One key aspect of a successful casino is the ability to offer a luxurious, tailored experience for the highest-spending players. These players are essential to the profitability of many casinos, and retaining them takes far more than just offering standard bonuses. The high-roller world demands exclusivity, customization, and a deep understanding of player needs.
In this exclusive interview, we speak with Joonas Karhu, CEO of Bojoko, a leading casino comparison platform that helps players navigate high-roller casino bonuses and find their best fit. Bojoko is known for its in-depth reviews, transparent ratings, and quick filters, offering players insight into what they can expect before signing up. Their role in the high-roller casino pipeline gives them excellent insights into the bonuses needed to appeal to the big spenders.
Below, Karhu shares insider knowledge about the critical factors that influence high-roller decisions, the specific types of bonuses that appeal to them, and the balance casinos must maintain between catering to VIPs and managing risk. We’ll also explore how these casinos create long-term relationships and build loyalty with their most valuable customers.
What types of bonuses are high-rollers particularly interested in, and how do they differ from those aimed at regular players?
Joonas Karhu: High-rollers expect something far beyond the standard welcome bonus that regular players receive. They’re more interested in bespoke rewards tailored to their preferences. Bonuses with higher limits, cashback offers, or even special loyalty perks like free spins on high-limit slots are incredibly attractive.
However, the key differentiator is the terms attached to these bonuses. For instance, lower or no wagering requirements on specific bonuses are particularly appealing for high-rollers.
Another feature VIPs look for is flexibility. While most players might be happy with a simple deposit match bonus, high-rollers appreciate bonuses that can be customized based on their play habits. For example, one VIP might prefer a bonus that offers extra credits for table games, while another might want it focused on high-limit slots.
At Bojoko, we’ve seen casinos offering this flexibility level stand out among the competition.
How do bonuses play into the long-term relationship between high-rollers and casinos?
Joonas Karhu: VIPs expect ongoing rewards, not just a one-time sign-up bonus. This means that loyalty programs offer continuous incentives. A good example is daily, weekly, or monthly cashback, as well as VIP tournaments, exclusive events, and personalized offers tailored by the VIP Account Manager.
It’s also important for casinos to understand that high-rollers expect consistency. If they’ve been receiving generous rewards for a while, a sudden drop in quality or quantity can be a major turnoff. So, while bonuses are a great way to initiate a relationship, the personalized loyalty program and ongoing perks keep high-rollers engaged over the long term.
Once a high-roller joins a casino beyond bonuses, what can casinos do to maintain that relationship long-term?
Joonas Karhu: A dedicated account manager is key, acting as their go-to person for personalized service. Regular check-ins, exclusive event invitations, and tailored rewards keep high-rollers engaged. In the long term, the best way to retain VIPs is to focus on their overall experience, ensuring that every interaction is positive and that they’re treated like a true VIP.
How does risk management factor into offering bonuses to high-rollers?
Joonas Karhu: Balancing risk is absolutely crucial for casinos offering high-roller bonuses. While these players may bring in significant revenue, they also have the potential to win big. Casinos need to structure their bonuses in a way that’s enticing but doesn’t expose them to excessive risk.
This might mean offering tiered bonuses that scale up as the player continues playing or implementing caps on cashback offers to ensure the casino isn’t vulnerable to significant losses. Be mindful that any overtly strict terms may push VIP players away.
You need to analyze how much money these VIP players will likely spend and win. Many times, high-rollers win, and when they do, they often win big. This needs to be part of the calculation. Remember, experiences like this are likely to bring them back, so do not sour relationships because of ruined monthly targets. When you have big spenders, the best way to ensure low risk is to have them keep coming back, as long as the math makes sense.
How do high-rollers typically choose a casino? Do they go with big names or rely on specific criteria?
Joonas Karhu: High-rollers are very discerning. They won’t just sign up at any casino, even if it’s a big name. Many of them do extensive research before choosing a platform. They’ll look at reviews, testimonials, and even feedback from other VIP players.
This is where Bojoko comes into play. We provide a transparent comparison of casinos, allowing high-rollers to see which sites best suit their needs. Our rating system takes into account factors like customer service, game selection, and bonus terms—all things VIP players care deeply about.
Another important factor is trust. High-rollers value transparency in terms and conditions. VIP players will likely steer clear if a casino has complicated or confusing terms. They need to know what they’re getting into, which is why reviews and comparison tools like ours are essential for helping them find the right fit.
What we see is that high-rollers enter our pages, which are targeted towards them, and start comparing casinos, often using our quick filters. This is a way to ensure that they, for instance, remove bonus offers with high wagering requirements or focus on casinos with cashback and other features they care about. While many of the tips I have shared with you before about increasing FTDs through bonuses still apply to high-rollers, the puzzle is much more complex.
One key thing to understand about high-rollers is that they often won’t just look at the welcome bonus alone; they will look at the entire casino profile to ensure this is the casino for them. If you can show that your brand will go all-out for them and create a magical VIP experience, you are more likely to entice them.
We have previously sat down with Christoffer Ødegården, Head of Marketing and discussed important topics that anyone in the field of iGaming can relate to, the importance of diversity in payment options, mobile deposits, and MicroGaming casinos.
The post Exclusive Insights on High-Rollers: An Interview with Bojoko CEO Joonas Karhu appeared first on iGaming.org.