In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Alexey Kachalov, CTO of UniOne, to discuss the pivotal role email marketing plays in the ever-evolving iGaming industry. As the iGaming landscape becomes increasingly competitive, Alexey shares his expert insights on how operators can overcome common challenges, enhance player engagement, and implement effective reactivation strategies.
With years of experience in the field, Alexey delves into the importance of personalized communication, deliverability, and segmentation, offering actionable advice for brands looking to optimize their marketing efforts.
He also sheds light on the innovative ways UniOne is helping casino operators tackle these challenges and stay ahead of the curve in a fast-paced environment. This interview offers a unique perspective on the intersection of email marketing and iGaming, making it a must-read for operators and marketers alike.
In this interview, Alexey discusses:
- Email’s Effectiveness in iGaming engagement.
- Lifecycle Strategies for player onboarding to reactivation.
- Re-engagement Tactics for inactive players.
- Email Deliverability and avoiding spam.
- Segmentation for targeted, high-frequency emails.
- Compliance with regulations in email marketing.
- AI Trends shaping the future of iGaming emails.
In the ever-evolving world of iGaming, operators have endless tools to engage players. Email is often overlooked, yet still effective. Why do you believe email holds such power in this space?
Alexey Kachalov: Email continues to deliver strong results in iGaming for one simple reason: it works where other channels fall short.
For example, one of our clients—a major casino operator in Latin America—implemented personalized, behavior-triggered email flows based on actions like deposits, long inactivity, or major wins. As a result, they saw a 38% increase in returning visits and a 21% boost in average deposit value.
It’s a direct, highly personalized channel that doesn’t rely on social media algorithms or push opt-ins. That independence gives email a unique advantage in delivering consistent engagement.
When it comes to player communications, it’s not just about promotions. How should casino operators structure a full email lifecycle?
Alexey Kachalov: A complete email lifecycle guides players from registration through onboarding, engagement, and reactivation. Here’s a simplified version based on what we’ve seen work for our clients:
- Welcome & Onboarding – A clear, friendly introduction with guidance on account setup and available bonuses.
- First Deposit & Activation – Once a deposit is made, a triggered email confirms the transaction and introduces relevant games. Follow-up emails highlight beginner-friendly options or popular titles, helping players get started faster and stay engaged.
- Engagement & Cross-Sell – As players start interacting, behavior-driven emails come into play.
- If a user plays slots frequently, send updates on new releases.
- If they haven’t tried live games yet, offer a bonus to explore.
- VIP & Loyalty – High-value players receive bespoke offers, direct VIP manager contact, and early access to events.
- Re-engagement – If a player becomes inactive, a reactivation series kicks in, escalating from light reminders to stronger incentives. Smart segmentation here is key, casual players may need a different message than long-time users.
- Lapse & Win-Back – If users remain inactive past a set threshold, a final win-back series is launched with a time-sensitive bonus. If done right, this stage alone can recover 10–15% of lapsed players.
- Transactional & Trust Emails – Consistent, branded emails like withdrawal confirmations build long-term trust.Each touchpoint should feel relevant, timely, and driven by data. When this lifecycle is done right, it becomes a powerful retention engine.
Player inactivity is a persistent challenge. What types of email-driven reactivation strategies have proven to be most effective?
Alexey Kachalov: One-off “We miss you” emails just don’t cut it anymore. Effective reactivation strategies need to be personalized and urgent. Here’s what really works:
- Tailored Incentives – Offering rewards based on past activity is key. For example, free spins on games the player has enjoyed before or bonuses that match their usual deposit amounts.
- Time-limited Offers – Using urgency through
- FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) with limited-time bonuses can significantly increase engagement. Time-sensitive offers push players to act quickly.
- Countdown Timers – Adding countdown timers to the email body is a proven tactic. In fact, we’ve seen click-through rates double when we use real-time countdowns.
- Multi-Step Sequences – Don’t rely on a single email to get the job done. A series of 3 to 5 emails spaced out over 1–2 weeks works best. This approach allows you to test different angles: bonus offers, new game releases, even social proof to re-engage players.
- Challenge-Based Win-Backs – Rather than offering passive freebies, challenges like “Deposit €10 and get 50 spins” create stronger commitment and a sense of value for the player.
Lastly, timing is critical. Don’t wait too long to reach out. Reactivation flows should be based on inactivity periods, whether 7, 14, or 30 days after the player’s last interaction. The sooner you act, the better your chances of bringing the player back.
How can casinos use email to build VIP loyalty or create a sense of exclusivity among high-value players?
Alexey Kachalov: VIP players want to feel recognized, not just marketed to. The best results come from one-to-one emails that celebrate milestones, offer private promotions, and open direct lines of communication with a VIP manager. We’ve seen casino operators double their VIP retention just by shifting from generic promos to high-touch, segmented campaigns that feel personal. It’s not about frequency—it’s about relevance.
Deliverability is a critical yet often overlooked issue. What are the most common pitfalls that cause iGaming emails to land in spam or go undelivered?
Alexey Kachalov: At UniOne, we take deliverability seriously, and we’ve worked closely with many casino operators to improve inbox placement by focusing on infrastructure, reputation, and engagement. Here are the most common pitfalls that cause iGaming emails to land in spam or go undelivered:
- Poor List Hygiene – Using outdated, purchased, or inactive email lists leads to high bounce rates and spam complaints. ISPs quickly flag this behavior, damaging sender reputation and ultimately reducing deliverability. Maintaining a clean list is crucial.
- Missing or Misconfigured Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) – Without proper domain authentication, emails are either rejected or flagged as suspicious. At UniOne, we help operators implement full authentication setups. This simple step can instantly improve deliverability and build brand trust.
- Inconsistent Sending Volumes – Sudden spikes in email volume, such as sending to the entire database after a period of silence, can raise red flags. Gradually warming up IPs and domains is critical to ensure smoother deliverability and avoid triggering spam filters.
- Overly Promotional Language – Using words like “Win Now,” “Free Money,” or “No Deposit” in subject lines, especially in bulk sends, often sets off spam filters. A careful review of email content to avoid overly promotional language can help keep emails from landing in the spam folder.
- Lack of Segmentation – Sending the same generic offer to everyone leads to low engagement and higher complaint rates. By segmenting emails based on user behavior (e.g., recent deposits or preferred games), operators can significantly boost engagement and reduce the risk of emails being flagged as spam.
- Sending Emails to Inactive Users – Continuing to email users who haven’t engaged in months can harm overall engagement rates. Regularly cleaning up the database and removing inactive users is necessary to maintain healthy engagement metrics.
- Shared IPs – Using shared IPs can result in inheriting the bad reputation of others. Moving to dedicated IPs and using branded links has proven to immediately improve inbox placement and deliverability for several high-volume casino clients.
By addressing these common pitfalls, operators can dramatically improve their email deliverability, ensuring their communications reach players’ inboxes and drive engagement.
High-frequency promotional messaging is standard in the casino space. How can operators maintain engagement without damaging their sender reputation?
Alexey Kachalov: It’s all about targeting. High frequency isn’t a problem when you’re sending relevant messages to users who actually want them.We advise casino brands to base promo sends on behavioral data.
For example, only send a bonus offer to someone who has shown interest in that game category recently. That way, you’re maintaining engagement and telling inbox providers your messages are wanted—even if you’re emailing daily.
Drawing from UniOne’s experience supporting high-volume senders, including gaming brands, what key practices contribute to consistently strong inbox performance?
Alexey Kachalov: From UniOne’s work with high-volume gaming brands, the strongest inbox performance comes from:
- Clean, regularly pruned email lists
- Proper domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Consistent sending volumes and frequency
- Behavior-based segmentation and triggered emails
- Monitoring engagement metrics and reacting quickly to dips
These are the basics, and if you do them right, they’ll make all the difference at scale.
How can email marketers within regulated gaming environments balance effective communication with evolving data protection and responsible gambling requirements?
Alexey Kachalov: In regulated gaming environments, compliance isn’t a barrier, it’s part of the strategy. At UniOne, we’ve seen that the best-performing email marketers treat data protection and responsible gambling not just as obligations, but as trust-builders.
By using consent-based segmentation, offering clear opt-out options, and tailoring content to user behavior (e.g. limiting promos to users showing signs of risky play), brands can stay compliant while still driving engagement. Transparent communication not only satisfies regulations, it also builds long-term player loyalty.
What safeguards should operators have in place to ensure that excluded or vulnerable players are not inadvertently targeted by email promotions?
Alexey Kachalov: Operators need tight integration between their CRM and email platform to ensure real-time exclusion of self-excluded or flagged players.
UniOne clients can sync their email campaigns with their player database, so no promo goes to someone who shouldn’t receive it. It’s also critical to maintain a dynamic suppression list, updated instantly when a player sets limits, self-excludes or is flagged by RG teams.
Can you share best practices for integrating responsible gambling messaging within marketing communications without compromising engagement?
Alexey Kachalov: It’s about tone and timing. When RG messages are integrated naturally—using language like “Play smart” or “Know your limits”—they come across as helpful, not intrusive.
We’ve seen operators boost engagement by placing responsible gambling tools directly in promo emails. When players feel supported, they’re more likely to engage over the long term.
What are some advanced segmentation or behavioral targeting techniques that iGaming operators can implement to improve email relevance and performance?
Alexey Kachalov: The most effective approach is real-time behavioral segmentation. That means:
- Tracking recent deposits
- Identifying preferred games
- Understanding engagement patterns
This lets you send context-aware emails that feel like suggestions, not ads—and that’s where the real value lies.
Without revealing client names, can you share an example where UniOne supported a campaign in the iGaming sector that achieved standout results—and what factors drove that success?
Alexey Kachalov: We have many successful cases with casino brands. One standout case involved a casino operator who initially used another provider but moved their sending to UniOne after we helped them structure campaigns by geo. They operate across multiple regions: Eastern Europe, CIS, South-East Asia and others, and we used UniOne’s “Project” functionality to assign dedicated IP pools per geo.
This allowed them to build isolated reputations by region, which dramatically improved deliverability. We also helped them separate transactional and marketing sends into different projects, so if reputation dipped in one stream, it didn’t affect the others. Within several weeks, their open rates increased by 40%, with fewer emails hitting spam folders. This flexible infrastructure is something many casino clients value highly at UniOne.
Looking ahead, what trends do you see shaping the future of email in the iGaming sector, and what areas is Unione most focused on innovating in to support the evolution?
Alexey Kachalov: Looking ahead, the iGaming sector is moving toward hyper-personalization, driven by AI and automation. As players expect more tailored experiences, AI will play a key role in helping marketers deliver dynamic content, based on player behavior, preferences, and past interactions.
At UniOne, we are dedicated to leveraging AI-powered insights and enhancing CRM integration to deliver highly personalized, context-aware email campaigns that resonate with users. Our focus is on providing innovative solutions that make email marketing smarter and more efficient. In addition to our core offerings, we’re actively working on new features to improve user experience and deliverability, including:
- Improving the detection of “machine-generated” opens and clicks, and accurately reflecting them in campaign statistics, ensuring cleaner data.
- Adding Telegram notifications for better communication and immediate alerts.
- Introducing a visual DMARC setup process to simplify domain authentication, improving security and deliverability.
