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Retention through skill games w/Araz Heydariyehzadeh – Chief Commercial Officer at Scout Gaming
Check out our latest interview focusing on retention with Araz Heydariyehzadeh CCO at Scout Gaming
Do operators need to go beyond loyalty schemes and bonuses when it comes to retention? Why?
Retention in the iGaming industry is incredibly difficult to get right. Based on what we know from intenrally and from market research, it is much harder to keep players engaged with online betting brands than it is with other products in other sectors.
The most common retention tool used by operators is of course bonuses and loyalty schemes, and they do work when deployed effectively, intelligently and as part of a well planned marketing strategy. There are some big players in the iGaming industry, like Skybet, who do this very well.
If it’s not done well these incentives are really only effective for as long as the bonus lasts – once the free spins have been used up, the player is no longer motivated to remain loyal to that specific brand and can jump to offers from another provider. Loyalty schemes do keep players engaged for longer, but with most being tough to progress through, they too can have their limitations. Despite this, operators still throw big money behind bonuses and loyalty schemes in order to stand out from their rivals and keep players coming back.
It is important to consider the bigger picture, and other – potentially more effective – ways of retaining players. This means looking at the player experience being offered and identifying ways of delivering even more value and entertainment. For online sportsbooks, this could be launching skill games such as fantasy sports for the first time to give players a reason to return to their book each day, week, or month throughout the season. Operators can also run marketing campaigns and promotions around these games to take retention to the next level.
How can fantasy/social/skill games be used to drive retention rates?
These games are hard to beat when it comes to retention. The very nature of fantasy sports requires players to return to the operators site regularly. In the case of daily fantasy sports, players return to change theoir teams, set captains or make substititions, this deepends their engagement with the operators brand. Our latest data shows that the average player logs in four times a week to make changes to their team. This in part helps to drive some incredible stats for our partners. According to the indexed numbers of users in the Scout Network, there are clear indicators that fantasy sports and especially season-long games boosts retention.
Here are some highlights…
- Churn after 12 months = 30% still active
- Churn after 24 months = 20% still active
- Churn on season-long fantasy tournament players = 50%+ still active in month nine
- Acquisition = +15% more players on a yearly basis after launching fantasy sports
- Time spent on site = fantasy players spend 20%+ more time than regular sportsbook players
Sportsbooks can expect between 10% and 30% of their player base to engage with fantasy sports products which in turn can significantly move the needle in terms of turnover and GGR.
What makes these games so effective when it comes to retention?
Playing season-long fantasy sports requires the player to log in each match day at the very least and usually over an eight-month period. That is certainly the case when tournaments are hooked up to large prize pots which is something we offer via the Scout Network. Fantasy really is a great retention tool by design, but it can also be used to drive cross-sell as, over time, fantasy players become trusting of and loyal to the operator’s brand. Indeed, we have measured a 45% increase in turnover and a 20+% increase in GGR on our partner’s sportsbook users that engaged with our fantasy products compared with those that did not.
How important is the skill element here? And what challenges does it present for operators?
According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, fantasy sports games reward skill rather than luck. This conclusion was reached after analysing thousands of win/loss records of fantasy players over several years. The indexed numbers in the Scout Network confirm this conclusion. Given the skill factor in fantasy sports games, players can train their skill set and apply their advanced knowledge of sports to improve their odds of winning. But similar to other skill games, this presents a challenge for operators.
To sustain a balanced game economy, measures have to be taken to ensure that all participants have a fair chance of winning and that even those who are new to the concept have an enjoyable experience. A game economy where only a small percentage of users have a chance of winning is unhealthy and ultimately drains that all-important liquidity from tournaments. That is why we carefully analyse games and ensure a healthy economy for all. This led us to make several changes to our popular Premier League Season game such as reducing multiple entries from single users, prohibiting certain tools used by high-volume players and softening rules around saving free transfers. This ensures that more casual users can come back to play the season game, thus improving retention rates even more.
How can these games be used in wider marketing activity to keep players coming back from more?
It is important to highlight that skill games are far more social and community-driven than sports betting and casino, and season-long fantasy games in particular add an additional dimension to the sport itself. This generates more fan and player excitement, and often throughout the entire season. Players can also improve their knowledge by embracing the community, chatting in the forums and researching insights and advice.
There is a growing content creator market directly involved with various forms of Fantasy sports which really taps in to the community feel for these types of games.
This is highly desirable from an operator perspective. Giving players a single ticket to a season-long fantasy sports tournament is not only cheaper than offering free bets or loyalty schemes, but the incentive lasts for the entire season. When this is combined with the social element of fantasy and how this helps to drive engagement further, it is clear to see just how powerful fantasy sports is when it comes to retention.
In terms of how to market fantasy sports, we have recorded cases where the addition of a targeted fantasy bonus such as a free entry ticket being added to a CRM email reactivation campaign has generated impressive returns. In one instance, the click-through rate was 25x the average and in another case, 2,000 inactive customers were reactivated within 24 hours of the email campaign being sent out.

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TaDa Gaming Releases 10 Sparkling Crown
Leading content provider, TaDa Gaming, is offering palatial style play in new slot release 10 Sparkling Crown. A randomly triggered Jackpot Poker game puts serious dazzle power in players’ hands with special win multipliers applied to the four individual jackpots.
With Expanding Wilds and solid gold Scatters giving multipliers up to 100x the bet, the five reels, three rows and 10 fixed paylines game offers royal win potential with 10,000x max.
Wild Crowns appear on reels two, three and four only and will vertically expand to cover the reel when they hit a prize, turning all positions wild. Gold dollar sign Scatters can appear on all reels. Three, four or five scatters will award multipliers of 5x, 20x or 100x the bet, respectively.
With a fruit salad of symbols alongside Lucky 7s and Golden Bells rolling down the reels and a soundtrack worthy of royalty, the wins can come thick and fast in this mid volatility game.
The randomly triggered bonus Jackpot Poker game injects another layer of excitement into 10 Sparkling Crown. The Club jackpot is equal to 5x the bet; Diamonds gives 20x; Hearts, 50x and the Spades can deliver a game-changing 1000x the bet value. The four suits sit in order at the top of the screen, each showing a jackpot value which could be a whopping €200,000 for Spades.
The bonus game can trigger once a round has completed and all wins collected. Players will see 15 face down cards appear on the screen: select cards by clicking until three matching card suits from Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts or Spades have been revealed which will trigger the corresponding jackpot.
To further ramp up gameplay, there are potentially two types of special cards in the selection that will impact the win value: the Club Deleting Card and the Multiplier Card.
The card showing a Club with a strikethrough image is the Club Deleting Card which removes all the low value Clubs. The Multiplier card brings 2x or 5x the win value and, if both cards appear in the same selection, then the multiplier values are multiplied so the win is then uplifted by 10x.
When three matching card suits are revealed, the corresponding Jackpot Poker Game value is awarded. However, if players take more than five seconds to choose from the face down cards, these will randomly flip themselves over through auto selection.
With a wide betting range from 0.02 to 200 local currency to appeal to all player styles; and turbo play for those who love speed, 10 Sparkling Crown is a beautiful game that delivers big win potential in an easy to play slot with benefits.
Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “10 Sparkling Crown mixes different bonus games and features in a classic fruit slot. This is both enduringly popular with players and a TaDa signature, adding value to TaDa’s exciting and diverse portfolio.”
The post TaDa Gaming Releases 10 Sparkling Crown appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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REEVO Enters into Strategic Partnership with Lebull.pt
REEVO has entered into a strategic partnership with Lebull.pt, one of the fastest-growing casino and sports betting operators in the Portuguese regulated market. This collaboration underscores REEVO’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge, immersive gaming experiences to players worldwide, reinforcing its position as an industry innovator.
Launched in mid-2023, Lebull.pt has rapidly carved a name for itself in Portugal’s competitive online gambling space, earning recognition for its dedication to quality and innovation. With a strong emphasis on providing top-tier entertainment, Lebull.pt continuously seeks to elevate its platform by integrating best-in-class gaming content.
Through this strategic alliance, Lebull.pt players will now have access to REEVO’s exceptional portfolio of casino games via our aggregation platform, renowned for their engaging gameplay, superior graphics and innovative mechanics. The partnership will ensure that Portuguese players can experience a diverse range of high-quality titles tailored to enhance their gaming experience.
Tiago Pereira, Country Manager of Lebull.pt, said: “LeBull.pt has been committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our players since day one, and our partnership with REEVO marks an exciting step in that direction. REEVO’s innovative and high-quality casino games align perfectly with our vision of providing a top-tier casino experience. This collaboration will enhance our platform with engaging and immersive content, ensuring our players always have access to the best gaming in the Portuguese regulated market.”
Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO, said: “At REEVO, we are always looking to collaborate with forward-thinking operators that share our passion for innovation and excellence. Partnering with Lebull.pt, a rising star in the Portuguese market, allows us to bring our cutting-edge content to an even wider audience. We are excited to work together to provide players with an unparalleled gaming experience, ensuring they enjoy the very best that online casino entertainment has to offer.”
The post REEVO Enters into Strategic Partnership with Lebull.pt appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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QTech Games bolsters its emerging markets platform with PG Soft
Leading distributor for emerging markets consolidates its pre-eminent offering with content from another established star in video slots and table games
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has penned its latest provider partnership with PG Soft (Pocket Games Soft), enabling its platform customers to access this revered supplier’s multi-faceted catalogue which spans video slots and table games.
PG Soft, an emerging force in the igaming domain, draws from a deep well of slot games, including popular titles such as Wild Bandito, Candy Burst and Medusa. These hits often feature fresh twists on classic game themes, coupled with a mix of engaging cascades and reel layouts, packed with bonus games, multipliers, Turbo and Autoplay features. Accordingly, this progressive gaming suite now forms part of a wider market-leading portfolio made available by QTech Games to its clients.
By deploying the state-of-the-art technology from traditional tables to creative 3D video slots, PG Soft games are fully optimised for mobile as well as desktop to ensure the best gaming experience for all types of players. With a global-market approach, these games cater for every taste, from the more conventional Vegas-style to modern casual themes. Their well-balanced gameplay mechanics, varied volatility and maths models are already attracting new cohorts of players across the planet.
Founded and based in Valletta in 2015, PG Soft has subsequently broadened its international influence with offices in Riga and London. And this new agreement organically broadens PG Soft’s geographic footprint even further, targeting emerging markets from Asia and Eastern Europe to Latin America, and creating new revenue streams. As the fastest-growing distributor in Asia over the past few years, QTech’s platform offers the most expansive gaming portfolio around, localised for each region, with native mobile apps, powerful reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.
QTech Games’ CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “It’s another ringing endorsement for our platform to have integrated more premium content from PG Soft. Theirs is a constantly growing and innovating library, delivering consistent support to the growth of our broad gaming-vertical spread, courtesy of some high-quality graphics, gameplay and unique features.
“PG Soft are a creative and fast-growing igaming content provider, fusing a passion for gaming with extensive expertise in the industry. Together, we will continue to raise the bar and shape a localised experience for global players. We can’t wait to witness how these games perform across a range of untapped markets which, in many cases, represent new territory for PG Soft.”
A PG Soft spokesperson added: “QTech Games is a hotbed for superior online casino games and player-engagement tools, so we were keen to put our shoulders to their impressive distributional wheel. As we look to expand across developing regions, their market-leading platform provides a flexible gateway to some previously overlooked territories.
“PG Soft is purposefully comprised of next-generation innovators who are enthusiastic and driven to continuously create breakthrough titles which resonate with modern audiences. As such, we will always strive to deliver the best gaming experience in a safe and responsible manner.
“PG Soft continues to create top-tier slot games with well-balanced gameplay and unique features, framed by engaging visuals and immersive soundscapes. Needless to say, entering into this QTech agreement tracks our core strategy to fully leverage our reach, and we look forward to seeing how new players embrace our games.”
The post QTech Games bolsters its emerging markets platform with PG Soft appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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