William Hill hails acquisition benefits of new free-to-play football game
Operator says Football21 format has delivered “demonstrable success for account-acquisition”
William Hill has extended its partnership with the creator of its Lucky 7 horse racing game, with a new free-to-play football predictor format.
Football21, created by developer SportCaller, asks players to compete for a £10,000 prize pot every weekend by selecting teams whose combined goal-count adds up to 21.
Each selected side must score at least one goal, but players can choose from as many or as few teams as they wish to produce the 21-goal aggregate total.
The concept is reminiscent of Sky Bet’s Super 6 game, with players needing a William Hill account to enter the contest and then being offered an accumulator on their selections.
Hills said the game, which went live earlier this year, had already been a “demonstrable success for account-acquisition”.
“It’s simple, quick-fire nature and logical gameplay is clearly appealing to new clients, who can sometimes be put off by the perceived complexities of betting,” added the operator’s head of marketing, planning and strategy.
“Looking ahead to this summer’s World Cup in Russia, where client retention will be at a premium, we are looking forward to working more closely with SportCaller.”
The format is also backed by popular social brand UNILAD, which pushes its readers to play.
SportCaller MD Cillian Barry said: “We’ve been working with William Hill on the Lucky 7 horse racing game over the past 18 months, and are now delighted to extend that partnership on Football21.
“It’s immensely satisfying for our games to have been integrated by such a huge name as William Hill, and it’s great to see that Football21 has rewarded their faith, producing genuine new-play engagement and customer loyalty.”
The use of free-to-play games to acquire customers is seen as one of the key drivers of Sky Bet’s success in the UK in recent years.