The VIP scheme, which gives special treatment to those who play for large sums, is one of the most successful ways of attracting users to iGaming. If they can afford it, it doesn’t necessarily cause harm – as proven by the UK Parliament. In a , analysts concluded that when considering VIP schemes, the availability of high-value games is a key factor.
Conor Grant, ex-CEO of Flutter, had this to say about the concept: ‘I don’t like using the term ‘VIP’. It doesn’t exist in our business anymore: we call them key accounts. The reality is that there are people who can afford to spend more on gambling. As with any commercial enterprise, these customers expect a different level of service. We provide it.’
VIP account-to-deposit ratio
The UK Gambling Commission compared the performance of nine online operators, taking into account the deposits of high-spending players. The comparison of the percentage of VIP and regular customers and their deposits clearly demonstrates the importance of these players:
Source: Gambling Commission.
These figures come from a study by the Gambling Commission, which notes that they are not necessarily representative of the online industry as a whole. However, the picture shows that VIP customers are a small group of players: in one case, just 0.004% of customers (probably in the single digits), and in no case, more than 5%. Nevertheless, these 5% of customers bring 58% of Operator 3’s deposits; in the case of the three operators, 3% of customers give 34%, 36%, and 48% of deposits, respectively; and 2% of Operator 4’s customers bring 83% of deposits. Of the sample of 47,000 online VIP customers, 8% were problem gamblers.
Industry response
To complete the picture, the analysts gathered opinions on VIP schemes from representatives of the five major operators. In particular, they asked about incentives – paying VIP bonuses to attract more customers or customers who gamble more. At the time comments were received, of the five companies, William Hill had employees who were evaluated on revenue, and GVC had VIP managers with additional incentives. The Commission found it difficult to see how an incentive in the form of a higher salary or bonus might not incline employees to place large amounts of bets above customer safety.
As a result, in January 2020, a number of the UK’s largest operators set up working groups with the Gambling Commission with the aim of accelerating progress in protecting consumers from the harms of gambling. The groups were formed by top industry executives to focus on the use of VIP incentives, safer online advertising, and safer product design. The industry working groups included more than 30 operators under GC coordination.
How to make the VIP scheme responsible
The GC and gaming industry representatives identified the following VIP rewards safety criteria:
- Limiting the age of customers to 25+;
- Mandatory thorough verification of customers regarding spending and a safe gambling experience;
- Maintaining audit records detailing player decision-making, as well as oversight and accountability from senior management.
In addition, the Commission has put forward a proposal that one of the should be that staff salaries and bonuses should not be dependant on the duration or frequency of gambling by a customer they have personally interacted with, the amount spent or lost, or the profits made by the operator from that customer.
Regardless of the terminology, these customers are indeed very important people to the industry, as they contribute significantly to operators’ deposits and profits. At the same time, operators may be violating responsible gaming practices by incentivising players to spend more. However, the results of such studies allow operators to organise the process of motivating players in an ethical and regulatory way.
This article was first published in Russian on 2 May 2025.
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