The UK is the biggest iGaming market in the world, and staying ahead of the competition requires innovative strategies and a keen understanding of player preferences.
One such innovative approach is leveraging payment methods as advertising opportunities. To shed light on this intriguing concept, we sat down with Joonas Karhu, CEO of Bojoko, one of the UK’s leading iGaming affiliates.
In this interview, Karhu explains how specific payment methods can unlock new advertising channels, attract players, and ultimately drive traffic to casinos. We will also explore how niche payment methods, despite their smaller user base, can offer significant advantages by reducing competition and enhancing visibility for casinos.
Can you explain how payment methods have evolved into advertising opportunities in the iGaming industry?
Traditionally, casinos focused mainly on bonuses to attract players. However, over time, this has expanded. All online casinos offer bonuses, and many players care about completely different things first, such as the game selection or, indeed, the deposit and withdrawal methods available.
We’ve noticed a growing trend in which players prioritise specific payment methods due to convenience, security, and familiarity. These players will first look for casinos with their regular payment method and then compare them based on their bonuses and features.
This shift has opened up new advertising channels, as simply having a payment method and utilising this information can get you new sign-ups.
The most obvious example is how affiliates, like Bojoko, now tend to have a dedicated page for the casinos offering each payment method. Our regular users will specifically go to these pages to find the next casino they’ll sign up to and ensure that the brand allows them to use PayPal, Siru, Neosurd, or whichever method they tend to use.
However, it is not just our regular users. Brits are actively searching for casinos with their payment method of choice on Google. This means you can also use paid search as well, though I should add that most players want to compare brands before they sign up, so affiliates will have the advantage in both paid and organic search.
What is essential is that UK casinos know what payment methods Brits use and ensure that they are not just present on their website but also let players know this through affiliate marketing. A brand that makes the right choices here can enjoy a large increase in new members and deposits.
That’s fascinating. Can you tell us more about how Bojoko utilises these dedicated pages to drive traffic and why they are effective?
When players land on our dedicated payment method pages, they find a curated list of casinos that meet their criteria. These pages are highly effective because they address a specific need and simplify the decision-making process for players. Instead of sifting through countless casinos, players can quickly compare relevant options and choose the one that best suits their needs. This targeted approach enhances the user experience and drives highly qualified traffic to our partner casinos.
The effect of these pages is especially key when you have a niche payment method, such as Siru, for instance. If you look at our overview of casinos that accept Siru mobile payments in the UK, we only have 7 brands listed at the moment. While Siru is obviously a relatively small payment method, it is one that Brits use, and the competition here will be very low.
When UK casinos ask us how they can increase their conversions through us, one of the first suggestions we give them is to include niche payment methods such as Siru, Boku, Neosurf, etc., as the competition is lower, and it is so much easier to stand out and be seen.
Of course, the number of Siru casinos will increase. There was a time when PayPal was a small casino payment method, not too long ago. Then casinos realised they were losing money by not having it. The same is the case here, and the earlier a casino adopts the more players they can convert.
How does Bojoko ensure that players have access to the best casinos for their preferred payment methods?
We continuously update our pages to include the latest and best options available for each payment method. Our team rigorously reviews and vets each casino to ensure they meet our high standards for security, fairness, and quality of service. This meticulous approach ensures that players can trust the recommendations they find on Bojoko and feel confident in their choices.
Additionally, we give players the power of choice through our quick filters. These allow players to quickly see each brand’s bonuses, wagering requirements, game providers, etc. They can simply start adding the features that make up their wishlist, and our list will quickly be trimmed down, leaving only the exact matches. Of course, with more niche payment methods, there might not be a casino that matches your exact wishlist, but you can at least make it as close as possible.
How do you see the role of payment methods evolving in the future of iGaming advertising?
The role of payment methods in iGaming advertising is only going to grow. As players continue prioritising convenience and security, we can expect more casinos to adopt a wider variety of payment options. This will create even more opportunities for targeted advertising and specialised marketing strategies. And let’s just put it this way, if the UKGC ever starts to allow cryptocurrencies in Gambling, this will explode even further.
At Bojoko, we are committed to staying at the forefront of these trends and providing players with the best possible resources to find their ideal gaming experiences. We are also committed to providing our operator partners with the insights needed to not just stay on top of the trends but be ahead of them so that they can maximise their conversion potential.
