YouGov: What causes gamblers to avoid some online sportsbooks?

Running promos, free opening bets and special offers are great ways to have sports gamblers sign up for and try out new online sportsbooks. But after that, how do brands retain consumers, especially in a competitive market like the UK? 

In a previous article for EGR, I looked at the factors behind sports bettors using certain accounts as their main ones, with being easy to navigate and find things (28%) at the top of the list. Timely use of free bets (27%) as well as ease of depositing and withdrawing money (27%) are also instrumental in keeping bettors loyal. But equally important are the factors that actively turn gamblers away from using certain accounts.

Our research shows that just over a third (35%) of UK online sports bettors say they either stopped using or reduced their usage of one or more sportsbooks over the past year. When asked why, the most commonly cited reason (24%) was that they had simply started betting less often. But a fifth of sports gamblers (18%) attribute it to the fact they prefer doing most of their betting on their main account only.

As mentioned earlier, free offers are a great way to get gamblers to use a sportsbook, but 13% of them only use new accounts for the initial free bets and then discard the account. Just over a tenth of sports gamblers attribute the reduced use of a sportsbook to not having attractive offers or promos (12%) or the infrequency of offers and promos (12%). Also, 9% cite uncompetitive odds or pricing as factors that put them off.

Luck, or the perceived lack of it, can also play a role, with 11% of sports bettors saying they stopped using a certain sportsbook because they felt it was “unlucky” for them. But an unpleasant user experience can also drive users away. Navigation and layout issues with an app turns about a tenth (11%) of sports bettors away, and the performance of the app or website is cited as a deterrent by 7% of sports bettors. Not having alternate gambling options (7%) and having difficulties withdrawing funds (7%) were also given as reasons why.

Walking away

For some gamblers, the failure of a brand’s ability to provide tools to help them stay in control was a turn off (5%). Regulations could also play a role in users moving away, with 6% saying they stopped using an online sportsbook because it wasn’t regulated in the UK, and 4% that a sportsbook being limited by regulations was a deterrent.

So, which sportsbooks have been on consumers’ chopping blocks over the past year? A tenth of sports bettors said they had stopped or reduced usage of Sky Bet (10%). But this isn’t the full story since Sky Bet is one of the most-used brands overall, with 36% of sports bettors having accounts open with it, the rate of those who have stopped or reduced using the brand is 27% which isn’t too high contextually.

On the other hand, just 5% said they stopped or reduced using BetVictor, but this is more than half of the proportion that has an account with the brand – a conversion rate of 53% to be exact. 888 (45%) and Betway (41%) also had sizeable reduction rates. Bet365 had the lowest such rate at only 18%, followed by Coral (23%), Paddy Power (23%), Betfair (23%) and William Hill (23%).

This study was conducted online in February 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 471 sports bettors (aged 18+ years) in the UK, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, race, gender, education and region and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

Having worked for YouGov for over a decade, Oliver Rowe has advised companies including Tesco and Barclays on their reputation management. He now brings that experience to a sector which includes the betting and gaming industry in his role as global sector head for leisure and entertainment.