As we break into a new age in North American gambling, it’s an excellent time for bookies old and new to jumpstart their business by using pay per head sportsbook software. There is no need to pay a web developer to build a platform capable of housing thousands of players, offering thousands of odds, and handling deposits and withdrawals. Pay a one-time fee for every player you bring on board, hence the name: pay per head. We anticipate that pay per head bookmaking will become the go-to way agents, and players bet on sports from 2022. Therefore, to get ahead of the competition, we suggest bookies look beyond the sportsbook portion of their business.
Every bookie should make sure the pay per head platform they join has a casino for their players to use. It is a crucial component of a start-up bookie becoming a professional in the gaming business.
When you choose the right software, here are tips every pay per head bookie should know.
Understanding Extra Fees
One thing to know off the bat is that when a pay per head site offers casino software within your program, most take an extra percentage from your net win. Anywhere from 10-to-15 percent can be removed from your bottom line regardless of the weekly pay per head fee. Casino software can be so lucrative so fast for agents that, of course, a PPH site wants a piece for offering such a cash cow.
We’ve read some online casinos during our research stating that bookies could still expect an increase of 15 percent minimum in revenue. So regardless of the extra charge, this isn’t a bad trade-off.
Top Games to Play
To really get new players on board with your casino software, agents should ensure they point them to the proper games. More importantly, they should make sure they have these casino games:
- Blackjack: Everybody knows blackjack and everyone plays blackjack. It’s the best game to start with and offers excellent, balanced action to your players. Standard, six-deck blackjack is generally available online, and players can find a good six-deck blackjack chart to help them make all those brutal “hit” or “stand” decisions.
- Slots: Obviously, telling players to start their casino career with slots is a good idea. They’re easy to play and can pay big money randomly and fast. We would suggest having pay per head software that offers a wide variety of slots like 3-reel and 5-reel with exciting and unique bonus rounds.
- Roulette: Both the American and European versions are suitable for players to try out. Roulette is a simple game to understand and, like blackjack, offers a live casino version.
Don’t Forget About Live Casino
As our world becomes smaller and more interactive, players will want to have real casino experiences without leaving their homes.
Live Casino makes that happen. Live Casino is simply a camera feed of a casino table that allows you to interact with the game and the dealer – and sometimes, other players!
Most Live Casino games available are blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and Super 6 – a baccarat variant. Having Live Casino available will give your players an extra-special option when they don’t feel like playing a soul-less dealer. Most live casinos allow you to choose a dealer and even place back bets on whether other players will win or lose.
Make sure your pay per head site has this feature, as it solves some of the trust issues players have with a digital casino.
Set Smart Casino Limits
If you don’t want to be biting your nails while your players go nuts in the casino, make sure you set limits you, as a bookie, can afford. For instance, with six decks re-shuffling, online blackjack can cause a player or the house to lose 20 straight hands. Yes, it’s possible. So you should set limits in the casino and be prepared for the possibility. For instance, if you have one blackjack player and only have approximately $400 to lose, set limits at $20 or less as 20 x 20 = 400. Don’t be greedy and let the profits grow on reliable limits.
Understand Hold Percentages
A casino hold percentage – or ‘house edge’ – is a guaranteed percentage the house takes from each casino game.
For example, a slot with a five percent hold percentage means, based on approximately 10,000 spins, that this particular game will give five cents to the house for every dollar bet. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but the numbers start to add up when you start climbing into hundreds of thousands of spins.
Games like six-deck blackjack are popular because they’re one of the player’s best games. With a house edge of less than one percent when played correctly, it will quickly become your players’ go-to game.
Find out the percentages to help advise players when they have a bad run or when offering free play and bonuses. We’d suggest, for instance, keeping free play for slots players as a slots hold percentage allows more room to be generous.
Understand Slot Payouts
There are going to be moments where players may have questions about a certain slot machine and whether it paid correctly. We suggest checking the details of your available slots and understanding how the multipliers work, how the bonus rounds are triggered, and how the symbols add up. The modern slot machine can be confusing, and you will have questions regarding how they’re paying.
Give Your Players Tips
Although having a crop of novice casino players will most likely help your bottom line, it won’t help you long term. It’s better to give tips to your players that will improve their play and give them the wins they need to enjoy their time with your PPH software. This builds trust, and with the hold percentages in your favor, will still improve your bottom line in the long run.
Games like blackjack and even video poker are good games to push your players towards when they tell you they’re having a rough time.
Patience Means Profit
The final message for agents? Patience means profits. If you gain a lot of casino players early, expect a bit of a rollercoaster out the gate. Players can get lucky and make a tidy profit playing in online casinos. And that’s fine. It’s part of the game. But over time, expect that profit to come right back. Set the proper limits to all your casino games to ensure you don’t go bust, then sit and wait for the margins to move in your favor.