Research-based tool aims to help interested players reach a first deposit without adding steps to registration

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Growth Exposed has unveiled a Player Conversion Assistant prototype designed to help gambling operators understand what new visitors want and address their concerns before a first deposit. Founder Neil Burge will demonstrate the prototype in meetings at SBC Summit in Lisbon, taking place from 29 September to 1 October.

The prototype draws on iGaming player research into what causes people to start paying attention to gambling brands, what they hope to experience and the doubts they have before placing their first bet.

The study recruited and interviewed 12 people across the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia. From this it extracted 17 decisions to register for a first gambling account, or to switch from one provider to another. The study explored what caused players to finally pay attention to gambling ads, what events caused them to become interested in gambling, and how they moved from initial interest to putting money into an account.

“A welcome bonus is often the end of a story. There is a much richer story behind why players were interested in the first place,” said Burge. “We wanted to understand what changed in their lives, what they hoped to get from gambling and what they needed to see from an Operator before they feel confident enough to try the site.”

Participants described wanting to try something unfamiliar, make a game more enjoyable, put their knowledge into a bet or receive rewards for play they already intended to make.

Those intentions shaped what they wanted to find. One first-time gambler, Michelle, described the appeal of a straightforward slot game as being able to “spin and just hope three symbols line up together”. Other players wanted more involved betting options that reflected their interests and allowed them to use their knowledge to "beat the bookie".

The Player Conversion Assistant uses this research to help guide the first deposit and bet. It uses short questions designed to understand a visitor’s intent for visiting, learn what they want the site to do, and explores concerns or anxieties they have pre-deposit. These answers are used to relevant trust, game or rule information and guide the visitor to the most appropriate part of the site to begin. It operates outside the core registration flow and gives operators information about player motivations before there is any play history.

Growth Exposed describes the approach as “positive friction”: ask questions that a player finds useful, and use their answers to help interested visitors find what they came for and resolve doubts about getting started.

“Someone might be interested but still wonder whether they can find the game they want, whether the site is legitimate or whether another account is worth the effort,” Burge said. “The prototype is designed to hear those concerns and respond while they still matter. You can think of it as a helpful concierge, designed to make the pre-deposit journey as delightful as the experience they'll get as a player”

The prototype will be available for demonstrations at SBC. Growth Exposed is inviting operators interested in first-deposit conversion to discuss how the approach could be tested with their visitors.

Operators can arrange a 15-minute meeting with Burge using the contact details below.

Further information: Player Conversion Assistant.

About the research

Growth Exposed uses Jobs-to-be-Done “Switch” interviews to reconstruct what prompted people to start gambling or change providers, what they wanted and what caused hesitation. The qualitative research builds models of player behaviour that operators can use to develop and test improvements to their messaging, products and player experience.

About Growth Exposed

Growth Exposed is an independent, Singapore-based player research and growth consultancy. It helps iGaming businesses get inside their players’ minds and see the world through their eyes. These insights help brand, marketing, onboarding, activation and retention teams attract and retain players more effectively.

Neil Burge
Growth Exposed Consulting Pte Ltd
+65 97503525
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