Online gamblers show many of the same habits as other mobile device users. When typical users download an app, there’s a 25% chance they’ll only use it once, then ignore it. For online casinos, it’s important to find ways to win such users back.
That’s what Malta-based Enteractive works with online gambling operators to do. The “iGaming player retention and reactivation” specialists work with operators to reactivate gamblers when it’s best for those players, as well as for those companies.
That 25% figure comes from a 2019 study by Boston-based mobile app marketing and analytics software provider Localytics. Enteractive CEO Mikael Hansson says app abandonment is particularly problematic for online gambling operators.
In a December 2020 interview with EBM Magazine, he said:
“48% of players will leave an operator because they don’t feel valued.”
Enteractive talks to the sorts of players that operators want to retain or reactivate. Its goal is to understand what the gamblers are feeling and how they would prefer to play. By doing that, Hansson told EBM that his company helped reactivate “more than 13,000 players for our operator brands” in November 2020 alone.
At the same time, he says that many of those lapsed online gamblers need to remain inactive for their own sake. It’s important for online gambling companies to be careful about who they try to get back in the game.
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month
As US online casino and online gambling operators around the world know, March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. It’s a useful reminder that operators need to ensure problem gamblers aren’t included in any reactivation marketing efforts.
Enteractive also partners operators who are already working to help problem gamblers and ensure they’re not on their apps. Kindred Group, also headquartered in Malta, is one such partner with a responsible gambling program. In the US, Kindred is the parent brand for Unibet Casino.
With such considerations in place, Hansson says there are online gamblers who can be retained or reactivated, when it’s right for both the players and the operators.
Our questions are in bold and Hansson’s responses are given verbatim below.
On average, what percentage of online gamblers lapse or stop depositing after the first session?
A very large percentage lapse after the first session. (Sorry, more detailed info is proprietary from our clients!)
What percentage of online gamblers tend to lapse or stop depositing each month?
We can see that over 50-60% stop playing after the first month of playing on a site. That’s understandable, since many are just curious to try things out. What’s important is that we take care of the ones that really are interested to play and are looking for a site that fits them long-term.
How do you determine the best candidates to reactivate?
Enteractive will work with our operator clients on an individual basis to agree which player segments to include in reactivation campaigns.
The criteria can vary, depending on whether the operator wants to target older, dormant player accounts, or to increase completed deposits following new player registration.
The age of the various segments can certainly influence reactivation success though, with the most reactivation results seen in the 3-6 month category and dropping off to lower levels in segments older than 1-2 years.
How do you reactivate them?
While digital CRM [customer relationship management software] is more widely used for pushing one-way messaging to the main segment of regular players, Enteractive’s campaigns engage with more churned or lapsed player segments, meaning one-way messaging is much less effective.
So our approach is tailored for more personal, two-way conversations, making calls to the players individually for a one-to-one chat about their brand experience.
This way, we nurture more trust with the players, and prompt more long-lasting brand loyalty. It means we get to know them much better than a digital persona can intimate from digital preferences and activities.
What percentage reactivate?
Reactivation rates can vary greatly between different markets, due to cultural and lifestyle differences amongst other things. But on average, we would expect around 25-35% of the players we actually talk to will reactivate.
Do you periodically cleanse the database of problem gamblers?
Enteractive understands that Responsible Gambling (RG) is an integral part of iGaming and is fully aware and conscious of the responsibilities and regulations surrounding the industry; especially when it comes to player protection. All Enteractive team members undergo intensive RG training at least twice a year, and any at-risk players are flagged up to operator partners immediately, with no further contact to be made by Enteractive agents.
How different are online casino vs. sportsbook reactivations?
What we can see is that a sportsbook player reactivates easier, since it is just easier to connect to a sportsbook player than a casino player. Then again, casino normally has a higher value for the operator.
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