INSIGHT LAND-BASED CASINO SECTOR LIGHT & WONDER


pyramids and chests of cash as part of the enhanced feature!


From our competitors – I think there are a number of interesting concepts in the land- based world but I am more interested in what is happening with some of the smaller and medium sized online suppliers. In the past there has been, in my view, too much of a focus on ridiculously high volatility games that have amazing but unwinnable top prizes, often at the expense of quality experiences in the base game. I think this has changed over the last 18 months and we’re seeing some very interesting mechanics start to evolve.


I have always been a big believer that the starting advantage of being a cross-channel supplier is that we have different channels to markets to maximise leverage of our games, but the real prize is the fusion of the different approaches and thinking between the land- based studios and their digital counterparts. We have our studios working closer than ever before to encourage this blend of approaches and to help us to innovate within our game segmentation model.


Finally, how do you see the land-based slots industry evolving over the coming years?


“I have always been a big believer that the starting


advantage of being a cross- channel supplier is that we have different channels to markets to maximise


leverage of our games, but the real prize is the fusion of the different approaches and thinking between the land- based studios and their


digital counterparts. We have our studios working closer than ever before to


encourage this blend of


approaches and to help us to innovate within our game segmentation model.”


Wayne Ellard Light & Wonder


Wayne: Cross-channel will inevitably become an even more important driver of what suppliers do and how they do it. We already use our online channels (digital and social) to help us to understand player preferences and in some cases to pilot games and I think this will become the standard for any suppliers lucky enough to have a cross-channel presence. As the digital-first player base (who tend to be younger) mature, it will be interesting to see whether their player behaviours differ to the historical norm in land-based, where players often have a favourite game that they stick with and then dabble with new and interesting titles. As the return on investment for suppliers begins to spread more evenly between land- based and digital, it will likely lead to evolution in segmentation models and the concept of land-based and digital as separate product streams will probably fall away in my view.


One thing that won’t change is the drive towards more engaging experiences and understanding what makes the player tick. Every single one of the best games from any supplier over the last twenty years has found its way to excite the players and build the anticipation that drives repeat play. We’re lucky enough to have some of the games that set the gold standard for longevity and improving on these (almost!) perfect games is what gets us out of bed every morning. I would hope that someone like me that is entering the industry now will be able to look back in twenty years and see the same level of innovation and experiential development that I have been lucky enough to witness in my career so far.


WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P31


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  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86