Are no-deposit bonuses killing real traffic?

[Die_empty]

In marketing not all clients that you advertise to that ends up patronising you, also not all that come to patronise you for the first time will end up coming back or sticking with your brand. Many will come and go back but few will definitely stay with your brand. Even if you can gain only one loyal client as a result of that non deposit bonus, the casino have achieved something. From that one person others will hear about your brand and come as long as you are providing quality services. The few that stayed will spread the services of your casino to other gamblers.

These no-deposit bonuses are just a strategy to attract many people to the platform. Just as some service providers offer promotions like free services, it's just a means to gather people. Casinos shouldn't place much value on the traffic they got during this offer because it will surely decline. The impact of this bonus could be ascertained in a few months after the offer. I wouldn't say it is killing traffic because it is normal to have high traffic during the offer and it will decline after it ends. It is the responsibility of the casino to develop avenues to keep some of these new users loyal.

[imthegreat]

So I have been noticing that a lot more casinos are leaning heavily on no-deposit bonuses to pull first-time signups, but it feels like it’s doing the opposite of what’s intended. Most of those users just jump in, claim the free spins or credit, and bounce. Very few end up depositing or engaging long-term.

Now from an operators POV, NDBS do attract a lot of what I like to call "Bonus hunters" and these are the type of people that are basically just recycling accounts or even using VPNs, which then obviously ups fraud and KYC workload. But working in the industry there are a lot of people who say that its still the easiest way to get eyeballs on a new brand.

Curious what you guys think? are they actually worth it or are the just killing genuine traffic and trust in the long run?

I recently learned that there are systems that easily reveal the exact origin of an online visitor, and a VPN can't mask this information. This protection works in many online casinos. Not all, because I've seen it a couple of times. This system easily identifies your true origin, and I don't know how it works, but the first time I saw it, I was extremely impressed. I think this system is used to counteract abuse by those who try to cheat the online casino system and profit from free bonuses.

[Agbamoni]

It is the choice of every user to choose where they want to spend their money in gambling. Free spin, bonuses are one way the casino attracts a gambler for the first thing, it is catchy so most users just go for the free spin and bonuses alone. After that, they leave the casino, going back to their usual and more comfortable casino. Meaning, the free bonus and free spins during signup or whatever do not keep the player. It only lure the player for the first time, but what keeps them in playing in the casino is the overall interface, features and reputation.

[crwth]

I have seen the bonus deposit all the time, but I've always wondered, is it really worth it? So, I think the no-deposit bonus would be okay for me to continue, and it doesn't hurt the traffic. It's tough to take advantage of the bonus if you are not that much of a gambler. A lot of money might be needed for this, but I don't want to gamble too much.

[panjul07]

No deposit bonus is not killing the real traffic of website, otherwise, it's pump traffic. i believe many bonus hunters will be flooding that site with the hope they can hit and run it.

Your first sentence and second sentence can be said as contradicting to each other unless you have different meaning about what real traffic is?
In my opinion, no deposit bonuses and as you said yourself that it may attract bonus hunters, it cant be said as real traffic because real traffic should be those who are coming to play with their own money.
So, no deposit bonuses is not bringing real traffic because real gamblers do not really care about such a bonus.

[Fortify]

So I have been noticing that a lot more casinos are leaning heavily on no-deposit bonuses to pull first-time signups, but it feels like it’s doing the opposite of what’s intended. Most of those users just jump in, claim the free spins or credit, and bounce. Very few end up depositing or engaging long-term.

Now from an operators POV, NDBS do attract a lot of what I like to call "Bonus hunters" and these are the type of people that are basically just recycling accounts or even using VPNs, which then obviously ups fraud and KYC workload. But working in the industry there are a lot of people who say that its still the easiest way to get eyeballs on a new brand.

Curious what you guys think? are they actually worth it or are the just killing genuine traffic and trust in the long run?

Well the reality is that very few people ever cash out these no deposit bonuses because the requirements are so high. What is does is get people over the threshold of creating an account for a casino which can often be the hardest part to bring a new customer in. If you read the terms of the bonus, it often has ridiculous wagering requirements the higher the headline figure goes. If it's a $100 no deposit bonus, you might well be expected to wager it 50 times and you'd be lucky to walk away with a few cents when that's over, it might even be time limited as well - that requirement must be met in the first 24 hours for example, which can be very difficult unless someone has hours to waste. It's a bit of an advertising illusion that works on clueless players or people that don't read the terms.

[Johan van Der Walt]

Reading through all the replies, I think it really shows how split this topic is and that’s kind of the point. NDBs clearly work as a marketing funnel, but the quality of that traffic just depends on what happens after.

Most people are right that casinos already know the numbers. They’re not losing money on these deals, it’s all a calculated spend. But from what I’ve seen, the issue was never really the cost, but more that of the data pollution that comes with high-volume, low-value users. When too many "bonus hunters" flood your system, it skews analytics like crazy and makes it harder to track what’s actually driving your retention.

But also at the same time, even if only a small percentage of those players actually stick around, that’s still a pretty decent win.  For me the trick has always been to structure the offer so that it attracts curious players, not just your typical free spinners.

Some great points from everyone here, I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's takes. I find it pretty interesting to see how differently people have been viewing it depending on whether they’ve seen it from the player side or the back-end side.