20 B 2 B Essential Guide to EiG, sponsored by Microgaming
BettingBusinessInteractive • OCTOBER 2012 Essential guide to ... Compact event
“My impression of the show is very good. Everyone we wanted to see has been here, it’s nice and compact and it’s been great.” Simon Burridge, CEO, Virgin Games
Come together High level meetings
“EIG is the best place to meet high level people in the iGaming industry. The event is always really well organised and the conference streams are excellent.” Nick Garner, Global head of search, Unibet
“EiG is a great place to get everyone in the industry together, meet peers, and learn a little bit from the others, which is always a goal when coming to an event like this.” Norbert Teufelberger, co-CEO,
bwin.party Digital
Entertainment Global focus
“With eGaming becoming an increasingly global business, EiG is a perfect opportunity to meet people from all corners of the world and try to find ‘the next big thing’ in
gaming and betting.” Marc Thomas, Head of sportsbook, Sportingbet
USA
THE POTENTIAL OPENING OF THE US MARKET HAS INFLUENCED THE EIG AGENDA
VIEWPOINT Ever
EiG caters for increased US interest in igaming
EiG has moved to accommodate the curious American gaming firms that want to find out what this igaming thing is all about.
T
he approval of the first operator li- cences by the Nevada Gaming Control Board for South Point and Monarch Casino has made online
poker in the USA a reality. With other compa- nies waiting in line for review and approval, the entire gaming industry has been put under even more pressure to finalise their igaming strate- gies and to select technology partners which will help them ensure a quick route to market. As other recently regulated markets in Eu- rope, such as Italy and France, have demon- strated, the first-mover advantage when launching igaming operations can be crucial to build brand leadership, secure a substantial market share and build a profitable business. Just like in the European markets, however, the local gaming businesses will have to com- pete against the existing and established on- line poker brands that have been operating in the market taking advantage of a grey or un- clear legal framework. The recent settlement of PokerStars with the US Department of Jus- tice that saw the company take over FullTilt’s player accounts could potentially create a seri-
ous competitive threat to the American casi- nos, should PokerStars, which still has strong brand recognition in the country, be allowed to apply for a licence. The same could be said about PartyGaming, although it is question- able whether the FullTilt brand would retain any customer goodwill given the wait its cus- tomers have had to get refunded. Apart from market entry lessons, Europe could offer many other lessons to US compa- nies planning their igaming launch, from regu- latory considerations to business strategy and affiliate marketing. Having operated online gambling for over 15 years now and seen the market’s transition from an un-regulated envi- ronment to a fully regulated one, albeit with a patchwork of state-by-state licensing and compliance rules, European igaming compa- nies have a wealth of expertise transferable to the USA. It’s not surprising that most US com- panies are looking for European partners to help them set up their igaming operation. It will therefore not be a surprise to hear more American accents in Barcelona than nor- mal with an increased interest in how Europe
does its business online. After all, EiG not only offers a conference but 80 firms in its exhibi- tion, with solutions spanning from game con- tent, payments, anti-fraud, social gaming, mo- bile to marketing and CRM. EiG’s conference program features regula-
tory, business and marketing sessions that will present best practices adopted by the Euro- pean experts when launching iGaming, enter- ing new markets, defining their lobbying ap- proach and developing new propositions, such as mobile or social gaming.
Acknowledging an intensified interest from the USA, organiser Clarion Gaming has also prepared a program designed specifically for American companies that includes presenta- tions and discussions by the top experts from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Illinois Lottery, Pechanga Indian Reservation, Spec- trum Gaming Group, IGT, Bally and Shuffle- Master. Additionally, a special US iGaming ‘Happy Hour’ networking session has been scheduled, aimed at bringing together organi- sations from both sides of the Atlantic to net- work and discuss partnerships.
more vital
Andrew McCarron B
arcelona feels like the spiritual home for EiG. So much so that the
recent sojourns to Copenhagen and Milan felt like temporary visits before an eventual return. It is the city where the exhibition and conference came into its own and developed into a real powerhouse event for the European igaming industry.
Of course, with the Spanish market now opening up to online betting and gaming (not that it was ever really closed in the truest sense) the location is more appropriate than ever before. With over 100 speakers, more than half of which haven’t spoken at EiG for some time if at all, plus a list of ex- hibitors and sponsors containing 40 per cent fresh blood, there is vitality to the programme which is lacking for some other events.
If anything, EiG is becoming ever
more important to businesses with the increasing trend for localised igaming regulation. There are very few places where you can be updated about all the developments around Europe as it becomes more and more fragmented. With operators, suppli- ers, regulators, investors and politi- cians walking the halls of the Fira Barcelona, the opportunities are there whatever your position. It’s just a case of capitalising on them.
www.microgaming.co.uk/mobile
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