DIGITAIN


Mark McGuinness cuts through the iGaming hyperbole around the Metaverse and Web 3.0 and examines the realities of the rush towards the next “the next big thing”


Mark McGuinness brings over 24 years of experience in digital marketing leadership, specifically within private and public iGaming operators across diverse regulated markets. As a former scientist and a recognized authority in iGaming—focused on affiliate marketing, social poker, and casino gaming—he firmly champions the integration of neuroscience and behavioural economics in online marketing strategies.


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ontemporary land-based casino compand real money gaming sectors with Aristocrat Interactive.


As we look towards 2025, the world could be more stable. What we thought was a new regular returning, with society reopening post-pandemic lockdowns, economies rebounding, and now contracting with the cost of living spiralling and conflict all around, is not the reality we hoped for. It is also a period of pondering strategy and the next grandiose thing that could be game-changing for the industry and customers alike.


Like a scene straight out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a lot of hyperbolic marketing hype and billions of dollars entwined in selling the notion of Web3.0, Social Casino, Social Poker and Sweepstakes and Artificial Intelligence as the next big things. Here we explore some of those topics.


THE ORIGIN STORY – METAVERSE None of us can predict the future, and many overlook the importance of hindsight in today’s Artificial Intelligence-driven reality, where history, facts, and even marketing campaigns can be altered instantly to fit a specific narrative.


Understanding the implications of the Metaverse, a component of the Web 3.0 ecosystem rooted in history and rapidly evolving due to technological advancements, is crucial in our digital understanding. The Metaverse has existed for quite some time; it was first proposed in Neil Stephenson’s 1982 novel, *Snow Crash*. In this novel, the Metaverse is a virtual space where characters escape a totalitarian reality—an increasingly relevant concept in today’s troubling world.


14 NOVEMBER 2024 GIO


In the 1990s, Sega introduced virtual reality arcade machines. As computers became more powerful, the Oculus Rift headset emerged in 2010, with Facebook acquiring the company for $2 billion. Fast-forward to today, and we have seen the rise of Pokémon GO, an augmented reality game, while Facebook has since rebranded itself as Meta. Apple is developing LiDAR technology and its own VR headsets to access the Metaverse and engage with the Web 3.0 framework, ensuring it does not get left behind.


The reality we experience can feel inescapable—much like light trying to escape a black hole—and we must learn to embrace it.


IGAMING CRYPTO, NFTS, STAKING AND MORE


The rise of digital currencies like Bitcoin and the emergence of NFTs as new asset classes are driving a significant shift in the iGaming industry with the increase in crypto-only casinos, social casinos, social poker and free-to-play sweepstakes games. Despite recent downturns in the crypto market, the popularity of these digital assets continues to grow, particularly within the Web 3.0 supply chain, suggesting their potential future impact will continue unabated in 2025.


Many feel digital currencies are not sustainable. Interestingly, much like Roman soldiers who were paid in salt, the modern concept of earning rewards for promoting or playing with a brand through NFTs or cryptocurrencies can be viewed as a new form of compensation within the barter marketplace and, therefore, is just a modern value exchange.


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