TL;DR: Churn rate is the percentage of previously active iGaming players who stop depositing or wagering within a defined window, typically 30, 60 or 90 days of inactivity.
What it means
Unlike SaaS, iGaming churn isn't a cancellation — players don't unsubscribe, they just stop coming back. So operators define churn behaviorally: "no deposit in 30 days" or "no wager in 60 days" depending on vertical. Sportsbook uses longer windows (event-driven seasonality), casino shorter.
Churn is the inverse of retention but framed for action: churn cohorts feed reactivation campaigns, VIP host outreach, and offer reverse-attribution.
Formula / How it's measured
Churn Rate = Players who became inactive in period / Players who were active at start of period.
Example: 8,400 players active in January, 2,700 don't deposit again by end of February → 60-day churn = 32%.
Predictive churn models (XGBoost, logistic regression on session frequency, bet size trend, deposit recency) are now standard at mid-size operators.
Why it matters for operators
Reducing churn by 5 percentage points has a larger NGR impact than equivalent UA investment, because retained players have no CPA cost. Predictive churn scores let CRM teams intervene in the 7–14 day pre-churn window where bonuses still convert; after 30+ days inactive, reactivation cost rises sharply.
Common benchmarks (2026)
- 30-day casino churn: 40–60% of active cohort
- 60-day sportsbook churn: 35–55%
- 90-day churn: 60–75% (most one-time depositors)
- VIP segment 90-day churn: 15–30%
Common mistakes
- No predictive churn scoring — reacting only after players are fully dormant
- Bonusing churned players who would have returned anyway (negative ROI)
- Defining churn at a single window for all verticals/segments
See also
- Retention Rate
- Reactivation
- LTV — Lifetime Value