Firstly, can you explain how you would define gamification and why this word is so popular among online casino operators?

We are a gaming business, and it is fundamental to us to make every user interaction fun and exciting; whether that is through pure gameplay or non-gaming environments. These users are not just our customers but also our internal teams and partners, and the culture is to inspire collaboration, interaction and the will to make it engaging. Gamification has changed the way we think about creating world-class user experiences.

Why do you think it is important for online casino operators to offer players experiences tailored specifically to their demographic or preferences? 

It’s absolutely vital to offer a tailored experience these days. That takes many forms, across language, game preference, personalised rewards and much more. Our brands have enjoyed success in a number of diverse markets globally. That doesn’t happen by coincidence. It’s all about understanding our customers, their needs and preferences and going above and beyond to deliver on it.

“Artificial Intelligence is going to touch every part of our industry over the coming years”

Saurabh Khosla, CMO at Yolo Entertainment

When you look at the biggest brands in technology, whether that be YouTube, Spotify or TikTok, they all have one thing in common: when you open the app, you see something that feels truly personal. We set ourselves that same target, and we’ve always said at Yolo Group that our ultimate goal is to put the customer at the centre of the universe.

How can offering free-to-play games and competitions help enhance a player’s experience? 

We’ve found that free-to-play games are a powerful acquisition tool. Over the years we offered several through our Sportsbet.io brand. It’s a great way to onboard players who might not feel ready to immediately make a deposit. It’s a conscious effort from us to let users experience our product, understand their feedback and evolve our product to users expectations.

We have also enjoyed a lot of success around competitions. Our Euro 2024 predictor game, which challenged players to correctly predict the outcome of the group stages and knockout games at this summer’s tournament, offered a $10m jackpot for anyone who was spot on with their picks. It was another successful campaign which proved extremely popular with our users.

With Artificial Intelligence playing an increasingly large part in several aspects of online casino operations, what part does AI have to play in engaging players and driving loyalty? 

Artificial Intelligence is going to touch every part of our industry over the coming years. It’s already becoming a fundamental operational aspect, and we’re finding new ways to leverage it on an almost daily basis.

When it comes specifically to driving loyalty, I’d say we’re still in the infancy stage. Ultimately, this is about delivering personal experiences to customers that truly resonate, and AI can help us do that on a larger scale than is possible. It’s often in the small details, like helping us craft individual messages that are more relevant than more general communications. On the face of it, it seems like a paradox, but when AI is at its best, it actually enables us to approach the player in an even more ‘human’ manner.

“we’ve got no doubt that SBC Lisbon is going to be one of the most important dates in the igaming calendar”

Saurabh Khosla, CMO at Yolo Entertainment

With SBC Summit next month, can you give us a sneak peek into what Yolo Group has in store for the event? 

This is going to be one of our biggest conferences in some time. More than 30 Yoloers are heading over to SBC Summit, and Hub88 will be exhibiting (drop by stand B134 to say hello!).

I’m looking forward to speaking on the Casino Stage on the topic of CRM Strategies. This is such a fast-moving area, so it is always great to meet like-minded people trying to solve the same challenges. It should be a fantastic discussion. Meanwhile my colleague Matthew D’Emanuele, CEO of Yolo Entertainment, will be speaking on a dedicated leaders panel focused on Asia. Matthew is always great value when sharing his experiences and perspectives, so that’s going to be a must-watch for anyone at the show.  

How do you feel about SBC’s flagship event taking place in Lisbon for the first time?

We’re really excited for the conference. It’s always good to freshen things up, and after some great years in Barcelona, we’ve got no doubt that SBC Lisbon is going to be one of the most important dates in the igaming calendar. There’s already an impressive list of speakers, delegates and exhibitors in place, and I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends, and maybe even making some new ones, at the end of September.

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Get your ticket to the SBC Summit and benefit from a group discount for three or more people, saving €200 per person per ticket. Affiliates and operators can apply for complimentary passes.

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This sees the St James Park-based football club strengthen its online gambling links, with a renewed multi-year agreement with Fun88 having been rolled-out in June.

“Sportsbet.io is a digital innovator and shares the club’s desire to unlock new ways of engaging with supporters and those who love sport,” noted Peter Silverstone, Newcastle United’s Chief Commercial Officer.

“Having the digital expertise of Sportsbet.io as part of our Newcastle United family will help us to work together to create content and incentives that will benefit our fans in territories around the world.

“Having previously worked with Sportsbet.io, I have seen first-hand how they engage with supporters, breaking boundaries to activate new ideas. Sportsbet.io is a great addition to our growing family of partners and a one which will excite our global fan base.”

In becoming an official partnership of Newcastle, the online casino and sports betting brand, has enhanced its position within English football, with Sportsbet.io currently the front of shirt sponsor of Championship outfit Southampton.

“We are absolutely delighted to partner with Newcastle United – a milestone moment for both organisations,” stated Tim Heath, Founder of Yolo Group.

“This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to connect with fans not just locally, but across the globe. 

“We share a common vision to push the boundaries of digital innovation in the sports industry and we are thrilled to work hand in hand with the club to create unforgettable moments for these dedicated supporters worldwide.

“This is a great partnership for everybody involved and we thank Kalus Kenny Intelex and ISG for their invaluable contributions in making this a reality.”

Newcastle United currently sit in eighth position in the Premier League, with one win and a loss coming from their first two fixtures. The side takes on Liverpool at home this coming weekend.

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The biggest sponsorship agreement in the club’s history also includes the option to be paid certain performance-based bonuses in Bitcoin at the end of each season.

Coingaming says that this will permit the club “the opportunity to take advantage of the new, high-growth currency if it feels it will bring significant future benefits”.

“The team at Sportsbet.io have built a successful business by challenging convention and disrupting the market, but in a responsible way, and their approach to our partnership with them has been no different,” David Thomas, Southampton’s CCO, explained. 

“In a short timeframe they’ve proven to be innovative, forward thinking and extremely supportive of the club, our fans and the wider community, and we’ve welcomed the opportunity to develop and promote safe gambling messages together. As such they have become valued partners and we look forward to the next chapter together”

Since taking over the front-of-shirt sponsorship in August 2020 at short notice, the Premier League outfit adds that the company has “worked tirelessly with the club to create a positive impact in the local community and highlight the importance of safe betting”.

This work included a ‘Listen To The Saint In You’ campaign that was launched during Safer Gambling Week, linking up with a number of Saints players to encourage fans to consider the risks before placing a bet.

Most recently Sportsbet.io also donated their shirt sponsorship to the Saints Foundation for the Premier League match against Burnley to help drive awareness of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts as they aim to raise vital funds lost due to the pandemic. 

This gesture alone helped the Foundation raise thousands of pounds on the day, a figure that was topped up by Sportsbet.io, who donated an additional £10k.

Maarja Pärt, CEO of the Coingaming Group, added: “Our first season as Southampton FC’s Main Club Partner has already exceeded all expectations. We’ve been inspired by the passion of the club and its fans, and it was an easy decision for us to extend our partnership with the Saints for another three years. 

“From the beginning, Southampton have been a perfect match for the fun, fast and fair way we do things at Sportsbet.io. We can’t wait to continue this journey with the Saints, and we’ll be doing everything we can to support the team and its community into the future.”

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Aiming to help raise awareness and vital funds for the club’s charity, Southampton’s main club partner is complementing the move with a potential £10,000 donation.

Saints Foundation’s logo will be displayed across the first team’s shirts during the match at St Mary’s on Sunday 4 April, with the match worn shirts then being auctioned off to raise further money to support the work Saints Foundation carry out in the local community.  

Saints Foundation are also asking fans to show their support during the charity matchday by making a £10 donation to the charity in place of the money they would usually spend on a match ticket. 

As a further show of their support for the charity, Sportsbet.io has also agreed to match the first 1,000 donations made by fans ahead of the charity matchday, up to a total of £10,000.

Joe McCallum, head of Sportsbet.io, said: “Supporting local communities in these difficult times is important and it is our absolute pleasure as partners of the Saints to help raise awareness for the club’s charity. The work Saints Foundation has been carrying out over the past year is invaluable and we’re here to support them every step of the way.” 

The gesture comes in direct response to a difficult year for Saints Foundation, who have missed out on over £300,000 of expected fundraising income. 

Despite those challenges, it has continued to support thousands of people in need across Southampton and the surrounding area during the past 12 months. 

Fans can also support the charity by purchasing a limited-edition replica shirt featuring Saints Foundation’s logo, with all proceeds from each sale going directly to Saints Foundation.  

David Thomas, Southampton Football Club’s chief commercial officer, commented: “We are incredibly grateful to Sportsbet.io for this unique opportunity that they are providing to Saints Foundation. Their generosity will help raise both awareness and vital funds so that our charity can continue to support the local community through these difficult times. 

“No doubt the thousands of participants who Saints Foundation support annually will be immensely proud to see the team take to the pitch displaying the charity’s logo on Sunday 4 April.”

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Players on Sportsbet.io and Bitcasino.io now have access to leading Red Tiger slots, with more new releases to follow.

The Red Tiger content joins more than 1,400 slot, table and live dealer games utilising cryptocurrencies on Bitcasino.io.

Both Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io also have access to Red Tiger’s platform-wide Smart Spin functionality, which means operator partners can offer players free spin incentives.

Gavin Hamilton, CEO of Red Tiger Gaming, said: “The Coingaming Group offers a unique proposition in the casino world and with the popularity of cryptocurrencies continuing to grow, we are excited to offer Red Tiger Gaming’s full suite of content to this ever-expanding customer base.

“We are looking forward to seeing how our games are received on both the Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io brands and anticipate an exciting partnership going forward.”

Tauri Tiitsaar, head of casino at the Coingaming Group, said: “Red Tiger is a recognised market leader in producing slot games and their innovative approach to development goes hand-in-hand with ours.

“We’re delighted that we are able to offer their full portfolio to our customers, giving them an incredible choice of premium-quality games and keeping them firmly at the centre of our universe.”

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The annual campaign, which began in 2017 to unite all sectors of the gambling industry and will take place this year from November 19-25, will see over 100,000 staff at more than 9,000 gambling venues and online sites participate.

Led by trade associations the Betting and Gaming Council, The Bingo Association and the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, who are joined again this year by the Association of Irish Bookmakers, SGW sees ‘Let’s Talk About Safer Gambling’ remain as the strapline for 2020.

As part of its commitment to promoting responsible gambling, Southampton has aligned with the Coingaming Group brand to launch ‘Listen to the Saint in you’, encouraging fans to consider the risks before placing a bet. This sees Saints trio Ryan Bertrand, Nathan Redmond and Oriol Romeu give advice to a fan on how to gamble responsibly.

Know your limits ?
Think twice ?
Listen to the Saint in you ?#SaintsFC and @Sportsbetio promote responsible gambling: pic.twitter.com/9O8MWAy5Vi

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 19, 2020

David Thomas, Southampton Football Club’s chief commercial officer, noted: “The club takes its responsibility to promoting responsible gambling extremely seriously, and it is important that we are proactive in exploring new opportunities to implement our commitment to this cause.”

Furthermore, the club is also highlighting the support that is available from RecoverMe, a new mobile health app that aims to empower individuals to manage a gambling addiction from their pocket.

RecoverMe’s app gives support for problem gamblers, encouraging them to seek help by providing a discrete option for support, with an aim to prevent gambling related harm nationwide.

The club will contribute to support growth and accessibility of the app, and forms part of what it calls “a responsibility to raise awareness of the support available for those that might need it”.

Developed by three junior doctors, Minal Jain, Tejus Patel and Adil Nayeem, RecoverMe is centred around scientifically-backed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which allows users to manage their addiction by reflecting on their gambling habits, challenging thoughts and feelings around gambling and accessing mindfulness sessions, as well as having access to an emergency helpline and self-help exercises.

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Established in 2014 The Coingaming Group has gone from strength to strength during its five year journey, and anticipates that this could well be the beginning with cryptocurrency and a mobile revolution predicted to continue to pick up pace.

Spearheaded by Tim Heath, who in 2017 founded venture capital fund Vereeni Investments, the firm recently partnered with the Tron Foundation, the non-profit behind the cryptocurrency TRX, welcoming the community to use the currency for the first time with its two brands in the crypto gaming space.

Boasting bitcoin-led casino Bitcasino.io and sportsbook Sportsbet.io in its stable, Tauri Tiitsaar, director of casino at the former, anticipates a potentially huge 12 month ahead.

“I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that over time crypto will come to dominate the gambling industry. The greater control and privacy cryptocurrencies give to users cannot be underestimated. We are already seeing growth in this sector well above the industry, and that will continue in 2020 and beyond,” he says.

“The mobile revolution will also continue to pick up pace. During 2020, 70 per cent of gambling revenue will come from mobile channels, according to research from App Annie, and these numbers are reflected by our own experience.

“Elsewhere, I expect to see some exciting new technologies begin to have a material impact on our space, particularly as VR adoption rises. AI will also have an increasingly important role to play when it comes to better understanding customers and delivering a personal experience to them.

“In the wider casino sector, online slots are doing a great job engaging younger users who grew up playing consoles. The innovation drive will continue, and I expect to see more skill-based elements added to these games.

“There will still be plenty of room for classics like blackjack and roulette, but it will be the live dealer versions that bring an extra bit of glamour to the proceedings that grab the most attention.

“All in all, we are extremely optimistic for the coming year.”

“We are in permanent dialogue with our customers across a multitude of mediums”

Keeping on the theme of 2020, Tiitsaar stresses that users remain the sole focus for the weeks and months ahead, with the recent Tron link-up also gaining particular praise and giving a brief insight into potential future partnerships.

“As ever, our focus is fully on the customer. They are the centre of the universe and everything we do is designed to deliver a fun, fast and fair experience to them,” Tiitsaar adds.

“One area we will be expanding in 2020 is payment options. We already offer a wide range of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies which players can use on the site. This year, we’ve seen great upside when we’ve introduced currencies based on customer feedback. 

“Our roll-out of Tron payments was particularly successful, as the cryptocurrency facilitates lightning quick transactions with no fees, which allows us to lower the entry point for players.

“We are in permanent dialogue with our customers across a multitude of mediums, so expect to see new products, features and functionality added throughout 2020 based off what they are asking for.”

With the future holding such optimism for Coingaming, and Bitcasino in particular, one revamp has gained praise as a 2019 high point and, with the player in mind, also remains a key area of focus moving forward. 

“We have completely overhauled our rewards scheme this year with the launch of the Bitcasino.io loyalty club.

“Loyalty has been a real game-changer for Bitcasino.io”

“We noticed that players were not engaging with generic rewards. For instance, it makes little sense to push huge deposit rewards that require hours of play to unlock at a player who enjoys a few, casual hands of blackjack each weekend.

“Our loyalty club addresses this issue. The programme is run completely in-house and offers players the opportunity to clearly reach various levels, such as VIP while also passing milestones on the way. Most importantly, it puts power back into the hands of customers when it comes to rewards. 

“Players receive bespoke offers that reflect their play that are tailored to their personal preferences. This means their rewards are more relevant for them and ultimately, are what they want.

“Loyalty has been a real game-changer for Bitcasino.io. We’ve listened to our players feedback carefully and they have reacted extremely positively to the changes – we are seeing greater engagement now that all players feel valued and looked after from a rewarding perspective. Our players feedback is most valuable to us and it’s something we will continue to listen to.”

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Under the terms of the agreement the Tron community is to be welcomed to use the currency for the first time with its two brands in the crypto gaming space.

Boasting transactions that “happen almost instantly and without any fees,” the deal is lauded as a “perfect match for the fun, fast and fair gaming experience” across the “customer-centric gaming brands”.

Games from a number of providers, including OneTouch, Evolution Gaming, GameArt and Kalamba, now offer native Tron play, meaning Bitcasino users can wager directly in TRX without the need for in-game currency conversions.

“We always work hard to put our customers at the centre of the universe, and by adding TRX gaming we are once again at the cutting edge of what is possible in this space,” noted Tim Heath, CEO of the Coingaming Group. 

“We are particularly excited to offer a low minimum deposit threshold and zero transaction fees, ensuring Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io gaming can be enjoyed by even more players for the first time.

“The Tron community is one of the most engaged, forward-thinking and dynamic in the cryptocurrency world. It is also passionate about gaming, so this is a great opportunity to introduce TRX holders to the fun, fast and fair world of the Coingaming Group brands. We are certain they will enjoy the ride.”

Sportsbet.io has already given away 1 million TRX to celebrate the launch through its ‘Last Man Standing’ competition, which saw the ultimate winner successfully predict seven correct outcomes. 

Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, explained: “One of the Tron Foundation’s core missions is to support growth by providing engaging, real-world use cases for TRX. 

“We’ve been aware of the market-leading gaming brands operated by the Coingaming Group for some time now; Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io are fantastic examples of what is possible when crypto-led products put the customer above everything else. 

“It is genuinely thrilling to see another world-class brand open its doors to the TRX community.”

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The primary shirt sponsor of the Premier League club stresses that the “unique roulette wheel endorses the partnership between the two organisations,” as well as adding an element of fun to the traditional game.

The firm which forms part of The Coingaming Group, an operator of a number of gaming brands including Bitcasino.io, sees its new introduction adorned with the distinctive yellow and black stripes closely associated with The Hornets. 

Justin Le Brocque, head of marketing at Sportsbet.io, commented on the new introduction: “To celebrate our sponsorship with English Premier League football club Watford, we wanted to offer something unique to our players. 

“TCSJohnHuxley are recognised by the industry as leaders in their field, so a custom designed roulette wheel in the hornets’ colours for our Bombay Club was a natural pick – and very well received by our players.”

This becomes the latest introduction relating to the Vicarage Road outfit by Sportsbet.io after unveiling a fresh link-up with mobile-first game develop OneTouch earlier this year, as the pair launched an exclusive Watford FC themed slot title ahead of the Premier League season. 

Exclusively available through its sister site, it strives to appeal to all football fans, and not just those of the Vicarage Road outfit, through “its engaging gameplay and the chance to take a shot at winning some huge prizes”.

Amy O’Connor, partnership manager Watford FC, added: “When we were offered the opportunity to have our branding on the table we jumped at the opportunity. This has never been done before and also further strengthened the holistic partnership we have with Sportsbet.io. The wheel has been very well received, and new Watford fans may have now been created”.

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Entering the partnership at the end of last month, the casino content developer has already seen a selection of titles be added the firm’s two major entities, Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io.

Under the terms of the deal consumers of Bitcasino and Sportsbet, the main club partner of the Premier League side Watford, have gained access to a portfolio of in excess of 115 titles.

Andrzej Hyla, Wazdan’s head of sales, said of the agreement: “Partnering with the Coingaming Group is an exciting step for us here at Wazdan to bring our games to those who prefer to play using cryptocurrency. 

“The Coingaming Group are a passionate organisation of inspired individuals with whom we align very well, sharing the same values for driving toward innovation and pushing the limits of what technology can offer to players.”

Furthermore, also included as the integration are a variety of built-in Wazdan features including volatility levels, which allow players to increase or decrease volatility, unique gamble, allowing the chance to double wins on the spot, ultra lite and energy saving modes, designed to optimise the mobile experience, ultra fast mode, to ensure speeds gameplay across any device, double screen, to take players back to the traditional slot interface and big screen, for a supersized gaming experience.

Tauri Tiitsaar, director of casino at Coingaming, added: “We’re thrilled to be able to offer our players such a fantastic array of games as a result of our partnership. We strive to put the customer at the centre of everything we do and Wazdan’s games provide our players with not only stunning visuals, but also an assortment of features which offer a truly bespoke playing experience yet to be seen in the industry.”

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