In the lead-up to the Affiliate Leaders Summit, a key part of the SBC Summit in Lisbon, SBC had a conversation with Sue Dawson. Recently, Dawson took on the role of Operations Director at FTD Digital after nearly 12 years as the Head of Content at the same company.
Dawson shared her experiences on how the company initially entered the bingo niche and then broadened its focus to include slots and other casino games. She also delved into the challenges of navigating regulated markets, the evolving profiles of new players compared to when she first started in the industry, and the impact of content production on the success of affiliate companies today.
SBC: Hi Sue, and thank you for agreeing to this interview. First off, congratulations on your recent promotion! You’ve been with FTD Digital for several years now. Could you walk our readers through the evolution of the company from its inception to the present day?
Sue Dawson: When I started back in 2012, the company was mostly just me and Luke Creigh (the CEO).
I was originally hired as a freelancer to carry out keyword research for a PPC campaign that had nothing to do with gambling! We started Best New Bingo Sites in 2013, and it soon began to rank really well, probably because of a particular piece of well-researched and very detailed long-form content. We were thus very well placed to cash in on bingo in its heyday. In 2017, we preempted changes in the industry by moving into slots and casino games as well, and this is now the majority of our revenue stream.
We have been fully remote since 2020. We love the flexibility this gives us and have no plans to run an office again, though we do meet in person a few times a year.
SBC: FTD Digital has an array of comparison sites, including ones that focus on niches like bingo and others tailored to specific markets. Could you walk us through these offerings?
SD: Currently we have:
- WDW Bingo: UK bingo, slots and casino
- Best New Bingo Sites: UK bingo and slots
- Casilife: Japan casinos
- Lucky Hat: Canada-focused casinos
We have also run a number of other comparison sites in the past, mostly for PPC traffic, but aren’t doing PPC at the moment due to margins being so tight.
SBC: You spent several years working for Best New Bingo Sites, producing and curating content. It seems that many brands have shifted their focus to other verticals, often overlooking bingo. What can you tell us about the modern bingo player?
SD: Massive changes have taken place in the market, largely due to smartphones.
More than 80% of our traffic is mobile, and many users don’t have any other device. This has shifted the player demographic away from the traditional older, female audience. We’re also seeing that many modern players are more sophisticated and have an appetite for other types of games as well as bingo.
The bingo games themselves have become less immersive and more suitable for playing on a mobile phone in snackable chunks.
With less emphasis on chat and community (which don’t work too well on a mobile phone), bingo is being repositioned as a game among many others rather than as the main event.
Pragmatic Play’s bingo product has made it easy for casino operators to add bingo as an extra feature. In the hands of an operator who understands how to use it as an engagement and retention tool, bingo can still be very powerful.
SBC: FTD Digital operates in several highly regulated markets. How challenging is it to keep up with the new guidelines that frequently emerge in markets like the UK?
SD: It’s a lot of work to ensure everything is compliant, and sometimes we have to do development work on the website to comply. A recent example is enabling extra links to be inserted in the terms and conditions we have to show with all offers.
We also have to exert strong editorial control over all our content. Because of this, it’s really important to keep up with what’s happening in the industry and what further restrictions could be just around the corner, and have to have a plan in place ahead of their enactment.
We pride ourselves on how on top of everything we are, and indeed, we often find ourselves pointing out to operators that their landing page isn’t compliant!
SBC: The company also runs a comparison site in Canada, a relatively new market. How do user behaviour and preferences there compare to other markets you’ve worked with?
SD: Lucky Hat is actually aimed at the unregulated part of the Canadian market, which isn’t really new. We did consider Ontario but were unsure about entering a market where we wouldn’t be allowed to advertise welcome offers.
In the unregulated markets, we find players are much more interested in payment methods and in the trustworthiness of casinos we review.
SBC: When it comes to content production, a key focus for any affiliate, what are the best practices and priorities, especially given the changes in Google algorithms and the advent of AI that have shaken things up?
SD: Look to see what your competitors are doing and do it better, preferably adding your own unique angle.
Check your website metrics to see what sort of content is getting the most engagement and create more of it. Conversely, if you have content that isn’t getting any engagement, consider rewriting or even removing it. Reach out to new audiences.
And always think about what your users are going to be interested in next month, next year, and further into the future, and be ready.
SBC: The Affiliate Leaders SBC Summit is making its debut in Lisbon this year. How do you perceive this upcoming event? Who are you keen on meeting, and what valuable insights do you aim to acquire at this global gathering?
SD: I’m really excited as this will be my first major SBC event, the first with such a big focus on affiliates, and the first we’re attending as a team. We’ll be catching up with some of our existing partners and also hoping to make many new connections.
The talks and panels at SBC conferences are always excellent and really help us to gain insight into what’s happening in the industry around the world, so we can plan ahead for our existing and new projects.
_______________
Join the SBC Summit at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa from September 24-26, where 25,000 sports betting and iGaming industry professionals will converge for three days of networking and educational sessions led by over 450 senior decision-makers. Get your tickets now (Early Bird Deal is currently available).
Affiliates can apply for a free pass.
Operators can also apply for a complimentary ticket.