What’s the deal with casino sister sites?

Gaming Newsroom investigates the rise in player demand for online casino sister sites and the opportunities this emerging trend opens up.

PlayOJO has changed the game for online casino in the UK market. When it made its debut in 2017, it made clear it was doing things differently. Positioned as the “fair online casino” it did away with wagering requirements on its bonuses and set a new standard for transparency and trust.

It pioneered a never-before-seen before rewards system with players earning cashback on every spin whether it was a win or not. And this accumulated cashback could be withdrawn at any time without players having to complete a wagering requirement.

It was revolutionary stuff that helped to catapult PlayOJO into the top tier of casino brands in the UK, a position it has maintained ever since.

It’s no surprise that players have been searching for online casinos that offer a similar experience to PlayOJO, and this has led to the online casino sister sites phenomenon.

Sister sites are simply online casinos powered by the same platform as another brand. So, in the case of PlayOJO, players are looking for other SkillOnNet brands to play at. This is because these sites offer the same core experience as OJO but with a different theme and bonus offer.

Martyn Hannah, Managing Director of Comparasino, the online casino comparison site for UK players, says demand for sister sites is high and rising as new brands hit the market.

“PlayOJO kick-started the sister sites revolution but since then we have seen players searching for other brands and their related sites including L&L Europe’s All British Casino and BetVictor’s white label casino brands including Heart Bingo.

“These players have had a great experience with the parent brand and want to try a sibling site they know will meet their expectations but with enough differences to keep the experience exciting and fresh.

“PlayOJO might have been the catalyst for this, but even with relatively new brands such as Jammy Monkey we are seeing players search for its sister sites.”

The demand for casino sister sites is undoubtedly beneficial to the platform providers behind these brands as they can attract players to the casinos across their network. SkillOnNet, for example, powers more than 30 brands in regulated markets across the world.

The challenge for each brand is to deliver a similar player experience but one that is sufficiently different for it to stand out from the parent brand and its other sister sites.

The obvious way operators do this is to come up with unique themes and designs – L&L Europe’s brands cover everything from a pub-themed casino (aptly named Pub Casino) to one that takes players into the depths of the Arctic (Yeti Casino).

Beyond this, operators often come up with their own welcome offers as this is a strong value proposition over their rivals.

But while it’s important for brands to be different, Comparasino.com’s Hannah says the key to a successful online casino sister site is actually in the similarities between them.

“The whole notion behind sister sites is that players are looking for a new online casino that offers a similar experience to one they are already playing at, and this is why operators need to ensure the core player experience is the same.

“This means stocking the lobby with the same slots, casino, table, bingo, instant win, crash and live dealer titles while ensuring the cashier offers the same payment methods. If the parent site offers small deposits, the sister site must too. If the parent delivers fast payouts, the sister site must match it.”

If operators can strike the balance between offering a similar experience to the parent brand while also providing a little magic of their own, they can absolutely tap into the demand for sister site casinos and leverage the popularity of the parent brand.

For new online casinos, there’s an opportunity to become the parent brand if they are able to set the standard for others to follow as PlayOJO did.

Ultimately, the sister sites trend remains relatively untapped by operators and platform providers but with thousands of related searches each month it’s one they absolutely should look to explore.

“Let’s not forget that players searching for sister sites are highly likely to convert if they can find brands that offer enough of the same as the parent but also a few USPs of their own,” Hannah says.

“For me, I would do this through no wagering bonuses and instant payouts as Comparasino data shows these are key factors players consider when deciding where to play.”

So, there you have it. Online casino sister sites – the player trend you probably didn’t know existed but definitely should look to tap into.