Cutthroat competition led a Cambodian casino operator to branch out into the online live dealer software business and the company claims business has never been better.
Jonny Ferrari (pictured), managing director of Start Live Casino, recently told the Phnom Penh Post that tough competition among the dozen or so casinos in Bavet on Cambodia’s border with Vietnam led the Lucky89 Group to consider other ways to boost business at its two licensed casino operations.
Ferrari said Lucky89 originally hired an outside company to launch an online live dealer casino operation from its brick-and-mortar venues. However, frustrations in getting the vendors to improve the product to Lucky89’s specifications ultimately led the company to develop its own software platform.
Encouraged by the success of its in-house product, Start Live began pitching other casinos on the benefits of adding a live-dealer option. Ferrari said the keys to winning new clients and retaining online customers were threefold: “fast connections, zero problems for the player and easy payouts.”
Start Live charges its casino customers 3% of their online profits, although the company is also open to profit-sharing arrangements with new customers. Start Live is currently providing online casino, sports betting and lottery services for 11 international clients who the company claims generate average revenue of $2m per month.
Live-dealer online casinos are particularly popular in Asia, where mistrust of random number generated (RNG) casino products remains high. However, the popularity of online live-dealer is growing worldwide, and Start Live’s clients include Kenya’s Lucky2U, which added a Start Live Casino site to complement its original sports betting product.
Lucky2U owner Dunstan Santa Maria said his new Start Live-powered ibet789 site immediately proved more popular with his clients than the original online casino site. Santa Maria praised the online platform for cutting overhead, offering greater insights into customer habits and for boosting his bottom line.
