Gaming1 creates an online brand with the full involvement of our partners. We share the risk and investment; if the joint venture is not successful, nobody makes money, which is very different from a standard customer/supplier relationship. To us, Estoril Sol is not just one more customer on a huge list.
same between land-based operators and online operators as elsewhere in Europe. In Belgium you are competing with Unibet and Bwin (who have made deals with land-based operations), which means you face the same competition as other markets. In order to compete we use all the advantages of our partner’s land-based network; together with trusted local brand, and facilities to offer more services to the players, such as deposit and withdrawal and customer service within the land-based locations. In Belgium, 30 per cent of all withdrawals are conducted through our land-based network.
The site was launched in July - what has been the response from players and from Estoril Sol in this initial phase?
Our first contact with Estoril Sol was two years ago, at which time Estoril Sol had employed a consultant to look into launching their business online once the Portuguese market became regulated. We met both with the consultant and the board members of Estoril Sol, who came to Belgium to visit our offices and land-based operations. Tis gave us the opportunity to demonstrate all our solutions and explain our unique business model. Te deal was signed in July last year and we have been working since that time to ensure a go-live date once the legislation was enacted.
Land-based operators know that the world is changing and they have to take their business online - but while they are strong in their land- based business and understand it completely, they are fearful of making mistakes online. Gaming1 is able to explain that it is possible to keep their current land-based business intact, while growing their online presence so that they double or even triple their business overall. We give them the cross-marketing tools to take their land-based customers online and enable their online customers to visit their land-based locations offline.
Rather than simply provide a solution for Estoril Sol, why has Gaming1 formed a joint venture agreement with the Portuguese branch of Stanley Ho's Group?
We strongly believe a joint venture generates value in the long-term not just over a fixed term, and that in a new joint venture there is much more involvement from both partners, which is far more powerful than any other type of deal. Rather than being just temporary providers,
Gaming1 creates an online brand with the full involvement of our partners. We share the risk and investment and we put money into deal; if the joint venture is not successful, nobody makes money, which is very different from a standard customer/supplier relationship. To us, Estoril Sol is not just one more customer on a huge list.
What makes this agreement different from 'ordinary' relationships between solutions provider and operator?
Our technology focus is centred upon convergence. Te Gaming1 platform is very open, allowing us to connect directly with land- based loyalty programmes, creating a seamless experience for the player, both offline and online. Choosing a partner in a market is all about the brand, we want to ensure that the player has the opportunity to continue to connect with the brand, and to be loyal to the brand wherever they are. In order to achieve this connection, it’s vital that we utilise the same loyalty programme and cash-in cash-out methods tied into the facilities of our partner. It also means that the online players have access to customer services within the land-based operation, reassuring players that they’re playing in a trusted environment, as opposed to a purely online presence.
You've spoken about the DNA of Gaming1, which was borne out of land-based gaming operations in Belgium. How does that model translate elsewhere when Belgium has a unique online market?
Tere is a specific model in Belgium, but at the same time the competitive environment is the
After seven weeks of operations more than 30,000 players have joined
Estorilsol.pt, far above expectations, since at the moment the site is operating solely with Gaming 1 games. Even at this early stage is has been a huge success, which is mainly new players. At this stage we have been marketing though television and promotions at the beach, with land-based cross selling only able to start in October. In the coming weeks we have the opportunity to start sending online players incentives to visit the land-based casinos, completing the convergence loop. It’s exactly as we describe to operators fearful of launching online; if you don’t launch your own operations, then your players will simply go online with someone else.
The site launched with 15 video slots, two roulette and a single black jack game. How are you developing the site and what are your expectations for the site going forward?
More gaming content is a top priority for us. We will add more Gaming1 games in the coming weeks as they receive certification. Our studio has also been developing games specifically for Portuguese players to ensure that the offer is both focused and unique, and we have been working with several games providers to ensure they pass as quickly as possible through the certification process. Only Gaming1 content is approved at the moment, but we will have new games available very soon.
What does the future hold for Gaming1?
For us we want to stick to this joint venture model and we’re in advanced negotiations with operators in six additional countries, confirming to us that this is something land-based operators find attractive, as it delivers the advantages of online directly to without cannibalising their land-based business.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
247.COM P69
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76