Problems online casino operators face and mistakes they make

Imagine starting an online casino project, investing huge sums of money, preparing a sophisticated business strategy, and hiring a full team. Imagine obtaining software and games, creating a proper marketing strategy, and, finally, launching the project. Then imagine failing. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but talking about worst-case scenarios is necessary in order to avoid them.

RUNNING AN ONLINE CASINO IS A BIG DEAL

An online casino is a massive, time-consuming project that demands serious financial investment. Online gambling platforms require extensive and painstaking planning, but when thinking about what features to include and strategies to use, operators should also consider which ones to avoid. Everyone makes mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t minimize your risks.

Building up a reputation might take a long time and a lot of money, but ruining it can be quick and easy. So, once you are up and running, you’ll want to avoid any slip-ups, which is why you should know where a problem can appear in advance: it’s better to prevent problems than solve them. With our extensive experience developing and launching online casinos, the Slotegrator team is here to guide you through an analysis of what problems and mistakes can get in the way — and how to steer clear of them.

THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES OPERATORS MAKE

While platform errors or technical problems often arise during day-to-day operation and need to be fixed immediately, some mistakes (maybe more costly ones) are made during planning or launch. These need as much attention as technical issues, as missteps during planning stages can affect user experience and the effectiveness of the platform in general.

WEBSITE CONTENT

No detailed description of rules

When looking for a site to play on, both new and experienced players like to read as much information about the platform and games as possible to make sure they understand the rules of the game, as well as the casino’s terms and conditions. Providing information about deposits, withdrawals, and payouts, bonuses and promotional tools such as free spins and jackpots, settings and payment method options, language, currency, etc. is crucial for online casino operators, as it makes players feel safe, secure, and taken care of. This is key to building player trust — and increasing retention rates.

The player journey on your platform should be clear, simple, and enjoyable. Math should be simple, bonuses and game choice tailored to player’s habits and preferences. Don’t expect them to ask additional questions — provide all information yourself.

Poor localization

Players usually prefer online casino platforms to be available in many different languages. It is easier for them to navigate the website and understand the rules when they can read them in their native language. To attract players from various countries, casinos localize their content for each audience. However, a poorly localized website does nothing for a casino’s reputation. Grammatical and stylistic mistakes discourage users from playing: it can cause them to mistrust the platform, find it unprofessional, or misunderstand the texts. If you do not have professional translators or copywriters, outsource the work to a reputable firm, or only present your site in as many languages as you can translate accurately.

No policy and information about the platform & its licenses

Users come to play on your platform. They spend time and money there, entertain themselves, and socialize. In order to do so, they need to trust the platform and those who organized the gambling project. Online casino platforms are not something you can physically observe, so they need to give users comprehensive information to avoid misunderstandings and build trust. Players should know their finances are safe and secure on the platform, so it is always a good idea to publish information about licenses and certificates, making such information easily accessible.

USER EXPERIENCE

No mobile version available

Mobile gambling revenue has already reached over $63 billion — and as the fastest-developing sector in the gambling industry, you can bet revenues will only keep growing. As a society, we have moved nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives to our mobile devices, making the most of the speed and convenience they present. Our phones allow us to communicate, entertain ourselves, and work more efficiently, and they’ve proved to be so effective at all three that they are now an integral part of our lives. People across the globe like playing on smartphones, and they get frustrated when this option is not provided. Keep this in mind while working on your software and buying gaming content for your platform: give your target players what they are used to. If game developers are increasingly releasing mobile-friendly (and even mobile-first) titles, you should make sure your platform follows suit.

Poor design

Some online casino operators cut corners when it comes to their website’s design, assuming the nuts and bolts of the website itself won’t really matter as long as players have access to slots. However, players won’t be willing to deposit money on a website so poorly designed that it looks suspicious and sets off their alarm bells. A website should be visually appealing and easily navigable. Text should be easy to be read, and the overall color scheme should be pleasing to the eye, avoiding harsh, acidic colors in favor of a bright, inviting palette. Buttons should be obvious and easy to find, so that players can register or play in as few clicks as possible.

Inconvenient functions

Players will quickly leave an online casino if the website is complicated and inconvenient to use. The reason is simple: they’re looking for entertainment, not a puzzle. Once players open your online casino platform, they should immediately see or have easy access to everything they need. If players cannot find what they came for, they would rather search for another platform with all the available navigation and information readily available than waste their time hunting for a signup button.

Gambling platforms should provide easy access to registration and a list of games on the main page. Also, it is important that gamblers can easily find all relevant and necessary information about payouts on the website. Try to make all the necessary information open and clear, make navigation quick and easy, and keep registration and settings as simple as possible.

No user settings

The opportunity to set the color, auto mode limits, speed of spins, and background sound makes the gaming experience more engaging and immersive. This level of personalization encourages gamers to play, and when casinos don't offer user settings, they might lose clients. With today’s high level of competition and the number of online casinos growing every year, every operator should think of what unique features the project can offer to make it stand out.

However, some basic possibilities should always be there. Otherwise, why would the players come to you and not a competitor? Customer retention is complicated, and there are many details operators should know in order to keep their players interested. Following these basic rules will help gambling platforms keep their players.

Slow or unresponsive player support

A common complaint among players — and one that can get a casino blacklisted in player communities — is poor response to player complaints. The attention you pay to player support shows your attitude towards your users. Remember, the customer service team communicates directly with players, solving their problems and answering their questions, making them the ones who represent your online casino. Needless to say, their professionalism is crucial, as well as the speed and quality of their responses and problem-solving capabilities. Players often consider slow or unresponsive player support dissatisfying enough that they will go for another platform.

MARKETING

Poor marketing strategy

There are plenty of effective marketing strategies that can be used to go after your target market. One very popular marketing strategy for online casinos is to join affiliate programs. One powerful tool that casino operators can use is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. CRM systems collect very detailed user data which the operator can use to enhance user experiences by providing tailored offers and bonuses. Well-crafted email marketing and a high ranking in search engine results through SEO optimization are also very effective.

Operators are interested in returning players, so why not give them a reason to do so? Loyalty and VIP programs demonstrate to players that you appreciate them. They motivate them to keep coming back to your online casino platform by offering increasing rewards for developing a long-term relationship. Such programs are a very important part of many online casinos’ retention strategies.

No personalization

Make sure every player’s step is personalized — from game choice to visual elements. Players no longer agree to generic content and standard bonuses. We get personalized offers everywhere, why not expect the same attitude from online casino?

Limited marketing tools

Marketing tools such as free spins, tournaments, bonuses, jackpots, and other offers are made to increase player retention. Players might come back if they find the offers attractive enough, but there’s little chance of them returning if they’re offered nothing at all. Promotional options are provided by gaming content developers, and operators can choose which games and tools they would like to see on their platform. If one developer doesn’t provide free spins, it’s a good idea to provide content from another developer that does.

OFFER DIVERSITY

Limited portfolio of games

The iGaming industry is a highly competitive environment. Online casinos are becoming more and more sophisticated, user friendly, and diversified. If your iGaming platform does not offer a wide range of various content, including slots, table games, and live dealer games, it won’t be able to compete with the nearly infinite choice of websites on the same market.

Inconvenient or limited choice of payment methods

Payment is a crucial part of the whole process, both for the player and the casino. At this point, no mistake can be made; the process should be clear, convenient, client-oriented, and secure. But it must also allow a diverse choice of payment methods and providers — especially if your target audience demands it: no operator wants to lose players just because they weren’t able to make a payment.

THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS OPERATORS FACE

Online casinos demand constant support and maintenance. Even the best platforms lag sometimes, so operators should pay close attention to making sure things always run smoothly. The most important part is where it touches players directly: your users’ experience affects your casino’s reputation — and your profitability. Let’s look at the most common problems operators face.

Financial and payment

Among the most common problems with finance are withdrawal delays or errors, issues with deposit (like when players transfer money but don’t see their deposit made), account balance not displaying an actual deposit that was made, or bank refusing transactions.

There are several possible reasons these problems occur:

• Geo-restrictions
• KYC/AML check
• Restrictions on the side of payment provider
• Payment providers integration errors
• Manual processing of large payouts
• Errors in anti-fraud systems
• Operator’s insufficient liquidity

We can’t get rid of KYC checks, however there are things we can influence to minimize the risk of financial operational problems:

• Determine whether money was actually transferred from the player’s card or account, so the player often has to provide a cheque or a bank statementб contact the bank directly
• Examine the statistics and activity history — analyze player activity, such as what games he or she played, and how much they bet
• Specify the time frames of the withdrawal or deposit, since the transfer process could take anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the bank
• Check the status of the transaction and find out when the money should arrive in the player’s bank account.

In reality, doing all this manually will only lead to new problems. Focus on player support and make sure they know you are willing to help. The rest can be automated — AI-driven antifraud system, like the one we offer from Slotegrator, will help you quickly determine suspicious activity, and the payment providers’ issues can be solved by selecting methods most suitable for specific regions and business goals.

Technical and support

If players feel that the process can be interrupted at any moment, affecting their chances to win, they’ll lose faith in your casino. Technical errors can significantly slow down operation or negatively affect online casino reputation:

• The game froze while player was placing a bet
• Deposit is placed but bets don’t activate
• Winnings are not credited
• Slow technical support responses
• Player didn’t receive bonuses
• Connection lost

These problems normally happen because of poorly organized processes, server or integration issues, or low quality or outsourced support.

Security and compliance issues

KYC and AML checks, regulator’s requirements, and internal security issues are the most sensitive parts of online casino operation. Among the most common problems here are:

• Long verification time
• Poor automation and a lot of manual checks
• Fraud
• Account blocked due to country
• Account closing

Local regulations and mistakes in security settings, as well as complicated or poor KYC processes can lead to problems with fraud or law — either way it’s more than just reputational risks.

To avoid problems, complications, and lost profits, operators should think of creating a page answering frequently asked questions (FAQ) and describing everything that might interest players. This section can include any technical, organizational, and legal topic and help players through their problems, explaining every step of how to solve them.

There should also be a polite, professional, and responsive player support service that will always react to any users’ needs or questions and guide players through the platform. A platform’s success depends heavily on how safe a player feels there, how quickly he or she can have their concerns addressed, and how much information there is available for users.

Game process

Some games have features that discourage players or even lack necessary, convenient functions. As an operator, your task is to make sure you offer a wide choice of games so that your users never get bored and your online casino platform doesn’t get lost among the countless websites that are available today. Players always want easy access to games, and these are some of the most common complaints they have:

No autoplay button: Autoplay makes players’ lives easier. Most game providers offer this option, so its absence is very noticeable, and players will complain if it’s absent: they get tired and bored of having to constantly click the buttons, as most of them don’t like pauses and distractions from the gaming experience. The most basic features should always be available for players, since most platforms offer them, and you don’t want your online casino to be an unfortunate exception.

Impossible to skip intro: Animated intros only seem bright and interesting the first time you watch them. When players open the same game time after time, they normally want to skip the intro. Don't make the players wait through a video — they might easily leave before it’s even halfway done. Instead, give them what they came for; let them skip the annoying part and get straight to the actual game.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THEM?

While planning a business project, it’s common for operators to mainly focus on the financial, marketing, and organisational aspect of the online casino. However, many of them forget that at the end of the day, a casino’s reputation is made up of players’ attitudes. Making any of the mistakes outlined above could affect players’ perception of your brand. Knowing all the common mistakes operators make and problems they face is already a great part of planning, and planning is the best way to try and avoid such problems.

Contact our team to find out what gaming content will make your online casino more attractive, what payment methods are best to offer your target players, and what marketing tools will be most effective. Our managers also offer consultations on platform design, UX, and licensing.