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The Dynamics of No-Deposit Bonuses in Canada: Insights from Christoffer Ødegården
Casinos frequently offer no-deposit bonuses to attract new players, but how many of those who sign up become loyal members? Are they a net benefit, or do they cause issues when it comes to retention and financial sustainability?
To learn more about no-deposit bonuses, we contacted Christoffer Ødegården, the Head of Marketing at Bojoko.ca, a leading online casino affiliate platform. In this interview, he offers insights into the benefits, challenges, and best practices associated with no-deposit bonuses, providing a nuanced understanding of how operators can effectively leverage these promotions to enhance their market presence and player engagement.
Yeva: No-deposit bonuses are a significant draw for players. From an operator’s standpoint, what are the primary benefits of offering such promotions?
No-deposit bonuses are powerful magnets for attracting new players. Tens of thousands of Canadians actively search for these offers every month, and you can instantly appeal to casual players through ads, both on and off the web. By eliminating the initial financial commitment, operators lower the entry barrier, inviting a broader audience to explore their platform.
This strategy is fantastic for getting eyes on your brands and, depending on the quality of your offer, getting hundreds or possibly thousands of Canadians to sign up within a very short time span. If you are looking for a tool to get players in the door and showcase what you do, no offer is more effective, but there are also obvious downsides.
Yeva: Very true. While these bonuses attract players, retention remains a challenge. How can operators convert these initial engagements into long-term loyalty?
While it may sound a little vague, the most important thing is to deliver a high-quality gaming experience. Get that first impression right. If you don’t catch their interest before they have spent their no-deposit offer, they are probably not coming back. Of course, many of these players are just there for the offer and won’t be back no matter what, but you have to make your best case to everyone looking for a new home.
The basics should be there, i.e., a big game library, a user-friendly interface, solid customer support, etc., but you need to do better than that. Ensure you have a retention strategy, whether regular promotions, loyalty schemes, tournaments, gamification, or all four. Your offers should be so visible that even those speeding through have to stop and pay attention. If you can show that your website offers true value, a portion of your new members will stay, and the offer will have been worthwhile.
Yeva: In the context of affiliate marketing, how do no-deposit bonuses influence an operator’s visibility and appeal?
I mentioned earlier that tens of thousands of Canadians are looking for these options, and thousands of them are landing on our page showcasing free signup bonus offers at no-deposit casino sites. Here, they compare their offer and rush to claim the most exciting. Simply being present here will impact new registrations.
By featuring attractive no-deposit bonuses, you can also stand out on all our other relevant lists and break away from the competition. Very often, casino offers are mostly the same, so anything you have to set yourself apart from your competition will be to your advantage. Of course, this can also be done with higher percentage bonuses and a number of other solutions.
Yeva: Given their popularity, are there any challenges or risks associated with offering no-deposit bonuses?
There’s a very obvious risk of attracting bonus hunters—players who claim the bonus without intending to engage long-term. There is no real solution not to expose yourself here, and the solution is to appeal to the rest of the players who sign up. Of course, you can and should safeguard yourself with wagering requirements, max win conditions, max bet limits, etc., to ensure you are not wide open to hit-and-run abuse.
However, that hit-and-run risk is there even with players who are not all-out bonus hunters, as they generally need to be wow-ed to stay. Remember my advice from earlier and focus on retention. Know how to keep as many of your new players as possible and monitor the data throughout your offer period to make adjustments where needed.
Yeva: How do no-deposit bonuses compare to other promotional strategies in terms of effectiveness and return on investment?
Due to their low entry barrier, no-deposit bonuses are particularly effective for initial player acquisition. However, their return on investment depends on the operator’s ability to convert these players into depositing customers.
Other promotions, such as deposit match bonuses or loyalty rewards, may offer better ROI in terms of player retention and lifetime value. I would say that adding a 200% welcome bonus or a higher percentage is a much more cost-effective way to draw in FTDs. It is also possible to gain access to thousands of Canadian players by simply adding niche payment methods. Even listing your payout percentage can have an effect on FTDs.
If you are looking for easy wins, just reach out to your affiliate partners and ask what features they see bring in the most FTDs, and get yourself placed on the relevant pages. At least here at Bojoko, we are very happy to share insights with our affiliate partners and help them reach more players.
Company: Bojoko
Interviewee: Christoffer Ødegården
Date: 29.11.2024
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