Poll: Will online sportsbooks feel the heat this summer?
A lack of major sporting action means firms will need to look elsewhere for revenues during the summer months
Looking through the recent batch of full-year financial reports it was notable just how many operators highlighted the positive impact the World Cup had on overall performance.
Revenues, profits, new accounts and deposits appeared to be up across the board, which in turn resulted in increased customer engagement and further cross-sell opportunities.
However, this year could well be markedly different. The sporting gods have dealt what looks to be a tough hand to bookmakers this summer, with major sporting events thin on the ground.
Away from the annual Wimbledon tennis championships and usual horse racing schedule, operators will have to be creative in order to keep their lucrative players active until the football season resumes in August and the rugby union World Cup kicks-off in September.
This year also brings an increase in taxation, particularly in the UK with Point of Consumption now in force, meaning that operators’ revenue raising potential will be limited further.
However operators, or at least the major operators, are becoming increasingly adept at optimising players’ revenues and now offer betting opportunities on a range of new sports and new markets, such as television shows and topical events, while virtual sports has also grown in popularity of late.
Multi-vertical operators will also use the opportunity to introduce players to other betting products such as casino and poker, which are also benefitting from improved mobile products, and we should expect increased marketing resources to be poured into these areas.
With this in mind, this week’s eGaming Review poll asks whether operators will find the going tough this summer, or whether CRM capabilities have improved to the extent that a quieter than normal sports schedule shouldn’t impact too greatly.
Have your say on the right-hand side of the page.