It’s been a hectic (but rewarding) couple of weeks for Best New Bingo Sites editor Sue Dawson. As well as completing a sponsored 120 mile challenge for EGR , Sue was also on the panel for IGB Webinar, ‘Getting Your Traffic’s Worth’.
And she was recently interviewed by respected industry publication Affiliate Insider as part of its monthly Soapbox feature. Topics included the evolution of online bingo, the emergence of slots and how player behaviour has been affected by the pandemic. Here are a few extracts from the conversation.
Affiliate Insider – Is bingo dead or does it still have a place in iGaming?
Sue Dawson – Even without the surge of interest we saw during the lock-down earlier this year, bingo is still be very much alive and kicking, with healthy search volume. There’s been a definite evolution though, away from sites where all the emphasis is on bingo. Now, slots are being given at least equal prominence. (There’s also been) an increase in the percentage of play being done on mobile devices where more snackable games come to the fore. If done well bingo can be a really valuable retention tool.
Affiliate Insider – Do you think COVID-19 has changed bingo acquisition and retention?
Sue Dawson – At the start of the pandemic there was a surge in interest from people who clearly hadn’t played bingo online before and were looking for new forms of entertainment. The community aspect of bingo was a big draw and continues to be a factor in player retention even though the rush of new players has subsided.
Sue was joined by Vista Gaming’s Fabiola Olaso who offered her thoughts on some of the typical marketing practices employed by lottery operators and the most sustainable commission models for bingo affiliates.
Affiliate Insider – How innovative are lottery operators and affiliates in their marketing?
Fabiola Olaso – Lottery can be subject to GEO locations (so) if you…another country’s lottery jackpot…in reality you could legitimately take part in it and win. (However), many countries or states have…taxation along with complex laws and regulations to stop players from outside that country or state from winning.
Affiliate Insider – Is it more difficult to sign bingo affiliates up on traditional rev share models than before?
Fabiola Olaso – No it’s not. Bingo players have a good player value in the long term, so it is the other way around. I will always suggest for the affiliate to go with Revenue Share, as a CPA deal is a short-term thing and applies only to low quality traffic in terms of Bingo.
You can read the full transcript of the interview here: https://affiliateinsider.com/featured-story/affiliate-soapbox-bingo-and-lottery/
