INDUSTRY INSIDER: MARK MCGUINNESS
Beyond the bet – How the experience economy is redefining iGaming
With a recent $2 billion investment valuing it at $8 billion, Polymarket’s rise is a clear signal that players are no longer chasing odds, they’re chasing meaning. The experience economy has arrived in iGaming, and it’s reshaping what players expect, how brands engage, and who wins, according to our industry insider, Mark McGuinness.
THE SHIFT FROM BETS TO EXPERIENCES
For years, iGaming focused on mechanics and extractive financial models of deposit, play, withdraw. The next generation of players, especially Gen Zs, want something very different. They want to feel involved, to shape the story, to belong to something bigger than a bet. That’s the experience economy in plain sight: people no longer buy entertainment; they buy experiences that reflect identity and emotion. Polymarket is proof of this shift. The platform recently secured up to $2 billion in investment from Intercontinental Exchange, valuing it at $8 billion. That kind of confidence isn’t about marginal improvements in casino UX; it’s about the belief that prediction markets and where people wager on real-world outcomes that are becoming a cultural form of entertainment. Wagering becomes participation. Participation becomes storytelling.
38 NOVEMBER 2025 GIO
I’ve seen this change first-hand in campaign data across several operators: emotional engagement consistently outperforms financial incentive. When players feel part of a story, retention and advocacy rise sharply.
WHY GEN Z CRAVE EXPERIENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT
Gen Z grew up in a world of interaction and not observation. Their media is participatory by design, from gaming to streaming to social creation. They expect entertainment to evolve around them, not happen in front of them. A 2023 YouGov study found that 67 per cent of Gen Zs prefer spending on experiences rather than possessions. Accenture reports that emotionally connected customers are more than twice as likely to recommend a brand and 70 per cent more likely to pay a premium. Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends, a personal go to resource for myself, adds that almost half of Gen Z feel a
deeper bond with creators than traditional celebrities, resolute proof that connection now trumps consumption.
Look at Twitch. In 2024, it averaged 2.37 million concurrent viewers and generated $1.8 billion in revenue. That’s a vast, living demonstration of how real-time chat, community and shared narrative define the modern attention economy. For iGaming, it’s a glimpse of the player mindset: they want to play, talk, react, belong.
THE EXPERIENCE AND EMOTIONAL GAP IN IGAMING
Picture two players. Sara, 24, signs up for a casino, claims a standard bonus, spins a slot, and leaves. It’s a one-way transaction. Mike, the same age, joins a live prediction contest tied to a major cultural event. Odds shift with headlines; commentary flows; leaderboards evolve. He chats, debates, celebrates. He’s not just betting; he’s part of something. Both
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