iGaming Latam 2024: How to Expand Your Player Base via F2P Games

As iGaming continues to grow throughout the LatAm continent, ambitious operators will be keen to build up their core customer base and introduce new games to keep this dynamic market entertained. However, with iGaming being a relatively nascent concept in many parts of the region it can be a challenge to introduce new games to the LatAm consumers while still maximising engagement.

Imran Bukhari, CEO of NE Group believes that F2P games are the key to expanding your LatAm player base with minimal risk. Read below as he explores the key benefits of F2P games and most importantly, how they can be leveraged to sustain the future growth of the LatAm iGaming market.

How do F2P Games expand an operator’s customer base in Latin America?

“NE Games, with an extensive portfolio of lightweight and engaging F2P sports titles, is well-positioned to attract potential customers in Latin America. These F2P games are not only lightweight but easy to plug in. F2P offers numerous advantages to operators in building community and expanding their reach by offering attractive referrals and bonuses.

“Games focused around football and other major sports foster a community atmosphere, encouraging word-of-mouth referrals and organically expanding the operator’s reach across the region. The user signup rate for websites or apps featuring our F2P games significantly surpasses that of traditional content or betting sites, a trend the gaming industry is increasingly recognizing.

“F2P games are quick to adapt to customer demands. Unlike paid games, which require laborious moderation, F2P titles can be rapidly updated and brought into app stores. This agility allows NE Games to continually tailor games to operator needs, ensuring consistently high engagement.”

How do NE Group’s F2P games drive user engagement and time spent on operator platforms in Latin American markets? 

“NE Group’s F2P games create immersive experiences, keeping users engaged through interactive gameplay and competitions. Incorporating gamification features like leaderboards, challenges, and rewards ensures sustained engagement and time spent on an operator’s platform.

“Varying the game mechanics to ensure there is always an exciting game on offer is one of the keys to increasing dwell time on a site. The depth of NE Games’ titles means all sports fans are catered to. Games based on real sporting outcomes include the prediction games Pick6, Football Match Predictor and Football Jackpots while fans of virtual sport can be engrossed in Penalty Shootout, V League or Virtual Catch The Trend or Defender. Additional game titles and concepts are regularly launched by NE Games, so players are guaranteed an exciting collection of games to choose from.

“Players are encouraged to visit operator sites by a variety of tools including the use of coins as rewards. Visiting or logging in can gain these coins so players are always incentivised to engage regularly with sites.”

In what other ways can F2P games complement marketing strategies in the context of Latin American audiences? 

“Having contact with users without being intrusive is something sports and casino sites struggle with, but our live sports games achieve as users are keen to receive information relating to how their selections are doing. Unsubscribe rates from SMS or email campaigns that use game information relating to Pick 6, Hit 6, Match Predictor and Football Jackpots are very low which confirms users are highly engaged and want to interact with our messages.

“By using intelligent tracking and tagging we can complement the marketing goals of operators by funnelling players into groups with shared interests. This ensures each individual user interacts with the games and content that best resonates with them which increases time on a site and ensures the user remains engaged.

“We have identified one constant struggle for all the operators out there is to develop the connection with customers. The way we are trying to solve this problem is to offer information sharing on live sports games which will keep the customers active and engaged.

“Our engagement rates on the list of subscribers through emails and messages are quite significant on games like Pick 6, Hit 6, Match Predictor and Football Jackpots which motivates us to keep innovating our information sharing models.”

How can operators addressing the Latam market use F2P games to enhance data collection and boost SEO? 

“F2P games are a goldmine for data collection. As they do not cost the player financially, there is a greater feeling of positivity towards them and willingly providing personal information (name, email, phone number etc) when registering. Offering something for free builds positive sentiment seen within articles and review sites that in turn enhance reputation.“By analysing in-game behaviour data, preferences, and engagement patterns, operators can gain valuable insights into player preferences, facilitating personalised marketing strategies.

“Additionally, the lure of free games and prizes leads players to happily give personal information (name, email, phone number etc) when registering which can be ethically used to enhance future marketing campaigns.

“Leveraging SEO-friendly tactics, such as optimising game descriptions with relevant keywords and generating engaging content around the games through blogs or videos, can significantly boost the visibility of these games in search engine results, consequently driving organic traffic to the operator’s platforms.

“Players are more likely to share names, URLs, and links of free games, increasing the chance of creating backlinks. There is also an increased chance of social sharing, not only through organic word of mouth but because NE Games give brands the option to add coins or bonuses from referrals which can be shared on Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and other social networks.”