ONLINE O
By Matt Broughton
nline gaming years are like dog-years compared to land-based business. The changes a bricks-and-mortar casino might go through in the space of five years can occur in the blink of an eye online. New trends can spread across the online world practically overnight, while new games, products, interfaces and business models can be implemented at the press of a button (well…
almost). In recent times we’ve watched as bingo moved from simple digital renditions to a world of
webcam-linked players all watching and sharing each others’ experiences… oh, and the FBI swooped down and spoilt all the online poker professionals’ fun (thanks guys). In light of these observations I’m scared to predict what will happen in the next five minutes let alone the next 12 months. For this reason I’ve cunningly passed the buck to some of the movers and shakers in the world of online gaming to see what they think will be in store for the industry over the next year.
CASINO
Mike Hebden, Head of Casino at Microgaming, believes there will be a move away from ‘point and click’ during 2012, as we move towards the more immersive ‘swipe and double tap’ world of the tablet. “A growing number of us will move away from the traditional experience of sitting down at a desk in front of a PC, and those software providers that can continue to excel in meeting the demands of these traditional device users while at the same time successfully handling the transition to these new devices will perform strongest.” Jaydeep Chakravartty, Business Development Manager at Cozy Games, agrees: “Though the content across the industry seems to be getting similar, software companies need to embrace new technology to meet the challenges ahead.” Ramiro Atucha, CEO of Leander Games, suggests that the future success of casino
operators will be dependent upon their enhanced cultural understanding of any desired target market. “Creating exciting yet generic slot games in said country’s language will no longer be enough to engage with players. The differences between our games and others in the market reflect that it’s not just a difference in language that should be considered but also the actual game play, mathematics, graphics and background sounds/music.”
MOBILE Another area very much in everyone’s sights for the coming 12 months is Mobile. “Recent
studies show that mobile users should exceed desktop Internet users as soon as 2012,” says Betware’s Chief Marketing Officer, Árni S. Pétursson. “Mobile has helped to shape the igaming industry’s “now” generation - players that want immediate access to lotto, casino and sports betting games no matter what they are doing and no matter where they are in the world.” Microgaming’s Mike Hebdon agrees: “Mobile will continue to increase as a priority for the industry, driven by more powerful mobile devices, better user experience and the wider adoption of mobile browsing.” While David Hunter, CEO of Ukash, sees the growth of the mobile as a significant opportunity for his own company: “Ensuring that payment options are in place that can easily be used on mobile for
micropayments as well as larger deposits will ensure that operator margins are maximised. Systems like Ukash have no minimum transaction fees so can be used for very small payments and
deposits, including in-app billing, as players interact with websites and games in new ways.” AFFILIATES
Many think the largest obstacle online casino affiliates will have to face in the next 12 months is affiliate program closure, acquisition and merger. Tom Galanis, Director at GameOn Affiliates, suggests: “Affiliates need to be even more aware of the potential pitfalls of promoting casinos promising high commission structures and terms such as ‘no negative carryover’. There’s every chance that these casinos won’t exist under the same ownership – if at all – in a year’s time, and they [the affiliates] will be left high and dry. The best affiliates and online casinos need to wise up, get sensible with their money, and work together to move forward.”
For the full and extended version of this article, including contributions from ComTrade, GTECH G2, TableBrain and Vont Ltd, read Casino International’s Online pages in the September 2011 edition, or visit
www.casinointernational-online.com
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