CRM and retention

Player churn: how to define and measure it

Churn (player attrition) is the loss of players who have stopped playing or depositing. Churn rate is their share of the active base over a period. You set the inactivity window yourself, and it should depend on the player's usual rhythm.

Yevhen SychovOctober 2026

Formula and example

Churn rate = players lost in the period / active players at the start of the period x 100%At the start of the month there are 2,000 active players, and 300 leave during the month: churn is 15%.

Inactivity window

A single "30 days without a deposit" rule for everyone does not work. For a player who deposits every day, a quiet week is already churn. For someone who comes once a month, 30 days without a deposit is normal.

Set the window from the usual rhythm of the player or the segment: for example, when two or three of their usual intervals between deposits have been missed.

The earliest signal: a broken rhythm

A player deposited on Fridays and missed a Friday. You can see it the same day, and the same day they need a reason to come back. A month later, when the player formally counts as churned, winning them back will cost more.

Common mistakes

  • Measuring activity by logins. The player logs in but does not deposit: in money terms, they have already left.
  • Mixing new players with the existing base. New players leave faster, and overall churn hides the problem of the first days. Look at it by cohort.
  • Not excluding self-exclusions and limits. These players left by their own choice or under responsible gambling rules. They are not counted as churn for CRM and are not reactivated.
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