Choose casino retention software by asking each vendor the same set of questions in writing, and by insisting on a test on your own players before any larger commitment. Demos are designed to look good. Answers on paper and a measured pilot are harder to fake. I run Sellrise, so I will include our answers where it helps, but this list is meant for any vendor you talk to, and some of the questions are ones I would also put to us.
What data do they need from you?
Ask for the exact list of tables and fields, and what is optional. For Sellrise, four tables keyed by Player ID are enough for forecasts: players, deposits, bets and sessions. Names, phones and emails are optional and only needed if messages and calls go through the system.
Then ask where the data is stored, whether it is kept separate from other clients, and what happens to it if you leave. Ours sits in a separate database for every client.
How heavy is the integration, and who pays for it?
Ask how long a typical connection takes for an operator of your size and platform, who does the work on your side, and whether it is billed separately. At Sellrise, integration is at our cost and the time depends on how your platform exports data. Our engineer gives an estimate on the first call. For self-written platforms, expect most of the effort to go into the data layer: currency units, time zones, account types.
Do you have to replace what you already run?
Ask whether the product works alongside your platform and CRM, or requires migration. If you have a CRM team that builds journeys, you may only need the prediction layer. If you have no CRM, you may want one system. Both are legitimate answers. Be wary of a vendor who insists on the one that makes them largest.
Our own position: Sellrise works alongside your platform and CRM, and can be the main CRM if you do not have one. For a broader view, see what a retention CRM is. The comparison pages explain where different approaches fit without quoting anyone's terms.
What does it forecast, and can you see why?
Ask for the list of forecasts and a reason for each score. Churn risk, VIP potential, chance of the next deposit and value over 90 days are the ones I would expect. Ask whether values are shown as ranges. If you only get a risk number with no explanation, your team will not act on it.
Ask also what kind of model is used and how it is checked: time-aware validation, calibration, and a period in shadow mode before anyone acts on the scores. The reasoning is in how to find players about to leave.
Who decides and who sends?
Ask what goes out automatically and what needs a person. In our model your team decides and sends, and automatic scenarios are switched on only by your decision, after the pilot. Ask the same of every vendor, and ask where responsible gaming status and consent are checked in the flow, and whether the check runs at send time. See responsible gaming and retention.
How is it priced, in total?
Ask for a total for your own player base and team, on paper, including setup, integration, support, channels and any per-seat or revenue-share element. Pricing models differ in whom they favour, and I walk through the three common ones in how casino CRM is priced.
For reference, ours is a subscription by volume: core from $1,500 per month when paid quarterly, or from $2,000 monthly, up to 10,000 active players, whole team included, no share of GGR. I will not guess at anyone else's price.
How will they prove it on your players?
This is the question I care about most. Ask for a test with a control group that nobody contacts, your team working as it does today, and your team following the vendor's suggestions. Ask who chooses the groups, what the metric is, and whether it is fixed in advance. Ours is average turnover per player over one month, with group sizes agreed before the start.
Then ask what happens if the result is flat. The full plan is in how to run a control group test. A vendor who refuses is asking you to pay for a promise. Be equally wary of any percentage quoted before the test, since it comes from other players.
What does it not do?
Ask directly. Every product has a boundary and the honest vendors name it. Ours: Sellrise has no gamification, so no loyalty mechanics, missions or tournaments inside your product. If that is your first lever, look at a platform built for it. If you want a full enterprise marketing hub in the centre of your stack with a dedicated team building campaigns, that is a different category.
What happens when you leave?
Ask about data export and deletion, the contract term, what the price does at tier boundaries, and whether modules or channels have separate terms. Integration and support included on paper should be included in the renewal too. Ask for the answers in the contract, not in the sales call.
Should you buy at all?
Sometimes not yet. If you have fewer than six months of reliable player history, clean the data first. If your base is small, a disciplined spreadsheet and a held-back group may take you further for now. If your team already runs strong event-driven journeys, you may need one specific module, not a platform. A vendor who says no to a sale when it does not fit is worth more than one who always says yes. I also lay out the build option in build or buy a churn model.
If you would like to put these questions to us, open the demo or start a pilot.