T H E S TA G E I S S E T F E A T U R E
risk, but it nevertheless represents a clearly de?ned outlook that sees the ?rm as one with arguably the most convergent arms including online, offline and social working together to make the most of every possible revenue stream available. Double Down generated around US$10m in pro?t over the course of the last year. Nisbet says: “If Double Down was a casino on the Las Vegas Strip it would be the busiest and most pro?table, yet you can’t win any money there. People are always going to engage and continue being social, with the concept of winning just a side effect of that rather than a key driver. “As a retail gaming operator, that’s quite interesting – we’ve always thought people go to a casino with a view to winning money, and maybe the sector needs to consider what people’s motivations really are.”
Steve Heller
Matt Broughton & Barny Boatman
Convergence
Bwin.party is one operator already using social to establish a presence in the US, with its WPT Facebook app attracting 240,000 monthly active users. Heller acknowledges that “having a social offering allows us to go into a market and bring the brand to people in that market who otherwise might not connect with it”. “Although I think it is accepted that there is still fairly limited crossover between that market and real-money gaming, it’s not nonexistent,” he notes. “We do cross promote between Facebook and ClubWPT and there has been some crossover.” One element common to convergence between online and offline is the tentative way in which those involved have looked to integrate crossov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x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