to BGO.”

DraftKings 

DraftKings has named Jennifer Aguiar its new chief compliance officer, an executive level position that reports directly to the company’s co-founder, CEO and chairman Jason Robins.

Replacing Tim Dent as CCO, Aguiar will be responsible for overseeing corporate compliance and enterprise risk management. She will ensure DraftKings’ compliance with all US and international licensing requirements related to daily fantasy sports, sports betting and igaming, among other responsibilities.

“Jennifer has been an instrumental asset to our organisation, successfully navigating the company through the emergence of daily fantasy sports and the state-by-state licensing and regulatory process,” noted Robins.

“The compliance framework developed by Jennifer has been a critical element in positioning DraftKings to enter new states quickly following the legalisation of sports betting and igaming. She has created a culture of compliance at DraftKings and will continue to play a pivotal role in the company’s growth.”

Svenska Spel 

Svenska Spel has appointed Christina Kilström as head of sales and marketing for its ‘Tur‘ lottery and games division.

Kilström joins Svenska Spel’s senior management having most recently served as marketing and communications director of the ‘Stockholmsmässan‘ exhibition center in Stockholm.

Anna Romboli, business area manager for Svenska Spel Tur, stated: “I am very happy to welcome Christina Kilström to the dream factory Svenska Spel Tur. Her experience in customer experience, digital development, sales and brands from Coca-Cola, eBay, Vattenfall and most recently Stockholmsmässan will be a great asset.

“It’s an exciting time where strong brands and the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing world and new customer habits are more important than ever. I also look forward to Christina with her background in digital transformation to contribute with agile and inclusive leadership.”

BetGames.TV

Thomas Aigner has been named as head of sales at BetGames.TV as the group vows to embark upon ambitious expansion plans throughout 2021.

In the role, Aigner, who joins the live dealer betting games supplier from Playtech Sports, will oversee the development and execution of the studio’s sales strategy for existing and new markets.

Andreas Koeberl, BetGames.TV CEO, commented: “Welcoming Thomas on board is a real coup for us. His experience and industry insight will no doubt prove invaluable for all of us at BetGames.TV – and I’m very excited to get started together.

“His hands-on mentality, authenticity and reliability are just the kind of values we encourage here, so he’ll fit right in as we continue our expansion globally.”

The post Part 57 | On the move: Recruitment round-up appeared first on CasinoBeats.

6

BetGames.TV has launched 6+ Poker, a game featuring a reduced 36-card deck, that continues its ‘unique’ approach to delivering a fresh take on existing casino games.

Both “subtly and radically” different from a traditional poker hand, the concept of 6+ Poker is based on a variation of the popular standard ‘Hold Em’ version. 

The standard rules of the game, said the company’s COO Aiste Garneviciene, have been tweaked for “absolute user interaction, encapsulating an individual look, feel and gameplay”.

Each draw consists of a 36-deck card with the lowest card number being a six. Big hands are in play much more often because of the increased mathematical probability of winning with, for example, a straight, full house or three of a kind.

BetGames.TV CCO Richard Hogg is thrilled at the prospect of the new game taking the market by storm and explained that in the industry of iGaming, a company must always look to create “new win-opportunities” for stakeholders.

“The game is based on creating a feeling of winning big especially with 36 cards in the deck and non-stop action,” he added. “There are also highly competitive odds and win-chances.”

163

Penn National Gaming has acquired a 36 per cent stake in Barstool Sports following the completion of an approximate $163m multi-faceted deal.

Unveiling the igaming and sports betting partnership, the casino and racetrack operator becomes Barstool’s exclusive gaming partner for up to 40 years and gains the sole right to utilise the brand for all online and retail sports betting and online casino products.

Jay Snowden, president and chief executive officer of Penn National, said of the announcement: “This exciting new partnership with Barstool Sports reflects our strategy to continue evolving from the nation’s largest regional gaming operator, with 41 properties in 19 states, to a best-in-class omni-channel provider of retail and online gaming and sports betting entertainment.”

After a three year period, Penn will increase its ownership to approximately 50 per cent with an incremental investment of approximately $62m, consistent with the implied valuation at the time of the initial purchase.

Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, commented: “This opportunity is a dream of mine and why I started Barstool Sports in the first place. Barstool Sports has a deep sports and gaming history and from the moment we met Jay and the Penn National team we knew this could be an exciting and game changing partnership and we can’t wait to get started. I think with our shared vision and goals, we are uniquely positioned to be a leader in this business.”

1

Calling on others to join the initiative, BettingUSA.com, the US online gambling affiliate, has pledged to donate one per cent of all earnings to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).

The move has been made in order to help minimise the harms that it says ‘will likely occur’ as a result of the expansion of gambling and sports betting in the country.

“NCPG advocates for states to earmark one per cent of gambling revenues to responsible gaming and problem gambling programs, and since most states fall well short of that target, we believe that it is in the best interests of the industry to contribute,” stated Steve Ruddock, analyst and content director at BettingUSA.com’s.

Keith Whyte, NCPG executive director, explained: “The rapid expansion of sports betting and mobile gambling has led to numerous challenges and significant opportunities for everyone involved, including affiliates.

“These gambling affiliates play an important role in the online gambling ecosystem, and they have the unique opportunity to take a leadership role in responsible gambling efforts in the emerging US market.”

27001

Play’n Go, the gaming content developer, has been granted the ISO 27001 certification, an international standard in information security.

Having been awarded this certification, Play’n Go can now guarantee customers they are compliant with national and international regulations (such as GDPR), which in turn minimises the risk of costly penalties and fines. 

Cedric Mallia, security and GDPR manager, discussed the latest certification: “ISO 27001 is a testament to our commitment to our client’s security and well being in the industry. ISO 27001 it is not a mandatory standard, but we are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that we are giving our customers more. 

“It shows we are continuing to build a solid security foundation based upon international standards and best practice, and taking appropriate control measures to protect confidential and privileged information. Clients know they are in the best hands with us.”

The ISO 27001, which is described as ‘a lifestyle that empowers a business to improve its overall information security posture, is awarded to companies that adopt an information security management system that takes into consideration people, processes and systems.

The post A ‘unique’ approach, information security and NCPG: The week in numbers appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The company’s chief product and business development officer, Ian Catchick, lifts the lid on this year’s development strategy before looking ahead to 2022.

CasinoBeats: The recent relaunch of BetGames’ flagship lotto product has been a great success; how much of that revamp has been influenced by the changes on a technical level?  

Ian Catchick: We’ve been focusing on a number of areas in which we can make our games more appealing. From a technical perspective, our aim is to continue to provide a stable, resilient and flexible solution that will delight our customers. Our goal is to always adapt and evolve and with that comes changing and optimising our technology.

Overall, we’re delighted with the technical advances we’ve deployed as part of this ambitious relaunch. It was vital that all the hardware we used was state-of-the-art and this is reflected in the end result. 

CB: With the industry focusing heavily on providing mobile and online services, what challenges does this bring to product development and how does BetGames leverage the modern technology resources available?  

IC: The advent of mobile-facing content has caused a lot of suppliers to think hard about ways in which they can offer premium content without sacrificing quality, as mobile and PC platforms require different solutions.

At BetGames, we’ve adopted a philosophy that allows us to overcome these hurdles, through the offering of simple, yet engaging products that focus on the players gaming experience rather than implementing or forcing too much content. 

We are also starting to evolve our products based on a ‘less is more’ philosophy, so that we can provide a clean and compelling gaming experience to our end-customers. 

We place a lot of emphasis on trying to simplify and streamline content, so that a customer has a simple and fun playing experience. This often means a lot of care, thought and attention – all of which is needed to look into ways in which we can enable mobile play to be entertaining and accessible to players on all device types, which adds a few layers of complexity for us to work with, but really brings results.

CB: From a supplier perspective, how much of a shift have you seen from retail to online in recent times? Does that influence the R&D that goes into creating new products?  

IC: Unsurprisingly, we have seen strong growth across online, although we are very fortunate to also have a strong and loyal retail customer base who will continue to enjoy their gaming experience. For us, this proves that there’s a healthy demand within that channel, which shows no signs of changing.

From an R&D perspective, more focus has shifted towards our online offering, and we have more tools available to help us develop and test concepts and understand player behaviours ahead of any major launch. We always focus on developing products that are appropriate for all channels, and we have specific plans and solutions to ensure we have a strong retail product in addition to our delivery. 

It’s crucial that industry-leading suppliers do not neglect retail operations, simply because there’s been an increase in activity online – it’s all about delivering a product that can work flawlessly across every channel.

That being said, our current portfolio serves around 1500 web platforms worldwide. Therefore, it’s vital that we keep an eye on any developments or shifts that occur within the igaming industry. This is of course something we take very seriously at BetGames, and we’re always committed to delivering the very best.  

CB: Having spent over 20 years in the gambling industry, leading product development for a number of major companies, how are you channeling your experience into BetGames’ ambitious product strategy? 

IC: The BetGames product strategy for the year ahead will be transformative, with a lot of ambitious, exciting, and innovative projects ahead of us. As a team, we are relishing this, and with such a large transformation programme, it can become very easy to work on too many things. My experience helps us to prioritise and ensure that we keep completely focused on delivery, while maintaining focus on world-class execution. After all, this is what’s expected from a tier-one supplier. 

Additionally, we will drive activities to ensure that the company continues to progress and evolve, whilst maintaining its record of creating immersive live dealer products, as with the Lotto Reloaded re-launch. I truly believe the company is entering a new chapter whilst continuing to reinvent itself as an igaming supplier – which I’m delighted to be a part of.

CB: BetGames has been expanding rapidly in recent times; does that make your job easier or more difficult? What challenges does such growth present?  

IC: The pace of expansion adds more pressure to keep innovating, to meet the growing expectations that arise from this, so I would say it’s a great challenge to tackle. So far, I would say that we have managed to strike the correct balance of optimisation, innovation and new product development. 

This has allowed us to continue focusing on improving our existing product portfolio, whilst also ensuring we can continue to recognise and address the growing needs for the evolving demographics we serve. 

To add to the excitement, we are also working on something completely new that we will share more details on in the New Year. While I can’t say too much yet, I am confident it will drive the BetGames proposition into an exciting new era, significantly impressing consumers and partners alike.

CB: There have been several product overhauls for BetGames in the last year. Is this set to continue with the remainder of your products?  

IC: There will be an ongoing focus on optimising, improving and innovating in all of our existing games across the portfolio, and this level of intensity and pace of change will increase further in 2022. With our recent relaunch and product overhaul, we plan to continue reinforcing ourselves as a supplier to maintain rapid growth. A good example of this is how we will continue to develop our bespoke solution opportunities to our partners, which have proven extraordinarily successful in recent years.

CB: Looking at 2022, what does the BetGames roadmap look like? Can you give us any insight into new product-based or market directions that you have in store?  

IC: We have great ambitions, and a committed board willing us to push even harder in 2022. Our plans will focus on three areas – simplification and optimisation of our existing products, development of customer loyalty/engagement tools, and innovation and development of new products with the launch of an exciting new product vertical, which we’ll share more information on in the new year. 

Looking ahead, there are many exciting milestones in our roadmap that will be introduced in 2022, and this will allow us to continue enhancing our portfolio and ensuring we hit our ambitious growth plans with ease.

The post Relaunched and revitalised: A tale of 2021 for BetGames appeared first on CasinoBeats.

This will see the live dealer and betting games supplier’s products including Wheel of Fortune, as well as its soon-to-be-relaunched suite of lotto games, Lucky 5, 6 and 7, set to hit the market this month.

A spokesperson at Soft2Bet said: “Supplying market-leading online gaming solutions and operating our own successful brands, we know a thing or two about the kind of content required to be a success in this industry – and BetGames’ range of titles ticks all the right boxes to allow us to enhance what we offer our players.”

The agreement comes as BetGames continues to strive to enhance its presence in regulated markets, with the group’s global aspirations further strengthened by a Maltese hub to serve its global client base. 

The studio holds licences issued by multiple jurisdictions including the UKGC, as well as being compliant with the local regulatory requirements of Malta, Italy, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria and various relevant South African gambling authorities.  

“It’s imperative that we carefully select only the best partners to assist our commercial development ,and Soft2Bet’s impressive rise to prominence has seen it make a deserved name for itself,” added Aiste Garneviciene, BetGames.TV’s COO.  

“This exactly the kind of company we want to ally ourselves with, and I look forward to many years of success together. 

“We pour passion and hard work into our products, particularly with our show-stopping games that we’ll be continuing to launch this year – and it’s pleasing to see our endeavours flourish on outlets like theirs.” 

Last month, BetGames detailed the imminent relaunch of its ‘signature’ lottery products, which it says has been done with an aim of seeing ‘significant growth’ in player retention. 

Lauding the enhancement of the content’s ‘best-in-class tone and image’, BetGames’ Lucky Lottery studos has been redesigned to boast a ‘cutting-edge’ look, along with new features, technical advances and improved security to offer a ‘superior player experience’.

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Lauding the enhancement of the content’s ‘best-in-class tone and image’, BetGames’ Lucky Lottery studos has been redesigned to boast a ‘cutting-edge’ look, along with new features, technical advances and improved security to offer a ‘superior player experience’.

Commenting on the launch, BetGames.TV’s CEO, Andreas Koeberl, said: “The overhaul of our lottery offering is the latest in a line of continuous improvements we’re making to our portfolio, ensuring that they continue to offer the market-leading entertainment and player experience that we’re renowned for.

“We believe that by reloading our Lucky Number lotto games, we will see significant growth in several areas including bet counts, time-spend, player retention and ultimately, increased revenue.

“Allied with our straightforward, industry-leading integration times, our unique commercial proposition will be unrivalled in the market.”

The three games which make up BetGames.TV’s core offering have all been redesigned and improved with Lucky 5, 6 and 7 lottery games receiving new backdrops, graphical balls on selection and full HD video quality.

In addition, Lucky 7 has had further upgrades, with BetGames’ Emerald machine being deployed within the title. 

As well as the addition of multiple additional cameras in-studio, BetGames has also enabled both the end-user and auditor to view all angles of the production area. When the draw starts, the view automatically switches to the main camera.

Players will also have the ability to use either a remote presenter or RNG-based technology using pre-recorded videos, removing any language barrier issues – boosting global reach.

Moreover, risk mitigation has also been developed to ensure future pandemic-proofing and will provide the ability for games to continue – even if evacuations or stay-at-home conditions are put in place.

The studio holds licences issued by multiple jurisdictions including the UKGC, MGA and Curacao, while being compliant with the local regulatory requirements of Italy, Colombia and various South African gambling authorities. Swedish regulatory approval is also expected within the coming months.

The post BetGames.TV redesigns ‘signature’ lottery products appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The integration will see BetGames.TV take its range of content to players across the LatAm region, which includes the recently revamped Wheel of Fortune and War of Bets, along with latest release Rock Paper Scissors, which has been made available to players across the operator’s network of sites.

A spokesperson for Rivalo added: “We are very excited to be launching BetGames’ content throughout LatAm, a studio that offers our casino users great performance and the best live dealer experience around.

“We look forward to expanding our leading offering together, as well as introducing the BetGames brand and games to our users.” 

BetGames says that this latest deal is testament “to the popularity of its products across LatAm,” with the group reporting that bet counts for its games surged by 300 per cent during 2020.  

Live with multiple tier one operators across LatAm and Central America, the studio has unveiled a number of partnerships in the region, including those alongside Apuesta Total, DoradoBet, The Logrand Group and Ganabet. 

Eddie Morales, LatAm sales director at BetGames, added: “We’re delighted to take our award-winning catalogue live with Rivalo. It represents a major step in maintaining our momentum in such a vibrant and key territory. 

“Rivalo’s position in the market is enviable and offers just the kind of shop window needed to push forward our ambitions in the region. With our uniquely immersive betting experience, as well as ease-of-use and high bet-rates, we can’t wait to start entertaining their players.”

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Here, Andreas Köberl, CEO of BetGames.TV, talks to CasinoBeats to elaborate on the changing nature of playing habits, competing in the hotly contesting Maltese market and key targets for the period that lies ahead.

CasinoBeats: BetGames has certainly kicked this year off with plenty of exciting news to keep the momentum going from the SBC Awards back in December – can you tell us a bit about your plans? 

Andreas Köberl: Indeed, we gained some traction, but that was only the start. The team worked hard to create a comprehensive strategy that defines our direction for the next three years – a roadmap that guides us but leaves enough flexibility to manoeuvre. I can’t reveal too much detail, but we are challenging every area of the organisation in order to be ready for the next stages of our growth. 

We are completely transforming our commercial department and market approach. We also have plans to overhaul our product line-up and complement it so that all our partners can capitalise on the benefits and increase performance. Ultimately, we’ll be focusing our efforts on augmenting our unique offering and broadening our niche. So stay tuned – the exciting news will continue but our biggest announcements are yet to come.

CB: In terms of your vertical, we’ve seen live dealer prove to be a key cross-sell last year – how do you see that complementing sporting events this year? 

AK: Key for us is to emphasise the difference between our offerings and live casino. Our core player base is the sports bettor which emphasises our niche positioning. BetGames was founded nine years ago to complement the sports calendar, so this year is pretty exciting for us.

We see our games not only closing gaps in the professional sport schedule but complementing it too, especially with our odds-based products during major events. Conversion rates are amazing during these, so we’re aiming to grow our revenues massively again this year. 

CB: Looking at product development, do you expect shifts in playing habits and any economic effects to influence the way you create upcoming games? 

AK: We certainly see some effects when it comes to purchasing power. This becomes visible especially in the retail space, but due to the growth of live in general, this is compensated by additional revenues and a strong digital business. When it comes to product development, we adapt strategically as our player base becomes larger in sheer numbers as well as geographically and the games become faster. 

On the back of this, we overhaul and optimise our existing portfolio to better suit current trends and tastes as we did recently with the Wheel of Fortune product. Add to this further investment in market-specific content and complementary features and the result is a strengthening and consolidation of our position in the market. All of this is concurrent to the efforts we invest in developing the next ‘big thing’. The essence to our overall approach remains: ‘Stay Unique’.

CB: With the opening of your Malta hub in Southern Europe, how do you see that influencing your business development strategy? 

AK: We actually follow two core goals here: getting closer to our partners and strengthening our core talent. The marketplace for talent in Malta is hotly contested, which makes it tricky, but that’s where the industry is. With our growth plans requiring us to invest in more than a hundred people this year, it becomes extremely difficult to find industry-experienced talent in our home of Lithuania. The new hub in Malta helps to close that gap.

CB: What key markets is BetGames keeping an eye on for the year ahead? Are there any particularly exciting growth regions that our readers should be watching? 

AK: Part of our core strategy is a continued emphasis on key markets. We focus on certain regions like Greece and invest in these markets to develop them. As I mentioned earlier, our products are a true differentiator, but that requires a degree of market education. It’s not a simple case of powering up roulette or blackjack tables that then produce revenue, but once our games are established, they prove incredibly popular and the player base is extremely loyal. 

The post Andreas Köberl, BetGames.TV: our biggest announcements are yet to come appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Under the terms of the agreement, the supplier will see its entire portfolio go live with Videoslots via iSoftbet’s game aggregation platform, offering players the chance to get hands-on with the BetGames’ recently launched Rock Paper Scissors.

Initially being available in markets covered by its UK and Malta licenses, the partnership with Videoslots will also benefit BetGames’ ambitions in Sweden, a license for which is expected shortly.

Aiming to continue to build on a period of growth, BetGames.TV was nominated for seven SBC Awards last year and triumphed in the ‘Leader of the Year’ and ‘Live Casino Supplier of the Year’ categories.

The group holds licences issued by multiple jurisdictions including the UKGC, MGA, Italy and various South African gambling authorities, with Colombia, as well as Sweden, expected shortly.

Aiste Garneviciene, COO at BetGames.TV, said: “It’s fitting that our hugely popular products should be live with a leading brand like Videoslots, it will give our quality, innovative content the perfect boost to its exposure as we look to expand into yet more territories.”

Videoslots last month praised “quite an achievement,” after the group went live with its 5000th game, less than one year after topping the 4,000 boundary.

This catalogue has subsequently been bolstered further still, via BetGames.TV’s revamped Bet on Poker, as well as Wheel of Fortune, War of Bets and its twist on Texas Hold’em poker, 6+ Poker.

William Ahlberg, Videoslots head of commercial, added: “BetGames.TV is another first-class brand that we are delighted to bring to our players. 

“Their attention to detail and wide choice of modern gaming experiences is a definite boost to our offering. It’s an honour to welcome them onboard.”

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Praised as being key to going live in multiple global jurisdictions, including Switzerland and Greece, the firm’s internal processes were rigorously tested against the standard’s strict assessment criteria to receive the accreditation, ensuring that it met the 114 controls and seven clauses required over a nine-month period.

An additional series of internal audits were also taken prior to the certification process, with the standard ensuring that BetGames’ senior management, as well as all its operations and controls, are fully compliant with the data protection practices and procedures set by the International Organisation for Standardisation and the International Electrotechnical Commission.

“This is an important award for us. The integrity of our client’s data is of the utmost importance and is just one of the pillars of excellence we strive to attain in all our products and services,” stated Andreas Koeberl, BetGames.TV’s CEO, commented

“It’s further affirmation of the way we do business at BetGames and will certainly assist our roadmap of expansion going forward. With our Malta Hub now open for business, as well as more than 100 new BetGames team members joining in the coming months, we’re set to continue our expansion across the global stage this year in a stronger position than ever before.” 

BetGames.TV holds licences issued by multiple jurisdictions including the UKGC, MGA, Italy and various South African gambling authorities, with Colombia and Sweden expected shortly.

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In the first of a three part special, we caught up with Alessandro Sposito, head of business development at ESA Gaming, Steven Spartinos, co-CEO of Kiron, Bobby Longhurst, CCO at Pronet Gaming, Richard Hogg, CCO at BetGames.TV, Ruben Loeches, CMO at R Franco Group and Sylvain Boniver, COO at Gaming1, to seek some solutions.

CasinoBeats: Is the conversion of sports betting customers a blip or will they stick around?

Alessandro Sposito: Some sports betting customers who have ventured into other verticals during the last few months will inevitably return to their first love. For them, the pull of live sport, the following it attracts, and the partisanship it offers are just too strong.

But there are clearly large numbers who will have enjoyed wandering off-piste and will no longer be confined to the nursery slopes. Having a continued presence of alternative products in and around sportsbook will be crucial to maintaining their interest in variety.

They need to be offered an alternative that complements rather than intrudes upon the sports betting experience. That will take skill when it comes to the marketing of these products obviously, but the products themselves need to suit the customer profile. That is the key to ensuring the conversion is not just a blip.

Steven Spartinos: There’s no question that when live sports return, the number of bets placed on sports fixtures will surge, especially when it comes to mainstay markets like football and horse racing.

We expect that this will cause a short-term reduction in betting volumes on verticals that have spiked during the hiatus as punters can once again bet on their favourite teams. Current data has indicated, however, that customers who have been introduced to virtuals recently have enjoyed the experience and will still try their hand on the games, since their high frequency nature allows players to enjoy their favourite sports with almost instant results.

We therefore expect a large proportion of newcomers will have been converted for the long term, having grown accustomed to this quick-fire style of play, and will continue to enjoy the games alongside their usual sports betting activity. 

Bobby Longhurst: COVID-19 hit suppliers and operators, especially those with a focus on sportsbook, with a number of obstacles to overcome. However, many operators were quick to address the shutdown of live sports and recognised the opportunity to expand their offering with virtuals and esports, as well as additional casino content. Many of our partners have been able to attract a number of existing sports bettors to experience this influx of new products.

It’s now up to the industry as a whole to ensure that players do stick around, with an even greater focus on retention techniques to keep them engaged. Much of that will depend on the quality of the new gaming experiences players have become accustomed to during this period. We’re confident a strong segment of bettors will keep returning to esports and virtual events even when live sports returns, mainly because they’ve enjoyed the new content on offer. 

Richard Hogg: From what we’ve seen with our partners, as many as 70 per cent of players stopped betting at all during the cancellation of live sport. From those that did migrate over however, we’ve certainly observed good numbers, particularly in South Africa, where player retention for games sits as high as 35 per cent. 

The fact that our games intrinsically attract a lower spend with far more regular play (as well as lending themselves to the fixed odds outcome format), has ensured that we have been popular with sportsbook customers.

Given the parallels, we’re confident we’ll have many sports betting customers who will stick around now that they’ve been introduced to the brand. For most other ‘replacement’ products however, such as virtuals and esports, I expect players to go back to what they know, as they offer very few crossovers.  

Ruben Loeches: From my point of view, it’s all about the profile of the player. When it comes to customer loyalty, one fundamental element must be taken into account. The way in which the player came aboard. Those acquired organically versus ones that have come through the door via an aggressive acquisitional campaign are not the same. 

For casino, this is where the gaming experience is key. If we’re talking about a promotional campaign, it is very likely the player will enjoy the offer and leave. But, if the experience has been positive, agile and uneventful, then the percentage of your return as an operator increases exponentially. Those who have devoted the last few months to improving their user experience will be reaping the rewards – and will see plenty more stick around. 

Sylvain Boniver: The overarching media narrative seems to be that sports betting customers have migrated en masse to casino because of disruption to live fixtures. Our own statistics do not bear that out.

Indeed, 83 per cent of our sports betting players have stopped gambling during the current hiatus on live action. Perhaps a controversial view, but we can conclude that rather than turning to the casino sector in search of alternatives, most sports punters simply stopped betting altogether. 

Of course, from those that did cross there is of course potential for them to stick around with the right offering, but in the case of live sports – I do anticipate that the proportion that did migrate will likely return to the action as soon as they can. After all, it’s what they know best.  

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