In the second part of our past winner interview series, Ryan Solomon shares BingoPort’s journey in developing unique site features, the impacts of the brand’s multiple wins and its plans for the US market.
BingoPort (below) has taken the Best Bingo Affiliate prize at the iGB Affiliate Awards for five years straight. Having been in the igaming sector since 2008, the brand started as a UK-based independent review site covering features like payment methods, chat room quality and side games.
Its operations manager, Ryan Solomon, joined the team during the COVID lockdowns. A peculiar time when everyone was confined to their homes, the site saw a surge in activity as bingo hall gatherings were no longer an option.
“The years since then have been more challenging as life returned to normal. We’ve worked hard to try and maintain that level of engagement over the past three to four years, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” Solomon says.
Winning customer loyalty
According to Solomon, BingoPort currently boasts over 200k users, many of whom registered more than 15 years ago and have remained active ever since. The key to the brand’s customer loyalty, he explains, is its free membership, “a rare offer” in the affiliate space. In addition, it has developed the Port Points system, rewarding users with virtual currency for making deposits, which can be used to enter sweepstakes and win prizes such as Amazon vouchers and PayPal cash.
We take on more responsibility and serve users with regular communications, emails and handle service queries
“The benefit for the brands is that users become more loyal – there’s a reason to keep playing, as they know they’re earning points from us. It’s a great system, and it sets us apart from competitors,” he explains.
Maintaining consistent communication is also essential for user retention. Solomon believes affiliate services shouldn't stop at simply directing users to operators, emphasising that BingoPort regularly sends email newsletters and actively addresses user queries to provide ongoing support. Although the site’s 17-year legacy offers a competitive edge in domain authority, Solomon and his team continue to perform frequent audits, ensuring top rankings for keywords such as “new bingo sites”.
Five-year streak
Being a yearly champion has never extinguished the joy of winning. Solomon says he felt “a huge amount of pride” every time his team won. He sees the Best Bingo Affiliate category as “the most notable award category we can win in this sector”, noting that it is “judged by some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry”.
Every time we win, we see a boost the following month
BingoPort’s five-year winning streak has paid off on both the B2B and B2C fronts. Solomon notes that he saw a boost the following month every time the brand won. The publicity from the iGB Affiliate Awards site and wider industry coverage has helped the team bring in new brands keen to be listed – and even encouraged some old partners to return.
“We usually publish an article on the site and send out an email to users as well. This reassures them they’re using a trusted site and helps re-engage old players who haven’t visited in a while. So there’s a real knock-on effect beyond just collecting the trophy,” Solomon says.
Moreover, echoing Nadia Velentza from KingBet Media, Solomon believes that the wins are “a great motivation for the whole team, including those who didn’t attend the ceremony”, encouraging them to maintain high content quality.
American dream
Apart from adding new brands in the UK, Solomon reveals that BingoPort is expanding into the US market this year. The team has recently launched a US site, providing a free-to-play game and listing bingo halls by state.
Our plan is to build up a user base now so that once online bingo is regulated, we’re ready to go and can roll out the full UK model
Solomon recognises the struggles affiliates experience in the country and says BingoPort isn’t seeking a short-term gold rush. Instead, it’s playing the long game, biding its time for the “massive potential” in the country’s bingo culture to mature.
“Bingo is huge in the US, but mostly as a social activity in small towns, village halls and churches. Online bingo isn’t regulated yet, which is why our US site is free-to-play,” he explains. “Our plan is to build up a user base now so that once online bingo is regulated, we’re ready to go and can roll out the full UK model”.
Can BingoPort defend a six-year streak at this year’s iGB Affiliate Awards? Solomon doesn’t know, but just like previous years, he and his teammates are busy crafting another compelling submission. Visit the official awards page to get your nominations in, and don’t forget to check out tips from Simon Pilkington, Katty Stafford and internal judging lead Stephen Carter on creating a standout entry.