SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Styliana Kalogreadou, iGATE’s Head of B2B, argues that player retention is not just a lofty goal to aim for; it’s an essential part of running a successful sportsbook or online casino. Kalogreadou also notes how iGATE can help partners drive retention rates through its platform.
With the igaming and sports betting industries becoming increasingly more competitive, platforms are required to implement unique ways to attract and convert players. Today, player retention is more than just strategies; it’s a necessary part of running a successful casino or sportsbook. iGATE’s approach to retention blends data and innovative solutions to provide a personalised and tailored experience for operators to enhance loyalty, increase lifetime value and maximise player conversion.
Connecting Retention and Conversion
Retention strategies are at the core of an online casino and sportsbook’s efforts to drive meaningful platform engagement and ultimately convert players to foster a loyal community. A well-planned and executed strategy will encourage first-time visitors to interact more with the platform and become loyal customers who place more frequent wagers, explore platform content and engage more with the brand’s core features. In the competitive online casino and sportsbook landscape, where competition is plentiful and fierce, consistent retention efforts can place a platform in an authoritative position with a consistent presence, creating a sense of familiarity and trust. This strengthens player loyalty and ensures a steady flow of conversions to reinforce the brand’s long-term success.
Key Retention Strategies for a High-Converting Platform
Each platform has its own unique retention strategies relevant to its branding and business needs. iGATE’s boutique approach ensures the company can tailor its comprehensive services and solutions using a combination of data-driven insights and innovative tools to ensure platforms can convert players into loyal and valued customers.
VIP Management
The most loyal customers deserve more than a standard experience—they should receive exclusivity. iGATE offers VIP management services to operators that can deliver exclusive offers and gifts through geo-specific segmentation and personalised account management. By creating a customised, unique and elevated experience for these loyal players, platforms can further strengthen their player relationships, build loyalty and foster a social community that engages with the brand.
Data analytics
Data is the foundation for every online gaming platform and its retention strategies. By leveraging advanced analytics to understand player behaviour, iGATE customers can optimise user journeys, track real-time conversion metrics to create data-driven insights and elevate platform features. With real-time data tracking, operators can constantly refine these strategies and evolve their approaches dynamically, allowing them to adopt flexible operations. Additionally, by identifying trends and segmentation opportunities quickly with advanced data, platforms can craft targeted promotions, offers and experiences that keep players engaged and loyal.
Customer support
While technology plays a crucial part in retention, the human aspect is equally important. Without human agents to assist players with queries, platforms may suffer from poor player retention metrics as they may become frustrated without customer support help. iGATE offers its partners 24/7 support in 20 languages to ensure players receive the assistance they need. Additionally, the company’s localised country managers help to understand cultural nuances, further providing support to operators and helping them enhance the player experience on their platforms.
The Long-Term Impact of Retention
Retention strategies enhance player engagement in the short term and create a foundation for sustainable growth. By focusing on loyalty through personalised VIP management, data-driven insights and comprehensive customer support, online casinos and sportsbooks can nurture deeper connections with players. These strategies increase lifetime value and differentiate the platform in the competitive iGaming and sportsbook landscapes.
“For us, retention is more than a metric. It’s the core of a successful platform,” says Styliana Kalogreadou, iGATE’s Head of B2B. “iGATE combines data, personalisation and human support to help operators build successful platforms that engage players and encourage a loyal community for long-term success.”
Operators need to invest in retention as it can affect all aspects of their business. Loyal players contribute more to revenue streams and require less investment and effort to retain than acquiring new ones. Retention strategies help build trust, foster brand loyalty and ensure the platform has the foundation to grow sustainably.
