Redesigning Marketing Opt-In
for William Hill & 888
Shifting from opt-out to opt-in consent ahead of UK regulatory change, without losing contactable customers or damaging trust.
My Role
UX Designer/Researcher
Timeline
Nov '24
THE PROBLEM
From May 2025, UK gambling regulations required William Hill to switch from pre-selected opt-out to active opt-in for marketing communications. Every customer who didn't actively opt in was lost from the contactable base.
£30m
WH UK revenue from contactable base
13
UK competitors analysed for benchmarking
127
participants across research phases
RESEARCH APPROACH
Mixed methods, iterative design
Research ran across four phases, combining qualitative depth with quantitative breadth.
Competitor audit
Mapped opt-in and preference flows across 13 UK competitors (including bet365, Ladbrokes, Betway, and Sky Bet), spanning 8 channels and both sign-up and settings contexts.
Moderated sessions
10 × 60-min 1:1 sessions. Mix of WH and competitor customers, aged 18–64, staking £100–£999/month online.
YourStake survey
117 WH customers rated 4 prototype designs on likelihood to opt in, clarity, and positivity.
"I'd uninstall you." — Survey participant on being contacted after opting out. Trust protection shaped every design decision.
Iterative AB testing
6 design hierarchy's & styles across (excluding copy tweaks) wireframe & fidelity levels, with each round of A/B testing directly informing the next prototype
Sixth design was
the clear winner
Opt-in to receive free bets, free spins and exclusive offers
The final pop-up presented users with a primary "Yes, opt-in to all" CTA above a product and channel preference matrix, giving both a fast path and full control.
-
Exclusivity framing for value exchange copy emphasised offers only available to opted-in customers
-
Opt-out below the fold visible but not competing with the primary action
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Privacy assurance data not shared with third parties, preferences changeable anytime
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Forced interaction user must select something before confirming, reducing passive dismissal
Journey 1 | Opt in to all
Users presented with a single primary CTA tapping "Yes, opt-in to all" triggers automatic selection across all products and channels, minimising friction and decision fatigue.
step 1
User sees clear CTA to opt in to all and selects it
STEP 2
All boxes auto-tick, user moved to success screen
STEP 3
"Thank you for opting in" moment of delight with benefits reinforced
Journey 2 | Opt in to some
Journey 2 | Opt in to some
For users who want control, the product and channel matrix lets them tailor their preferences the confirm CTA only activates once a selection is made, ensuring conscious, deliberate consent.
step 1
User selects products and channels from the matrix
STEP 2
Confirm selection CTA activates once a combo is chosen
STEP 3
Success screen confirms preferences and benefits received
Go-live & delivery
Phased rollout across three stages
38,000 opt-in actions generated from the Marketing opt-in banner launched 16 April, before the mandatory deadline. A forced app update (28–30 April) ensured the re-consent pop-up reached the maximum number of customers ahead of 1 May.
Pre go-live
Early consent via Optimizely. Subscriber Exclusive Club. Value stories launched.
Go-live · 1 May
Re-consent pop-up live. Opt-out journey added. Forced app update to maximise reach.
Post go-live
BAU monitoring. Monthly value statements. CLCM mitigation actions ongoing.
Above-baseline consent rates at launch
Better than forecast
Email consent at 71% significantly exceeded the modelled 40% opt-in estimate, protecting a larger share of the £30m revenue base. 54% WH existing customers with full/partial SMS consent
vs 40% projected.
Design validated at scale
The dual-CTA design with exclusivity framing and forced interaction proved effective across 726k existing WH customers.
Segmentation risk (888)
MarTech CRM segmentation accuracy flagged as at risk , validating the need for post-launch monitoring built into the plan.
Ongoing optimisation
Social media consents being revised. CLCM mitigation actions continuing. Social media opt-in defaulting to platform solution pending approval.
