Differentiating has been as difficult for Tipico Sportsbook as any other gambling venture. The squadron of sportsbooks available in the United States has bombarded new customers with bonuses and offers as legal sports betting has spread to 40 jurisdictions.
Tipico, which is currently live in Colorado, Iowa, New Jersey, and Ohio sports betting, hopes it can craft a niche that addresses both an expansion plan and a growing concern for those watching legal gambling proliferate: responsible gambling and the assurance of a square deal through its so-called Fair Play Pledge.
Tipico received a notable seal of approval for the idea on Monday when it became the first sportsbook in the United States to receive the National Council on Problem Gambling’s Internet Compliance Assessment Program accreditation.
According to the NCPG, “The primary focus of the iCAP process is consumer protection. Ensuring that your customers, from the time they join, are able to gamble safely.” iCAP has so far been awarded to just six other groups, mostly involving lottery, including the state operations in Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Launched in February, the Fair Play Pledge lists in a press release as its tenets:
- Clear communication of odds and promotions
- Streamlined access to the Tipico Help Center
- Limits and cool-off periods
- 24/7 human customer service.
- Tipico has also implemented a phase-based approach to recognize, help, and educate customers who have exceeded its “Responsible Gambling Automated Thresholds.”
“Tipico Sportsbook’s iCAP accreditation is a testament to their dedication to player protection. Through this achievement, Tipico showcases exemplary leadership and a commitment to responsible gambling best practices,” NCPG executive director Keith Whyte said. “We commend Tipico for the unwavering commitment to the safety of their users and for setting an exemplary standard for the industry.”
Gaming Today spoke with Bryan Schroeder, Tipico USA’s SVP of Compliance and Legal, about the Fair Play Pledge:
“As we move into the fifth or sixth year of online sports wagering in the US, we need to have a more mature product that starts addressing responsible gaming in a kind of effective way.
And that process is continually growing. So I think the first step is making sure everything’s transparent to the user, easily accessible.
And I think the next step is working with industry stakeholders, and that would be regulators, educational institutions to fine-tune those responsible gaming features and requirements to make sure that they are of best practice. And I think that’s what Tipico is working on now. And that’s all part of the Fair Play Pledge.”
LISTEN to the full podcast interview.
GT: What will bettors notice about FPP?
Schroeder: The first part, which is providing both a UX experience and a rewards offer experience, marketing experience, is very clear, and unambiguous.
It lets the patron know exactly what they’re getting. There’s no read the fine print or play through this many times. It’s very straightforward.
We think that goes along with our philosophy in terms of our product and our business model, which is a really streamlined and simple-to-use app, A friendly app experience and seamless that allows for the person to navigate easily. And I think that’s the kind of overarching thing, that transparency so that there’s no convoluted offer language or anything like that.
The second linchpin is safety, and I think that part has a couple of ties. The first, tying it to the UX is a simplified, easier access to responsible gaming tools. You see the limit options. We are routing customers to our [responsible gambling] page upon registration and their first deposit laying out the limit options so they can choose what they need to do and they’re going to see it first before they do anything else.
It’s a very simple process in terms of clicking there to get there. It’s not lost in the bottom of the footer.
We have [multi-factor authentification] for all our customers in all of our states so that they can be secure and safe knowing their information is protected. I think all that goes to creating a better customer experience so that a lot of customer complaints can be addressed.
GT: Was the FPP launch timed to coincide with the busy March Madness betting period?
Schroeder: It’s a bit of a happy accident. We rolled this out in beta form before the Super Bowl, but we’ve pushed it all the way through after the Super Bowl. So we have it set up now so that any first-time users can see it and understand it.
Most players are searching for the bonus. They register at and have multiple books. We want them to use our book and realize, ‘Wow, that’s really easy to do. I know exactly what I’m getting; I’m not lost trying to find it.’
So from that perspective, we’re hoping that in rolling it out now because this is our, let’s say peak season, we’re able to attract customers. But, most importantly, retain them based on our clarity, ease of use, and transparency.
We understand that keeping them interested after the middle of April until the next football season is a constant struggle for all operators. But we think by having that clarity and that positive experience with using us and knowing where they’re at, they will be more likely to continue to use it in the future. And we are, if not their first book of choice, their second.
GT: Is this designed more for new bettors?
Schroeder: For new customers, it’s fantastic and straightforward. But for the more experienced customer that has other books and we’re just one of five books, what we’re trying to differentiate ourselves is with that clarity, with that simplicity, the UX experience. And across the board, not be book number five in their wallet, but be book number two because it’s easier and it’s very simple for them to use it. They want to use it, and it attracts them to us.
Portions of this interview have been edited for style and clarity.
About the Author
