The online gambling industry, comprising online casinos, sportsbooks and other gaming sites, has boomed in recent years. By 2025, the global market is expected to reach over $127 billion, more than double from 2020. However, the intense competition also means customer retention is a constant struggle. Offering exceptional customer service plays a pivotal role for operators to stand out, build lasting customer relationships and sustain their business in the long run.
Meeting Customer Expectations is Key
With so much choice available, online gambling customers have high expectations when it comes to customer service. A survey by Econsultancy in 2023 found that 68% of customers will switch brands if they have a poor customer service interaction. The stakes are especially high for newer operators like SkyCrown Casino online looking to establish themselves in the market. By providing customer service that not just meets but exceeds expectations, they can build trust and loyalty among customers.
Customer Service Directly Impacts Revenue
Customer service has a direct correlation with key business metrics like revenue and customer lifetime value (LCLV). According to SuperOffice’s 2023 Customer Service statistics report, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. For online casinos and sportsbooks, skimping on customer service often leads to players withdrawing their deposits and leaving for a competitor site. Staffing sufficiently to ensure short wait times and having well-trained agents that can resolve most queries on first contact helps maximize player value.
Key Metrics to Track
To sustain excellent customer service, online gambling operators need to continuously track key metrics to identify areas of improvement. Some key metrics to track include:
| Metric | Benchmark |
| First contact resolution rate | At least 80% |
| Average wait time | Under 1 minute |
| Customer satisfaction (CSAT) score | Over 90% |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) | Over 70% |
Omnichannel Customer Service
In today’s digital world, online gambling customers expect omnichannel customer service—seamless support across multiple channels. Operators need to enable customers to reach them easily via phone, email, live chat, social media as well as newer channels like messaging apps.
Offering an omnichannel experience requires operators to maintain context and continuity across channels. This means providing agents with an integrated view of each customer’s history to reference during interactions, regardless of channel. It also means enabling transfers between channels—e.g. from chat to voice call—without customers having to repeat information.
Data and analytics play a key role in delivering omnichannel customer service. By analyzing customer behavior and channel preferences, operators can optimize their channel mix to align with user demand. Data also helps identify which channels customers use at different stages—e.g. live chat for pre-sales queries and phone for more complex technical issues. Mapping the user journey thus allows channels to be tailored for specific interaction purposes.
Building a Customer Service Culture
For sustainable success, customer service needs to be ingrained into the organizational culture across departments—not just the customer support team. Entry-level personnel all the way to the executive leadership should emphasize customer experience as a key goal and shared responsibility.
Building such a culture starts right from the hiring process. Gambling operators should ensure new staff demonstrate the necessary qualities like communication skills, empathy, problem-solving abilities and emotional intelligence. Ongoing customer service training and workshops can then nurture these skills further.
Leadership also plays a vital role through leading by example. When management regularly participates in frontline interactions, it gives them greater insights into pain points, which helps prioritize enhancements that aid agents deliver better service. Recognizing and rewarding employees that go above and beyond for customers further ingrains the customer-first mindset.
Emerging Technologies to Enhance Service
While human agents remain integral, emerging technologies like AI and machine learning are helping elevate customer service. Natural language processing used in chatbots allows for more seamless self-service resolution. Smart virtual assistants also reduce average handle times for human agents. With 5G connectivity enabling faster speeds by 2025, remote assistance using technologies like video support and co-browsing helps address issues quicker.
Offering exceptional online gambling customer service requires substantial investment. But for operators playing the long game, the ROI in sustainable revenue growth and customer loyalty makes it well worth it. As competition intensifies, customer service is proving one of the best ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
