Ontario: How operators can rise above their rivals

David Natroshvili, Managing Partner at Spribe, says that online casinos and sportsbooks in Ontario should look to content to stand out from their competitors, with non-traditional games being a powerful differentiator

Ontario has emerged as one of the strongest online casino markets in North America. As we have recently approached the first anniversary of the province opening its doors to regulated, licensed online gambling for the first time, the staggering growth it has enjoyed is clear for all to see.

With so much opportunity on the table, it should come as no surprise that it’s quickly become highly competitive, with online sportsbook and casino brands having to get their elbows out. But this is a jurisdiction where there are restrictions on marketing and advertising, so they have to be boxed cleverly.

This means differentiation through product and experience, and this means having to focus on factors such as seamless onboarding, a smooth payments journey and the sort of personalisation found on entertainment platforms like Netflix.

Of course, content is another area in which casinos and sportsbooks can pull ahead of their competitors; looking beyond slots and table games to no traditional content like mines, plinko and crash games is an effective way of doing this.

By stocking such games, operators in Ontario can engage a much broader audience and, in particular, the highly lucrative but hard-to-reach Millennial and Post Millennial cohorts. These mobile and video game aficionados are keen to wager. Still, they are looking for games that provide greater input and higher levels of interaction than simply spinning the reels on a slot.

They’re also mobile-driven and only engage with entertainment activities via their smartphones. While slots are mobile friendly, most have been developed for desktop and retrofitted for mobile rather than being truly mobile first.

Crash games, on the other hand, meet and, in some cases, exceed the expectations of these players. Aviator, our flagship crash game with more than five million monthly active players, is a great example of content design specifically for mobile play. It delivers the fast-paced thrills players seek, with plenty of big-win potential, while being super lightweight and with a UI developed for smartphone engagement.

Aviator has also been engineered to get pulses racing while giving players an element of control over the game’s outcome. Once they have placed their bet, the plane takes off and climbs higher into the sky. As it does, a win multiplier continues to rise with it. Players must decide the right moment to cash out – do they take their accrued winnings or hold their nerve for a few seconds longer?

If they wait too long and the plane flies away, they forfeit their accrued winnings and original stake. It really is a high-octane entertainment experience that will be very soon captivating players in Ontario and beyond.

It’s vital for operators to understand that most players no longer want just to spin and win – and certainly those in the Millennial and Post Millennial categories. They want to engage with entertainment options that also provide social engagement and interaction, and this is often missing from online sports betting and casinos.

Crash games, however, offer social interaction in spades. These games are often multiplayer, with participants able to interact throughout their gaming session via the chat function. With Aviator, they can also see real-time wins and scores from other players and watch as they rise the leaderboard. This makes for a shared gaming/gambling experience.

Operators in Ontario can use crash games and non-traditional content to introduce players to their brands for the first time. Because they closely mimic mobile and video games, they appeal to a broad audience – a sizable chunk of which will not have played online slots or table games before. But once they are used to wagering on outcomes, they can be cross-sold to other games within the casino and, if available, to the operator’s sportsbook.

So how can operators in Ontario get the most out of non-traditional content such as crash games?

Positioning is important. They should be given their own tab as well as a prominent spot in the main lobby. Since Aviator and other turbo games have industry leading engagement and retention rates, it makes sense to promote these games in all channels. Free bets are especially powerful.

In competitive markets, retention is just as important as acquisition, and Ontario is no different. The good news is that non-traditional content can significantly reduce churn by giving existing players fresh content to enjoy and experiences to try.

The chat function is incredibly effective when it comes to boosting the length of playing sessions, and being able to drop bonuses directly into the chat takes this to the next level.

The Ontario market will undoubtedly grow over the coming 12 months, but as the market hots up, so will the competition. Operators that want to emerge victorious must constantly improve the player experience, and when it comes to content, this means stocking non-traditional content. Those that do will fly high above their rivals.