TMCnet Feature Free eNews Subscription
April 21, 2022

Casino operators finding new ways to gain an edge amid more competition than ever



The online casino bubble that has been inflating over the past decade shows no sign of bursting. New operators seem to appear every week while established brands are looking to increase their footprints with, for example, casino brands offering sports betting services and vice versa.

It’s creating a competitive environment that’s little short of cutthroat in nature. That’s good news for casino players, who have grown accustomed to being offered ever more grandiose promos. Yet casino gamers are also a savvy bunch of people, and they are less likely to be instantly seduced by the promise of free spins and the like than they once were. In short, casino platforms fighting to get market share understand that simply offering bigger welcome bonuses doesn't cut it anymore.

New games
Let’s get back to basics. Visiting a casino, whether it’s in Las Vegas or on your phone is all about having a fun and interesting gaming experience. An obvious way that a casino can differentiate itself here is to offer new and unusual games that are more immersive in nature that simply watching reels spin or cards appear on a screen. The challenge is to go beyond the same old slot games and the casino classics like blackjack, roulette, three card poker and baccarat.

The past couple of years have seen the launch of some exciting new games. These range from live casino versions of TV shows like Deal or No Deal to reimaginings of classic card games like cribbage and rummy. It’s made possible by optical character recognition (OCR) software that works in combination with the cameras to log every card dealt or, as the case may be, every box that is opened.

Better payment options
Transferring funds to and from a gambling account has traditionally been a pain point. The casino that can make this as smooth as possible will be onto a winner. It’s also incredibly important to provide maximum choice.

Offering both fiat and crypto options is the order of the day. Just look at the possibilities displayed by PlayAmo for example - there are 16 payment methods on offer, including six cryptocurrencies. Yet this is only the beginning of the profound impact blockchain technology is starting to have on iGaming. By launching platforms on a blockchain ecosystem, platforms can offer seamless transactions, optimum security and complete anonymity.

Cashback bonuses
Casino players might be a little jaded when it comes to all those bonus offers, but that doesn’t mean they are not still in the market for something for nothing. Cashback bonuses are a relatively recent idea that provide a little extra when it’s needed most and that indirectly reward customer loyalty.

It works like this. The casino tracks every player’s wins and losses. At a set time and day each week, it pays anyone who has had a losing week a 10 percent cashback on their net loss. It’s providing a little boost when its needed most and when a player might be thinking about seeking better luck at a different casino. Again, this wouldn’t have been possible in the recent past, but OCR has been a genuine game changer.

VIP schemes
Still on that topic of loyalty, VIP schemes are essential to keep players coming back for more. Most casinos offer tiered schemes so the more you play, the more you are rewarded.

VIP incentives vary between platforms, but typically include matched bonuses, access to exclusive tournaments and free or reduced-price merchandise.

» More TMCnet Feature Articles
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]
SHARE THIS ARTICLE

LATEST TMCNET ARTICLES

» More TMCnet Feature Articles