This is a guest contribution by Amelia Cassiday of BingoSites.co.uk. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.
Online bingo remains a hugely popular online gambling vertical in markets all around the world with plenty of opportunities still be unlocked for operators.
This is certainly the case for those looking to enter new and emerging markets and especially those where there is an established and thriving land-based bingo market.
This is because players in new online gambling jurisdictions seek out games they are already familiar with from retail gaming for reassurance that the site they are playing at is reputable.
This can foster incredible trust with the online gambling brand offering bingo games and as the market matures and player confidence grows, provides the chance to cross-sell to other verticals.
So, what markets look set to offer online gambling operators the most upsides when it comes to using online bingo to build brand awareness and earn the trust of players?
Below, I list my top three:
North America:
Many see North America as one of the largest online gambling markets in the world and as legal sports betting, casino and poker rolls out across the country, the optimists will not be wrong.
While the focus is undoubtedly on sports betting – land-based, online and mobile – bingo looks set to play a huge role in states where online casino is also legal.
In New Jersey, for example, operators such as Pala Casino, Virgin Casino and Tropicana Casino already offer players a range of online bingo games.
This has helped these brands port land-based players online for the first time while also providing other online players with additional games to try.
In these legal gambling states, bingo is also helping introduce players to mobile casino play as the game works perfectly on smartphone and tablet devices.
And as in other established online casino markets such as the U.K., operators are then able to cross-sell their bingo players into online slots and table games.
As the U.S. market matures, I expect online bingo to be a driving force behind online casino growth.
Germany:
While still a grey market, Germany remains hugely attractive to online gambling operators with many already accepting players from the country.
Online sports betting and casino remain the largest verticals, but bingo is a hugely popular online gambling category in its own right.
As momentum builds towards the market becoming regulated and licensed in 2021, an explosion in online bingo play is highly likely.
Operators looking to leverage this potential should seize the first mover advantage and consider launching online bingo in Germany now.
As with other large gambling markets around the world, the most successful operators are those that offer players a wide range of gambling options.
So online casino, sports betting and poker are a must, but bingo is just as important. Those seeking dominance in a regulated German market absolutely must offer players bingo games.
Japan:
Another grey market when it comes to online gambling, the country is making strides with regulating its land-based gambling sector.
The government is in the process of receiving applications from gambling organisations seeking a licence to build one of three integrated resorts in the country.
As we have seen in other markets around the world, the step from land-based gambling to online is a natural one and I anticipate Japan to go down this route in the coming years.
The appetite for gaming and gambling is high across the country, especially when it comes to pachinko, lottery and to a lesser extent, sports betting.
Pachinko is a mechanical arcade game that players can also place bets on. While different to slot games, it appeals to the same type of player.
With bingo and slots players being closely aligned, the former is a great we for online gambling brands looking to expand into Asia to engage players and build brand equity.
Indeed, some online gambling operators are already offering online bingo games to players in Japan and as the land-based market further establishes itself, I expect more to follow.
Lessons learnt from established bingo markets:
Those launching online bingo sites in new and emerging jurisdictions should look to established markets to see if there are any lessons that can be learned.
Localisation is always key, especially when it comes to bingo game formats – in Japan, for example, the 75-ball variant is hugely popular while in New Jersey 90-ball bingo is most popular.
Operators should also think about localised payment options – in Africa, pay by mobile is big while in New Jersey eWallets help to overcome issues with banks blocking debit card transactions.
If operators are able to nail these factors and enter new and emerging markets now, it looks set to be a new dawn for online bingo that will see a huge surge in player participation.
About the author
Amelia Cassiday, from BingoSites.co.uk, looks at three emerging markets where online bingo will be a major vertical.
