Kindred tests payback scheme ahead of Danish bonus clampdown
Maria Casino is offering Danish customers a 10% refund on their weekly losses
Kindred Group’s Maria Casino has started offering Danish customers a 10% refund on their weekly losses as a replacement for wagering requirement bonuses.
Gambling regulation in Denmark is set to change from January 2019, with approximately 90% of parliament said to be backing measures to cap gaming bonuses at 1000 DKK (€134).
It means bonusing will no longer be an effective marketing tool for operators in the market, with operators looking for alternative measures of rewarding and retaining players.
Kindred brand Maria Casino said this week it was counting on a payback scheme as another way to reward players.
Kim Oleson, Kindred’s Denmark country manager, said: “Firstly, from a regulatory standpoint, Denmark is undergoing change and we anticipate yet more regulation on customer rewards elsewhere too, bringing stricter laws on bonuses in general.
“Secondly, we are keen to test a simpler, more transparent customer reward structure which could revolutionise the way online gaming platforms reward their customers.
“It’s important to remember that this campaign is not Kindred accepting the idea of bonusing being a driver of unhealthy behaviour, but this is us, as an operator, testing a simpler and more transparent customer reward strategy.
“We have not seen facts and documentation in Denmark that support the politicians’ belief around the potential damage in using bonuses,” he added.
The cashback scheme, which has been live since September, is communicated to customers as ‘payback’ rather than cashback, so that Kindred can reward players in other ways than just cash.
Kindred, which expects further regulatory limitations on bonus offers next year, revealed that one in three customer queries at present relate to bonus practices.
The loyalty campaign-style cashback scheme is being tested over the next three to six months.