Ladbrokes brings Virtual Sports to mobile for large revenue uplift

The Challenge // Create a Virtual Sports experience on mobile and tablet for 24/7 on-the-go betting

As part of its mission to offer round-the-clock betting on live streamed sporting events Ladbrokes had already launched Virtual Sports – where customers bet on the outcome of virtual sporting events determined by random number generation – on desktop. Identifying that customers were more likely to utilise the product during down time, Ladbrokes wanted to include Virtual Sports in their Sportsbook app for mobile and tablet devices, maximising the potential for revenue generation. They hired UX Connections to help redesign the Virtual Sports experience for mobile and tablet devices – initially as a Minimal Viable Product featuring only horse and greyhound racing. If successful, additional sports would be added in successive phases.

The Solution // UX Connections designs user experiences for a successful MVP, followed by a full Virtual Hub

Consultants from UX Connections collaborated closely with the design team from Mobenga – the sports betting solutions provider – and the internal team at Ladbrokes, on a three-phase rollout of Virtual Sports on mobile. The first phase was launching Virtual Sports in the Sportsbook app as a minimum viable product featuring only horse and greyhound racing. This saw UX Connections conduct competitor analysis, identify key user journeys for mobile and tablet, and wireframe all the Virtual Sports pages. We also collaborated with Mobenga on graphic design. The second phase, which followed a successful launch of the MVP, saw the introduction of additional sports, bringing the total to seven. UX Connections ensured the smooth transition to a wider product offering by producing fully annotated wireframes for all possible scenarios. The third phase saw the introduction of a Virtuals Hub which allowed easier navigation between the Virtual Sports on offer, as well as a cross-sell experience which allowed users to easily switch between live and virtual events via promotional banners and imagery. This Virtuals Hub was proposed and designed by UX Connections.

The Results // a four-fold increase in active users for the Virtual Sports product

Since its launch on the Sportsbook app as an MVP in December 2015, Virtual Sports has seen a large increase in the number of bets placed per day, along with a significant increase in net gambling revenue. The number of active users of Virtual Sports per day is now four times higher than when the product was desktop-only. Due to the runaway success of Virtual Sports on mobile and tablet Ladbrokes now intends to overhaul the desktop experience: by moving to the same Mobenga platform as the mobile app; and by replicating the user experiences designed by UX Connections.