The need for personalization in iGaming as in other digital industries is a known fact, but the way in which it is executed makes all the difference. Delasport CEO Oren Cohen Swartz explains more about the company’s new My suite of features, which takes personalization to the next level and ushers in a new paradigm for operators and players looking for something different.
Why do you think personalization is so important?
In today’s saturated market economy, it is critical to establish a player-centric approach where they are catered with the highest level of personalized service possible. From smooth KYC to quick deposit as well as fast withdrawal, personalized content and services, exciting ways to bet, extra awards etc., all for the purpose of leveraging the betting experience. With a player-centric approach, each depositor gains the respect of the operator where nothing is taken for granted, and the operator focuses heavily on keeping them satisfied. And, personalization is a powerful tool to achieve this.
For instance, let’s take a player who wants to bet on Chelsea. They log in and are immediately taken to a Chelsea fixture event page with a pre-filled bet slip based on their previous behavior. They will be able to place a bet right there and then, without any pain points or convoluted user journey. This in turn will increase player satisfaction, increase loyalty, LTV, and creating a more favorable impression of the brand as a whole. It sounds logical, but when done right, it can make the difference between novelty and something worth striving for.
How do you view the current standard of personalization in the wider industry?
Standards of personalization have been rapidly increasing over the last few years as technology continues to evolve. It’s gone from a buzzword to a real point of pride. A while back, it was all about the product, but today, it’s about the player. This shift from product-centricity to player-centricity has really galvanized the industry – and we see this as a good thing. Healthy competition always pushes us to be at our very best, and seeing what other ecommerce businesses outside of iGaming are doing regarding their personalization inspires us to create our own unique approaches.
The iGaming industry is lagging behind other ecommerce industries. Netflix for example has moved from customers searching for content to customers that simply watch the recommended titles. These days 80% of the content watched on Netflix is what has been suggested. So, why can’t online casinos and sportsbooks do the same?
What is the ‘My’ era at Delasport?
The era of ‘My’ is the result of the need for more sophisticated and engaging personalization. In other words, it is the creation of two new products that will give players enhanced control over the sports and games they are served. These products are ‘My Sportsbook’ and ‘My Event Builder, and as the names suggest, they give the player the power to tailor their betting experiences in a more intuitive, granular and personal way. We are referring to the launch of these two products as an era, as they are the first steps in a long-term strategy to bring such personalization to more of our products and services in the future – and therefore, to operators looking for that special something to offer their players.
How does My Sportsbook work, and how does enhance the experience?
As I mentioned above, today’s players want to quickly place a bet on things they are interested in as quickly and easily as possible. My Sportsbook achieves this by serving the player a questionnaire at the very beginning of their time with the product, honing down their interests in terms of sports, leagues, teams and so on. We ask them what they want, and we make sure they get that – and nothing else.
This is effective because we can get this data right from the beginning, without having to study their behavior over a longer term, or between deposits. Another significant advantage of My Sportsbook is for those who typically use their smartphones or other mobile devices for betting on the go. As mobiles have such little screen real estate, it’s important that players see exactly what they need to without having to scroll and tap.
Take us through the other product – My Event Builder
My Event builder is something really cool and distinctive. To put it simply, it allows players to create their own custom events which are unique to them. It works by letting them choose two real-life events which don’t necessarily have to be happening at the same time, or even between two teams who are in the same league or competition.
Both recreational players and gamblers can benefit from My Event Builder since the options and combinations are endless and players can choose any team, and any bet market. For instance, a recreational player from the UK can create an event between his favorite hometown football club, Grimsby Town, in Northeast Lincolnshire against FC Barcelona. This match will never happen in real life, but it becomes a reality for this specific player.
They can create a bet of 2:1 in favor of Grimsby Town against FC Barcelona, and when each team plays their respective games in the real world, their scores will be used in a bet placed in My Event Builder. If Grimsby Town scored 2 in their match and FC Barcelona 1 in theirs, the player has a winning bet.
What inspired the creation of the ‘My’ era
The ‘My’ era is the outcome of our continued efforts to provide our partners with a true competitive advantage in their markets through something that is both distinctive and intuitive.
With so many competing operators that offer the same content and experiences, something like our new ‘My’ products can be a real game changer for marketing and business goals. Through meaningful differentiation, operators can stand out from the crowd and offer something unique to attract new players and retain those already in the ecosystem. We are always looking for new and novel ways to use our technological expertise and passion for sport to heighten player experiences, and with these two products, we, and our partners can achieve that.
The “my” era offers tremendous branding and marketing opportunities in addition to distinctiveness. Gaining players’ trust can take time, but if they see that the brand is making a serious effort to give them a true player-centric experience, they will be charmed, feel valued and happy, even on a subconscious level, and they will return to the brand.
Will the concept of ‘My’ extend to more products in the future?
We are fortunate to have a robust product with all the features-stack as well as one of the most experienced and skilled traders and risk managers that maintain astonishingly high consistent margins.
This allows us to concentrate on delivering unique features that give our partners the edge they need in their markets, and a superior betting experience for their players.
My Event Builder and My Sportsbook are just the beginning of a new era for us and our partners. Later this year, we’ll be applying the same unique approaches to create My Casino, which again will allow players to create their own tailored experience, with their favorite games, mechanics, themes, betting tools and more.
When can we expect to these features hit the market?
We are thrilled to announce that both the My Sportsbook and the My Event Builder will be available in February this year, with My Casino to follow later in 2023. Stay tuned for more information as we ramp up to launch ‘My era’.