The importance of stability
Stability is a platform’s ability to operate continuously with consistent performance, without crashes, slowdowns, or critical errors. This includes factors such as loading time, uptime, performance under load, data integrity, and real-time responsiveness. In the iGaming industry, stability is crucial for several reasons, such as:
* Real-time betting requires precision and speed: Many players engage in live betting, where every second matters. An unstable platform can result in invalid bets, missed opportunities, and user frustration. In games like live roulette or in-play sports betting, delays or failures can ruin the user experience.
* Player trust depends on continuity: In games involving money, trust is the most valuable asset. Any technical failure during fund withdrawals, bet registration, or payout processing can raise doubts about the platform's integrity. Sites with frequent interruptions compromise their credibility with users.
* The competition is fierce: With hundreds of options in the global market, players won’t hesitate to switch to competitors if they encounter technical problems. Stable environments contribute to player retention and foster long-term relationships.
Risks of not offering stability
iGaming platforms lacking stability risk not only losing revenue but also permanently damaging their brand image. See below for figures that support these risks:
* Revenue loss: According to a study by Statista, the global iGaming market generated around US$ 95 billion in 2023 and is expected to surpass US$ 125 billion by 2027. Based on these numbers, even brief instability can have a major impact. It’s estimated, for example, that mid-sized betting sites lose between US$ 10,000 and US$ 100,000 per hour of downtime, depending on the number of active users and betting volume.
* User abandonment and high churn rates: A Newzoo report indicated that around 54% of gaming platform users abandon a site after two consecutive negative performance experiences. This includes crashes, failures when placing bets, or slow game loading.
* Compliance and regulatory issues: iGaming platforms operate under strict regulations in many jurisdictions. Technical failures affecting transaction integrity, player data protection, or game operation can lead to license suspension, fines, or even a ban from regulated markets.
* Damage to brand and reputation: Reputation in the iGaming market is built on trust and consistent performance. Sites that experience frequent outages or public complaints may face image crises that hinder new user acquisition.
What are the ideal stability metrics?
But what is considered stable in iGaming? The most widely accepted technical metrics and benchmarks in the industry are:
* Uptime above 99.99%: This means less than 5 minutes of downtime per month. Leading iGaming platforms aim to meet or exceed this standard to ensure constant service availability.
* Response time under 200ms: The speed at which the site responds to commands and interactions is crucial, especially in live games. An ideal response time is under 200 milliseconds.
* Average loading time under 3 seconds: According to Google, 53% of users abandon a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. In iGaming, where timing is even more critical, this number should be seen as the upper limit.
* Transaction error rate below 0.01%: Errors in bet records or payments are extremely serious. Mature platforms operate with extremely low error rates, often below 0.01%.
Strategies to ensure stability
To ensure stability, it is necessary to implement:
* Scalable infrastructure: Using cloud servers with load balancing and geographic redundancy is essential. It ensures that the system continues operating smoothly even during traffic spikes.
* Continuous monitoring: Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools like Datadog, New Relic, or Prometheus are used to detect anomalies in real time and anticipate failures before they affect users.
* Frequent load and stress testing: Simulations with thousands of concurrent users help identify performance bottlenecks before high-demand events or feature releases.
* Zero-downtime deployment: With well-structured CI/CD pipelines, it’s possible to launch new features without interrupting service, maintaining stability even during updates.
* Partnerships with reliable software providers: In the iGaming industry, many sites use third-party games. Choosing partners with a proven track record of stability and security is fundamental.
In summary
Stability is not just a technical advantage for iGaming platforms—it’s a critical factor for long-term success. In this industry, every second counts, and every technical failure can cost thousands of dollars and the trust of thousands of users. Therefore, investing in solid infrastructure, continuous monitoring, and quality engineering practices is essential.
Achieve stability with inplaySoft
inplaySoft provides stability for all the iGaming platforms it powers, with uptime above 99.99%, ensuring clients don't lose revenue or user trust. Additionally, the company offers scalability and focuses on cloud technologies, hosting on services such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) and GCP (Google Cloud Platform).
Click here to learn more about inplaySoft or contact us at [email protected]!
Source: inplaySoft
