Recent innovations in personalised and player segmentation tools are reshaping customer onboarding, loyalty marketing, and monitoring, offering operators deeper insights into behaviour and spending patterns. We spoke to Sonny Cott, Chief Insights Officer at beBettor, and John Smith, VP of Sales – Gamification and Loyalty at Xtremepush, about how these tools have the power to significantly increase retention, reduce churn and boost profits.
In what ways have CRM and segmentation tools evolved in recent years?
SC: “CRM and segmentation tools have evolved enormously, and platforms can now analyse vast amounts of data almost instantly. With the progression of machine learning and AI, reacting to player behaviour, frequency of play and spending habits is quicker and easier than ever before, enabling marketing and CRM teams to engage players in much more personalised and intelligent ways.
“Yet the latest evolution of segmentation technologies, such as player wealth scores, can provide even deeper insights into a player’s capacity to engage. They are an example of how player segmentation is moving beyond basic measures to deliver a truly holistic understanding of the player, which ultimately improves engagement, retention and lifetime value of an operator’s most valuable customers, while enabling promotional investments to be assigned more effectively.”
JS: “The most successful CRM and loyalty marketing tools now leverage AI to allow for more granular player segmentation. Operators gain the best results by using real-time platforms that ingest and process data instantly, allowing them to craft superior life cycle journeys through a unified solution.
“AI-powered segmentation has shifted from rigid approaches to flexible tools, enabling operators to fine-tune strategies based on precise audience behaviours and market conditions. As competition increases and technology continues to advance, the emphasis is now on providing operators with a modern, proven suite of tools to create unique customer experiences.”
What challenges do providers face when seeking to develop products that help operators discover more about their players?
JS: “Providers must move beyond standardised metrics and pre-defined reports, offering customisable advanced reporting, dashboards and computations. Developing real-time platforms that integrate various data sources without fragmenting the customer journey is crucial, while overcoming the limitations of ‘black box’ AI, by providing transparent and operator-controlled decision-making, is a key challenge. Additionally, ensuring seamless integration of gamification into CRM platforms, while maintaining a customer-centric mindset, requires balancing technological innovation with human expertise. Our approach is to offer modular products that each complement the overall drive to boost retention and understand the customer on a granular level.”
SC: “The biggest challenge for any operator is to have the capability to look beyond their own data. Players engage with multiple brands nowadays and so to make decisions based only on player engagement data on their own platform can be suboptimal. Accessing and integrating player wealth data is one way to measure a player’s total capacity to engage, regardless of their prior engagement on their platform.”
How are next-generation personalisation and segmentation tools transforming traditional approaches to customer onboarding and ongoing player monitoring?
SC: “Next-gen tools segmentation tools are changing the face of player onboarding by enabling immediate, personalised experiences. Unlike traditional segmentation methods, which can take days or weeks to create, tools such as wealth scores, allow operators to segment players instantly, meaning CRM teams can vary their use of promotions, free bets and bonuses more intelligently. This proactive approach allows operators to understand player potential early, focusing on retention of high wealth players rather than taking a blanket approach to acquisition, which can be expensive. By combining wealth and behavioural data, CMOs can see a more holistic view of player preferences and their capacity to spend more, and pivot to optimise their strategies and maximise players’ LTV.”
JS: “Next-gen tools enable highly personalised customer journeys. They move beyond basic bonuses, focusing on dynamic, data-driven gamification that is aimed at engaging specific players. Personalisation is key, with our gamification tools, like Loyalty Lobby and Pick ’ems, proven to boost active players by 41%. Real-time AI adapts to player behaviour, triggering rewards based on actions. Social gamification, with leaderboards and community jackpots, caters to younger demographics.This shift creates bespoke experiences, turning casual users into brand advocates, and boosting retention by up to 50%. Additionally, in terms of player monitoring, segmentation tools can help operators understand if and when a customer is exhibiting problematic behaviour and provide a timely intervention.”
How can operators effectively implement these solutions without creating excessive friction for customers?
JS: “Effective implementation requires building a seamless experience for players in the first instance. Real-time data processing allows for immediate, personalised offers, avoiding delays that frustrate both operators and players. Gathering insightful data should never be a burden for the end user.
“Operators can move from push-based to trigger-based campaigns, where rewards align with specific behaviours. By offering free-to-play experiences that gather valuable player insights, operators are showing players they understand what they need, enhancing communication and loyalty. This prioritises relevant, timely experiences, minimising friction and fostering long-term engagement.”
SC: “Effective implementation balances data analysis while protecting the user experience. Combining first-party behavioural data with trusted third-party data sources minimises friction. Personalisation should enhance the player journey, offering relevant content and promotion that appeal to a specific segment of the player base. By focusing on value-added personalisation, tailored specifically to an individual’s financial capacity and behaviour, operators can leverage these solutions without creating unnecessary friction in the player journey. The most effective segmentation tools work quickly in the background with no impact on player enjoyment.”
