Hugo Boosts Online Sports Betting with a 55% Cost Reduction

The Client

The client is a leading online sports betting company with operations in multiple countries. Renowned for its user-friendly platform and wide range of betting options, the client has seen rapid growth in recent years, driving the need for a robust and scalable customer support infrastructure.

The Challenge

The client faced two major challenges in scaling operations while ensuring compliance and customer satisfaction.

Rapid growth in multi-channel, multilingual support: The client needed to quickly expand their customer service across chat, email, and voice channels to support a growing user base. This expansion required maintaining high-quality service and providing 24/7 support in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian.

Complex regulatory compliance: The client needed to handle strict regulatory requirements, including:

• Managing intricate Know Your Customer (KYC) verification processes.
• Ensuring rigorous anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
• Providing efficient and compliant payment support.

Hugo’s Comprehensive Approach to Sports Betting Support

To address these challenges, Hugo implemented the following strategies:

Quick Deployment of Multilingual Experts

Hugo rapidly assembled a team of 80 agents within 30 days, screened and selected for their experience with gaming & betting platforms as well as their passion for sports. Each agent was bilingual with native English proficiency and CEFR2 in French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian.

24/7 Omnichannel Support

• Hugo established round-the-clock support with shift rotations to cover peak betting times.
• The client transitioned their Tier 1 and Tier 2 support workflows to Hugo in phases, including email, chat, and voice channels. To manage these interactions efficiently, Hugo implemented an omnichannel platform with a multilingual knowledge base, ensuring consistent and accurate information across all five supported languages.
• The support team effectively addressed customer needs with empathy while maintaining the client’s brand voice in every interaction.

Robust Quality Assurance

The team rolled out a comprehensive QA program to ensure standards across all languages and channels. This involved regular call monitoring, performance evaluations, and customer satisfaction surveys. Feedback was used to identify improvements and provide targeted training to agents, enhancing support quality.

Comprehensive Regulatory Compliance Strategy

Hugo established a compliance framework with the client’s legal team, which included:

• Implementing dual-verification for customer identities using automated software and manual checks.
• Developing training and a knowledge base on KYC protocols for support agents.
• Establishing a tiered system for escalating AML issues and setting up efficient protocols for documenting and resolving payment issues.
• Streamlining processes to guide customers through compliant deposit and withdrawal procedures.
• Deploying real-time monitoring with clear protocols for detecting, flagging, and escalating suspicious transactions and betting patterns to ensure efficiency and compliance.
• Conducting regular audits and implementing a feedback loop to address compliance issues, refine processes, and make necessary updates based on findings.

Results: Transformative Impact on Client Operations

Hugo’s tailored solutions yielded impressive outcomes for the client:

• Rapid Scaling: Support team expanded from 80 to 150 multilingual agents within 3 months to meet growing demand.
• Operational Excellence: Achieved the lowest 3-month attrition rate compared to previous partners, ensuring consistent support.
• Cost Efficiency: Reduced operating costs by 55% compared to in-house alternatives, highlighting the value of Hugo’s outsourcing model.
• Omnichannel Optimization: Successfully managed Tier 1 & Tier 2 support tasks across chat, email, and voice channels, significantly improving customer service efficiency.
• Enhanced Compliance: Implemented robust AML and KYC processes to ensure regulatory adherence and reduce financial risks.
• Improved Customer Satisfaction: Increased customer satisfaction scores by 3% with 24/7 multilingual support and effective query resolution.

By addressing the client’s challenges with a scalable solution, Hugo streamlined operations and positioned the online sports betting company for sustainable growth in a regulated industry.

“Hugo transformed our business. They revolutionized our customer support, helping us serve a global audience while navigating industry regulations. Hugo isn’t just a provider; they’re a partner in our growth.”  — Alex Johnson, Manager, Customer Success.