Anti-guide: How to lose a player in 10 steps

In its latest analytical article, sports betting and iGaming platform supplier Uplatform shares the ten most common mistakes that can lead operators to lose players and profit.

Is your iGaming business getting more successful? Your profits rise, and GGR continues to outperform. Is your website attracting an increasing number of players, and is everything running smoothly? We've got you covered! With this (anti)guide from Uplatform, you can turn the tides, stop reaching your goals and lose every player and profits — all of that in just a few simple steps.

No content diversity

Diversifying content is a valuable and necessary strategy to attract more players, especially if you offer unique content such as unusual sports, Esports, and non-sports betting. It is also vital to understand what players in a market prefer and what sports and leagues they value.

Limiting the number of options available to players is a definite way to lose them. 

Unregionalized contents

Engaging and retaining players entails appealing to them personally and providing them with relevant content they are interested in. It requires strategizing both internationally and locally in light of regional differences.

So, suppose you want to lose players. In that case, there's no need to offer them interesting content - local matches and tournaments, lower-tier leagues, local student cups, and amateur events, which attract a specific region with content they appreciate and follow. Instead, offer just the basics. 

Also, to successfully localize content, many languages must be available. But why bother with different localized content for specific markets? All people are the same, and they speak the same language. By offering localization in over 65 languages, Uplatform helps operators to develop unique relationships with their players.

However, because localization is unnecessary, providing one language is sufficient for your business. This will cause you to lose players in countries/regions where your language needs to be understood.

When developing a betting website, there is no need to consider regional differences in terms of desired odds format and views. Are they accustomed to the US odds format? No need to offer it; just stick to Decimal. Are you targeting EU markets? Why bother considering the Asian community, which is accustomed to Asian views and odds formats? Give them only the essentials, and give them a compelling reason to go to your competitors.

Limit payment methods

There is a need to have a simple and quick system in place for players to make deposits and withdrawals. Betting sites and online casinos must offer players various safe and convenient payment options that are widely used in the region where they choose to bet. You can integrate multiple payment methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, eWallets, mobile payments, e-currency exchangers, payment systems, cryptocurrency, eVouchers, and more, all of which are available on Uplatform. Limiting players' payment methods makes depositing and withdrawing funds difficult for players and is likely to cause them to lose interest in your company.

Not offering accessibility

Technology keeps evolving, and with this evolving comes mobile betting. Studies show that mobile betting accounts for over 40% of all bets. Since some players reside in markets with limited or complex infrastructure, they would need some of Uplatform's packages, such as SMS and Telegram betting. Depending on their location, some players may also require light desktop versions or mobile apps, all of which are included in Uplatforms packages. To lose players, ensure that you deny them access to betting from multiple devices. Don't bother learning what kinds of gadgets players in your target market use. In your target market, are mobile phones more popular than desktop computers?  Don't waste time making adjustments for their mobile device. Let them bet on a small screen and click on small buttons.

Reducing betting options

As players seek new ways to wager and gain insight into games and events, bookmakers have adapted by increasing and diversifying betting options. The greatest betting sites in the industry consider various factors to guarantee that their players are satisfied and obtain good value for their bets. It is important to offer them a broad range of bet types and betting markets for all matches and competitions, including obscure ones.
Uplatform sportsbook, for example, provides a wide range of multi-bet combinations such as Accumulator, Lucky, and Chain.

Minimizing your betting options will make your offers less attractive to players, leading to losing them.

Limit features of the sportsbook 

Leave out the essentials like express bet, one-click bet, and other bet options. Streaming a game isn’t necessary.  A player-friendly dashboard featuring in-depth stats is incredibly time-saving, so why would you offer it? Can you think of any more features that would make a good sportsbook? For example, Uplatform’s sportsbook offers:

• Bet constructor, bet builder, and bet exchange.
• A unique multi-live feature where users can select from several events to view in one window.
• Unique bets like Player vs Player and Player vs Team.
• Display all information and statistics relating to matches, teams, and tournaments directly on the matching page to keep users interested and assist them in placing bets.
• And many more.

The Absence of different markets

The more markets that can be bet on, the more likely players will stay on your website to place wagers. So if you're tired of growing your business, then stop offering different markets. An increased number of markets provides players with more options and a more exciting experience. Also, it allows you to reach a larger audience. For example, players that want to play safer can select less risky options; or diverse communities residing in foreign countries can bet as they’re used to. Asian handicaps, for example, would be immensely appreciated by the Asian population betting in Europe. Uplaform understands the importance of providing multiple markets, offering various markets for each game. For example, there were 1477 markets just for the match between Morocco and Portugal during the FIFA World Cup. They also offered 30+ FIFA World Cup events and 1265 special bets. Currently, they offer 1570+ football events.

It is best to refrain from diversifying betting options as we aim to lose our players rather than offering a wide range of options.

Bonuses are a waste of resources

Betting incentives and bonuses in sports betting are the must-have way to attract and retain bettors quickly. They are usually related to significant events like the World Cup or the European Championships. Bonuses make players feel appreciated and motivate them to make more bets. Some betting sites structure their bonuses with bet credits that can be spread out over several different markets, whereas others offer one money-back wager on one market. But then, why spend to retain a player when you can save your revenue and lose the player? 

Avoid making your website easy to use

More people will use and return to your website if it is simple. With simplicity and user-friendliness in mind, the user knows what to do. From simple 1-click registration to timing-appropriate advertising and pop-up notifications, players can concentrate on using user-friendly interfaces and designs that are friendly to betting without stopping. So, to lose players, use an over-complicated with a complex navigation website design to distract and waste their time.

Advice and support are unnecessary

Players despise feeling abandoned. Customer service can significantly influence a company's financial results, particularly if the players have no prior betting knowledge. The operator should always be there for its users and help them resolve any issues.

Maintaining a good customer service culture allows players to easily contact you when an issue arises. However, it takes a lot of resources to keep the support team running, especially for multi-lingual projects. But you don't have to do it alone; you can get expert assistance. For example, Uplatform provides immediate assistance to your players in dealing with any challenges they may encounter.

So to lose a player, you should refrain from devoting additional resources and stress to follow up on their needs.

So that was the (anti)guide on losing a player, which covers a wide range of topics, such as content, betting options, payment methods, localization, and an easy-to-use interface. Uplatform does not actually advise you to follow this guide, but rather the opposite because missing even one can cost your players.