Welcome to episode two of our five-part Betting Hero Consumer Insight series. In this week’s edition, we explore common consumer frustrations that can lead to poor loyalty across leading sportsbooks in North America.
Last week, we highlighted the challenges consumers face when registering for a new account and the issues they encounter during the funding and betting process. Based on our insights, even the most active and valuable bettors experience obstacles that prevent them from fully engaging with their preferred sportsbooks, resulting in low customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Customer acquisition remains a challenge for sportsbook operators, as any difficulties in the customer journey can deter bettors from completing their registration and initial funding process. To ensure a healthy and sustainable industry, all key stakeholders, including operators, affiliates, payments companies, geolocation companies, and technology companies, need to collaborate in retaining successful bettors.
Our research division conducted a recent study analyzing the daily behaviors of 720 sports bettors across three US states and one Canadian province. The study revealed various frustrations impacting their choices of sportsbooks. It appears that most bettors spread their bets across multiple platforms, depending on their specific needs and preferences.
In terms of frustrations, 44% of respondents mentioned a lack of ongoing promotions as a major concern, which may explain why they registered for an average of 3.5 accounts each. Technical issues were also a common gripe, with 30% of respondents mentioning problems such as unresponsive apps or the inability to place bets. Other frustrations included a lack of betting options (23%), poor UX/UI design (20%), deposit and withdrawal issues (17%), and poor customer service (14%).
When asked about their willingness to switch sportsbook apps, 77% of respondents expressed a readiness to leave their current preferred app, indicating a lack of loyalty. This is significant considering that 64% of respondents registered for three or more accounts, suggesting that consumers use different platforms and apps to fulfill their varying needs.
In the next episode, we will explore consumer perceptions of the leading sportsbooks in North America, focusing on brand awareness, app preference, and operator loyalty.
