The problem for VS really is that they’re not a huge casino. They’re not well-known, and they don’t advertise themselves in major media. If you look at their site, the design is out-dated and suggests it may not be a trustworthy site. So they need to keep their profits up in the face of tougher regulations and a tough market. Several casinos in similar positions facing the same markets have pulled out entirely. I suspect VS don’t want to pull out, but have had to make a tough choice.
The likes of Leo Vegas and Casumo are bigger operations, and advertise heavily on television. They can almost certainly offset their higher risk with a bigger and more casual player base.
The reduction in RTP is not good, but from a business perspective I get it; they’re facing mainly clued-up players who probably already spin a lot, rather than casual players who may give up after the welcome offer. Their market almost certainly knows they can check the RTP and make an informed choice.
In many ways, it’s like a Poundland offer; you can get a branded bottle of shampoo for a quid there, which is less than the same brand from Asda. But then you look closer and although the bottle appears the same size, it’s a bit smaller and contains 20% less shampoo. You make the choice which is better for you.
At least with VS, we know they’re not going to try and scam you out of your payout. It’ll just take longer to get to the point of requesting one.
I suppose they could also take the Trada route - become a white label of another platform and just have their logo on a template website. Which may eventually happen anyway.