A land of promise

Content Team July 7, 2020

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A land of promise

Thomas Jones, founder of BingoSites.co.uk, says that despite increased restrictions, the UK market still provides tremendous opportunities for online bingo brands

The UK market is becoming increasingly tough for online gambling operators, with tighter restrictions around marketing, responsible gambling and safe gaming.

Over the past few months while the country has been on lockdown, the Gambling Commission has strengthened its requirements and is asking even more of operators.

In addition to this, the government is currently looking at the regulator and whether it is doing enough to protect consumers with the latest reports saying that it isn’t.

This undoubtedly means more restrictions are on the way, leading to an even more challenging market for operators to work in – especially as margins continue to get smaller.

In this regard, it is no surprise that some operators and brands are opting to leave the UK market to focus on other less tightly regulated jurisdictions.

But I still believe there is a tremendous opportunity for operators to engage UK players, and especially those that offer bingo as their primary product.

Below, I discuss some of the reasons why online bingo operators are well placed to drive growth in the UK, even amid increasing restrictions.

Bingo is not as bonus led as other casino verticals

Bonusing is one of the biggest issues operators face at present, especially when it comes to terms and conditions and ensuring they are fair and reasonable.

While bingo players still like to take advantage of offers and incentives, it is not a driving force behind where they play unlike with other verticals such as slots and sports betting.

The best bingo sites understand this an instead focus on delivering a superior player experience across game variety, payments, loyalty, community and customer support.

Bingo is a lower stakes game than slots

Regulators are requiring operators to take a closer look at how much their players deposit and wager, and to carry out the necessary checks to confirm their affordability to do so.

With bingo being a much lower stakes game, operators often find that players deposit smaller amounts and purchase tickets with a lower value than, say, your average slot spin.

While it is still necessary to carry out affordability checks on players, the nature of the game means they are less likely to be depositing large sums of money and playing outside of their means.

Affiliates are a powerful marketing tool for bingo sites

With the regulator and the Advertising Standards Authority clamping down on the ways operators market to players, online gambling affiliates are a powerful platform for driving player acquisition.

There are plenty of professional affiliate sites that have built a dedicated and loyal readership of bingo players and are well placed to send operators hundreds of new customers.

They also know how to tap into the psyche of bingo players, but within the guidelines set by the UKGC and the ASA, allowing operators to acquire players with confidence.

The popularity of bingo play is on the rise

Google Trends data shows that search volume around online bingo terms have increased in recent months, especially with other entertainment options unavailable due to the on-going pandemic.

This provides operators, especially those working with affiliates, with a huge opportunity to leverage these search trends and drive new customers to their brands.

And by the very nature of the game, and the responsible way in which professional affiliates work, this can be achieved while still meeting the requirements and standards set by the UKGC.

For online bingo brands, the UK market is therefore very much a land of promise and not the battle ground operators in other verticals are starting to feel that it is.