Share 
In an exclusive conversation with PlayUSA real-money casino expert Darren Cooper, DraftKings EVP and General Manager of iGaming Christian “Chab” Bogstrand discusses how the online casino market has evolved, his day-to-day responsibilities, and what role RTP rates should play when choosing a game.
This interview builds on PlayUSA’s earlier report, “Inside Christian Bogstrand’s Bet to Differentiate DraftKings“, which examined how the operator sets itself apart from rivals such as BetMGM and FanDuel.
Balancing family time with a US-facing London schedule
PlayUSA: What do you do on a daily basis?
Bogstrand: I’m based in London, but now I work for a firm headquartered in the US, and pretty much all of my teams are there. I get to spend some time with my kids in the morning, which I love from a work-life balance standpoint.
I also spend time using our own DraftKings Online Casino product and our competitors’, checking on the customer experience and seeing what’s new — does anything feel stale? What are other folks doing? The second half of my day is when the rest of the world comes online, and that’s when I connect with my team members in the US and have meetings.
From casino outsider to online and land-based enthusiast
PlayUSA: Were you a casino player when you got started?
Bogstrand: I was not when I first came into the space, but I’ve since come to really enjoy it. I appreciate both the online and land-based interfaces — they each have their own merits, their own comforts and entertainments.
I think the real-money online casino product, like so much else in life, is amazing because it lets you enjoy so many things from the comfort of your own home or while in transit.
What separates DraftKings from BetMGM and FanDuel
PlayUSA: What does DraftKings do well, and how does it stand apart from competitors like BetMGM or FanDuel?
Bogstrand: A lot of times, people talk about the games and the content, and that is the main thing we all come for, but I’d say most of us in the space are pushing each other, and I think that’s made the innovation good.
We each have fantastic catalogs with tons of games, and we each have our own exclusives and things we only offer to customers — DraftKings has a portfolio of those as well.
We’ve leaned into a few areas to make sure there’s a personalized feel to the games we put in front of you, and I think we’re doing a good job with exclusive promotions that not everyone else has. There are a lot of different ones out there, but we’re always trying to bring a bit of innovation and edge to ours.
Why Lightning Link earned a major online push
PlayUSA: How do you decide which games, like Lightning Link, get a major push?
Bogstrand: It can be for a multitude of reasons — it can be a strategic partnership, or there being excitement about a brand. With Lightning Link, we have had a fantastic portfolio of land-based titles come online over the years.
I was made aware that Lightning Link had just celebrated its 10-year land-based anniversary and still hadn’t made its way online, and I think that, combined with how well-liked the title is in the land-based space, made it an exciting one to bring online. We made a bit of a fuss around it and built some nice, innovative journeys and celebrations on the app to showcase it.
Turning player feedback into faster personalization
PlayUSA: How quickly can you respond and capitalize when a new game suddenly builds a big following?
Bogstrand: We try to take note when a customer plays something and show them what other customers who enjoy similar products are enjoying. So if a lot of customers enjoy a certain perk or game, we want to surface that to the right customers and shorten the gap between what they might like and discovering it.
The other thing I want to mention is that we have some pretty nice social features on our app — if a game is being played by a lot of people right now, or there is a game on a good streak, or there’s a good jackpot building, we let the audience know. We try to cater to that in several ways. At the end of the day, we want to bring out the best content, but also keep in mind that the best content isn’t the best content for everybody.
Why volatility matters as much as RTP
PlayUSA: Do you think enough players pay attention to RTP rates, and should they?
Bogstrand: It’s a great question. When you’re looking at online casino games and deciding which ones to play and why, there are many things you can consider. I think most players look at the features of the game and the graphics of the game.
PlayUSA: Or, if they like the show “Breaking Bad”, they play the “Breaking Bad” slot?
Bogstrand: Exactly. I don’t think it’s for me to say whether players pay enough attention to RTP — I don’t think most players do. I think it’s important to understand the dynamic of RTP, though. In isolation, it’s probably the best thing to look at RTP alongside a volatility profile, because that speaks to very different experiences.
If you know you prefer many small wins versus being happy to wait a bit longer for bigger wins, I actually think the volatility profile is the more important factor to know. At the end of the day, RTP and volatility come together in a package.
As a player, you’re hoping for an entertainment experience, and if that experience doesn’t last as long as you wanted, your feeling isn’t going to be as good. Different people have different philosophies on RTP, and ours is to take a balanced approach so RTP doesn’t get in the way of that experience.
Advice for first-time DraftKings Casino players
PlayUSA: What’s your advice for someone who shows up at DraftKings Casino for the first time?
Bogstrand: That’s a fantastic question. Whether you’re showing up to DraftKings for the first time or to online gambling for the first time, it’s well worth familiarizing yourself with what’s available there. And when I say what’s available, I am talking about the games, but my recommendation is also to get familiar with the tools and options you have, so you’re set up for a positive recreational, entertaining experience.
How do you do that? We certainly offer the ability to set limits that let you control and stay comfortable with your amount of play — it can be an amount of time or an amount of money. We have a lot of great tools where you can choose from a range, and you can set reminders for how long you play. You can also see data on how much you’ve played and track your own trends.
Q: What do you think of the American market?
Bogstrand: I think the American market is great. Operators are going into it very responsibly, with great offerings. It would be fantastic if we could offer a regulated social response to more states and more customers, and I’d hope for that to happen. That said, it’s great to be live where we are. It’s an exciting, dynamic market to work in.
