GROWTH
Live gaming a hit with players
As the world changes, as technology evolves, as new platforms and experiences emerge, and as media, gaming and entertainment converge, there is one thing that really matters and is driving Entain’s growth strategy – the customer.
We have a growing database of over 160 million unique customer profiles with different cultures, ages, and demographics.
Customers are telling us what they want all the time, and we’re listening, adapting to their needs, and putting them at the heart of every decision we make. We use this insight to develop the best products and experiences that bring little moments of excitement into our customers’ lives.
Just one of the ways we do this at Entain is through building our own games.
The in-house difference
Our three in-house studios develop unique, exclusive games that engage, entertain and compel players to keep coming back to our brands for more. Our studios are:
- CR Games, the game development house for our flagship sports betting brands, Ladbrokes and Coral, for both retail and online
- Vertical Games, which develops games that are new, innovative and have a different look-and-feel to the rest of our portfolio, helping attract new customers
- WIN Studios, which produces an end-to-end solution for all types of games, from roulette, to slots, to blackjack. These games are live in over 80 countries
- Eurobet Studio, which develops games for all Entain Italian brands plus other territories such as Belgium and the USA. It is based in Rome, Italy and Hyderabad, India and the games portfolio supports all types of games, including slot machines, table, and dice games
Our in-house studios have been responsible for six of the top twenty slot titles across Entain brands over the past 12 months. Well Well Well, Bigger Banker, Lock of the Irish and Gold Fish Fortunes are just four games developed in-house which have gone on to be more successful and engaging than our top-performing third-party content. Also in the last three months (June – August), three of the top five BetMGM slot games came from Win Studios.
As customers love our games, it’s important to keep releasing titles and expanding brands and franchises that are particularly popular with players.
Bigger Banker, for example, launched earlier this year. It’s live in ten markets and has been an instant hit. It takes the well-loved and innovative Big Banker mechanic (which continues to be one of the most popular games across our online slots sites and the wider market) to the next level with chances of multiple pot-style big wins and a totally new look-and-feel.
The results speak for themselves… Bigger Banker has consistently sat in the top ten of all games (9,000+) offered across our 30+ online casino brands since launching in May 2022. The game has proved to be a smash hit with players (both new and existing) across Entain brands, with more than three million customers entering the vault to date.
Live is alive and thriving
We’ve had live casino games for over ten years now, but 2022 is the first year that we’ve introduced a brand new game variant – live dealer gameshows.
To create a point of differentiation, we didn’t reinvent roulette or blackjack, but instead, launched Well Well Well LIVE. We took a popular slots game developed in-house by CR Games, and together with our partner, Playtech, reimagined it into a new live experience that has seen instant appeal.
We knew Well Well Well LIVE was going to succeed early on, as we could see that the number of returning customers was higher than that of the previous top two performing gameshows, showing that not only have customers tried the game, but they’ve come back to play again. Having launched in April 2022, it’s taking on an average 25 million bets each month.
We’re ambitious about continuing to innovate in this new world, which is why we also recently launched Starzle – a spin-the-wheel gameshow – in partnership with Bet Games TV. It’s about bringing our customers into a world we’ve brought to life with real people, where they can engage with dealers, move through the studio, and experience more of the world that we have created.
The projections for live casino over the next five years are incredibly strong, and it’s an area we want to lead the market on, grow the product vertical by investing in it, and actively get new customers to try it. That’s how we define success.
The Entain difference
Entain has the capacity to innovate at scale and create a bespoke experience for our customers. We build games, learn from them, iterate them and give customers a great product and experience. Our data-centric and customer-led approach is paramount to that success.
Quiz
Quiz
Alright, let’s put your knowledge to the test. And remember, no scrolling up for answers!
Dominic Grounsell
Deputy Managing Director Digital at Entain
Also in the UK, Ladbrokes recently launched a new customer initiative, called ‘Ladbrokes Amplify TM’. This new entertainment feature allows football fans to stream music content and gain exclusive access to gigs and events, breaking down the barriers between betting, football, and other forms of entertainment. Ladbrokes has just launched ‘Free To Play TM’, a first in the marketplace, which provides customers with a central space to discover Ladbrokes’ range of free to play content.
bwin has a ground-breaking partnership with UEFA, beginning with the season across 2021 and 2022, to become an Official Partner of both the UEFA Europa League and the newly formed UEFA Europa Conference League. This three-season deal is prime endorsement of bwin’s position as a world leader in responsible sports betting and provides prominent branding presence in regulated betting markets around the globe. In the ‘21/’22 season, a total of 64 teams from 35 of UEFA’s 55 member associations participated in these two leading competitions in European football from the group stage onwards, covered by the partnership in matches which are broadcast worldwide.
So what does this mean?
As the Official Betting Partner, bwin will enjoy high visibility in both competitions, appearing on broadcast backdrops and in stadia where permitted, including on extensive perimeter advertising, as well as on the website and social media of these two UEFA competitions.
To mark the partnership, bwin has launched a new dedicated website to highlight the range of tools bwin provides to help customers stay in full control of their gaming and promote bwin and Entain’s safer gambling initiatives.
