UK Online Gambling Player Research Key Insights

Key findings

Players want: 1.  Simplicity

2.  Instant gratification

3.  Entertainment value

4.  An engaging and rewarding winning experience

31

25

22

28

20

9

11

8

6

9

9

10

9

8

6

14

14

12

11

14

16

15

20

17

20

9

13

13

12

15

6

6

8

7

11

7

5

8

10

6

Bingo

Casino

Slots

Sports Betting

Poker

'Less often Once every 2-3 months Once a month 2-3 times a month Every week 2-3 times a week 4-5 times a week Daily/ almost every day

Q3. How often do you play, for money…?

24%

60%

35%

33%

56%

Base: All respondents who play each category

Q1. Which of the following online

gambling categories have you ever played

for money

9%

42%

12%

8%

28%

Q2. Favourite gambling category

Sportsbetting is the most popular product

Why do you like to gamble online?

2

7

19

21

27

37

51

70

2

1

4

7

7

8

17

53

Other

For the social interaction

To test my skill

To make sports more exciting

To pass the time

For the thrill/excitement

For enjoyment

To win money

Any mention

Main reason

%’s

Insight 1: Winning is what matters most…

0

10

20

30

40

50

Quality of the site

Ease of depositing

Bonus offers

Length of cash-out times

Ease of registering

Customer service

Choice of games

Loyalty schemes

Quality of the mobile/tablet site

Ability to bet in store as well

Online poker

Online casino

Online bingo

Online slots

Online Sports betting

How important the following factors are to you when choosing one site over another?

% who gave a score of 9 or 10 (Very important)

%’s 43%

41%

40%

% = Overall mentions

36%

34%

30%

24%

23%

13%

36%

Insight 2: Simplicity, quality and a winning experience are key

What was it that actually made you sign up to your main site?

4

3

3

3

5

5

5

7

7

7

7

8

10

11

12

12

16

28

30

4

1

1

1

2

1

1

3

4

1

2

3

7

5

6

8

9

21

20

Other

Online ads

Good mobile/tablet site

Ability to bet in store as well

Game brands I recognise

Online reviews

Number of games

Familiar games

TV ads

Design of the site

Loyalty schemes

Variety of games

Recommendations

Quality of the site

Special promotions

Best odds

Brand I know

Free bets

Bonus offers

Any mention

Main reason %’s

Insight 3: Free bets and bonuses still rule

85

66

67

19

13

13

9

18

1

4

11

8

25

15

18

14

6

1

2

6

4

19

16

8

5

5

1

3

8

9

23

29

21

18

11

5

4

6

7

10

15

18

26

13

16

2

4

4

5

13

23

28

46

76

Twitch

Spotify

Netflix

Magazine

Youtube

Newspapers

Commercial radio

Facebook

Television

Never Rarely/ less often Once a month Most weeks Most days Daily

How often, if at all, do you use the following media?

%’s

Insight 4: Facebook is taking over

3

9

9

10

18

22

29

4

18

20

22

39

40

42

Other

Brand I know

Jackpot

Best odds

Bonus

Special offer

Free bet

Any mention Main reason

Have you ever clicked on a gambling advert on a website or social media?

%’s

Significantly less likely to than the average Significantly more likely to than the average

Online poker

Online casino

Online bingo

Online slots

Online sports betting

Gambling category play most frequently

31   30   16   27   17  80 20

No Yes

Thinking about when you click on a gambling advert on a website or social media, what is it that makes you first consider clicking on it?

Insight 5: Players don’t like ads

43   51   46   47   43  

43   37   37   36   44  

30   23   33   32   39  

29   36   39   39   30  

25   21   27   24   36  

26   23   33   39   14  

16   13   19   17   20  

23   12   16   11   21  

19   26   17   21   14  

8   4   3   7   4  

What would make you stop using the online gambling site you play most frequently as your main site?

4

17

18

19

24

30

34

35

40

45

Cannot bet in store as well

No loyalty schemes

Poor quality of the mobile/tablet site

Difficult to register

Poor choice of games

Difficult to deposit

No bonus offers

Poor customer service

Poor site quality

Long cash-out times

%’s

Online poker

Online casino

Online bingo

Online slots

Online sports betting

Gambling category play most frequently

Significantly more likely to than the average Significantly less likely to than the average

Insight 6: Simplicity is the name of the game

14

45

41

Don’t know

No

Yes

%’s

Have you ever visited an online gambling site, but not completed the registration process?

6

13

24

26

26

32

43

Other

Didn’t have the games I wanted

Didn’t like the design of the site

Concerned about that site’s security

Didn’t like the terms and conditions

Too complicated

Too many details required

What stopped you from signing up to that online gambling site?

Insight 6: Simplicity is the name of the game

Do you gamble in either of the following ways?

17

40

Using a machine in a land based betting shop

Over the counter in a land based betting shop

Yes

%’s 15% use both

Insight 7: Retail still matters

5 65 30

Decrease Remain the same Increase

19 24 39 19

Not at all important Not very important Fairly important Very important

How important is if for you to have one account that you could use for gambling online and also in land based betting shops?

%’s And, if you could use the same account to gamble online and in land based betting shops, would this make your overall gambling spend increase, decrease or remain the same?

The under 35’s are more likely to see one account as important (75%) and to increase their spend if they could use the same account (45%)

Insight 7: Retail still matters (cont.)

When playing using a smartphone, where are you most likely to do this?

2

15

15

23

25

70

Somewhere else

At someone else’s house

In the pub

Whilst travelling on public transport

At work

At home

%’s

Insight 8: Home is where the heart (and money) is

In which way do you prefer to play?

0

0

9

14

36

40

Land based terminal

Web TV or other interactive TV

Smartphone

Tablet

Desktop

Laptop

%’s

Insight 9: Mobile isn’t always king

Why do you choose not to use a smartphone to play?

3

2

3

5

11

12

18

19

22

47

Other

Less bet types available on mobiles

Less games available on mobiles

Too complicated to set up

Poor signal / coverage / not fast enough to play

Smartphone not good enough to play on

Concerned about security / getting hacked

Do not have one

Not as good experience

Screen too small

%’s

Insight 10: The product needs to fit the channel

•  Free bets and bonuses remain the biggest driver of acquisition but the player experience/entertainment factor is becoming increasingly important, more so for sports betting.

•  Player experience is crucial with poor site quality and customer service two of the biggest factors in players switching sites.

•  Mobile has changed the nature of the market, but it’s still falls short of meeting some players’ expectations.

•  The omni-channel experience is more than just hype and something

that taps into a genuine player need especially among the under 35s.

•  Future development needs to focus on the player experience and delivering the right product , on the right channel, at the right time for the person.

Conclusions