iGB Marketplace Directory 2016/17 | Page 81

INSURANCE players the chance to win mega jackpots, for ultimate stand-out and customer engagement. The advantage of insurance is that it can be used to cover jackpots for almost any game of chance and even certain skill-related games. For example we have insured jackpots for Lotteries, Bingo, Poker, Slots, Roulette, Blackjack, Keno, Scratch Card and Sports games and promotions...illustrating why insurance plays a key part in the future of online gaming. Insured jackpots as part of a wider campaign Insured jackpot prizes are predominantly used as part of wider promotional marketing, loyalty and player reward campaigns in the online gaming sector. The main objectives tend to be to give the brand an edge over the competition and keep players interested in and loyal to the brand. Most existing promotions run by gaming brands are pedestrian and add little value for the player. Running a prize draw on your site offering to give away one holiday to Las Vegas will definitely attract some entries and yes, you will get a winner – but it’s not very exciting and won’t do much for player development, retention or loyalty. However, even big global consumer brands use promotional marketing tactics such as the free prize draw (the industry is unfortunately rife with them!) but having analysed such mechanics in the Promotional Marketing industry for the last 30 years, we know how many entries these tend to get, and therefore know they are not doing much to enhance customers perception of a brand. With a bit of creativity and a similar budget, a prize promotion with an insurance-backed jackpot could offer players multiple chances to win while at the same time creating a way for brands to engage customers and build a relationship. Evolution in the industry Back in 2000 PIMS-SCA took their experience of working with big US gaming brands and Sponsored by integrated it with the online gaming industry. It certainly wasn’t easy to get online gaming companies to accept the principle of using insurance to cover jackpots for both free-to-play promotions and pay-to-play jackpot games – despite the fact that it is now 16 years since we paid out the first £1million prize from a purely online lottery game. Today however, there is a burgeoning interest in jackpot insurance as astute operators recognise the financial benefits that insurance can bring. The use of jackpot insurance to cover big prize payouts is most prevalent in the secondary lottery business. The majority of the big operators who take bets on the outcome of national or state lotteries and match the official payouts, are using insurance in one form or another to cover their exposure. As well as transferring the risk of a big payout to insurance underwriters, the other big advantage is that it helps the operators to maximise their margins. So whether you are looking for a high value jackpot to drive players online / into land-based venues, or protection against the volatility of occasional and unusually high exposures, PIMSSCA’s Prize Insurance minimises the financial outlay and exposure from the start. Contact: Matt Butcher – PIMS-SCA First Floor, Dudley House, 169 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9EH T: 020 7255 7900 E: [email protected] www.pims-sca.com Marketplace 2016/17 | 81