SHOWED THE LAND-BASED INDUSTRY THAT THEY HAD TO THINK ABOUT [ ONLINE ].
11
THE APPEAL OF BRICK- AND-MORTAR CASINOS
Although the industry may be looking to incorporate digital gaming more frequently , brick-and-mortar has a heritage , an engaged audience and a physical presence . Online casinos may be more convenient , but playing at home cannot replicate the real-world casino experience .
“ People that play in casinos do so for a reason and they will come back ,” Pamminger says . “ I think online is easy and available . You can immediately go online and gamble but it lacks a social element which people prefer .
“ The reason why they come is that they ’ re noticed , made welcome and known in casinos . There are relationships established between staff members and service employees with the guest . We can determine how they feel and you don ’ t get that in an online environment – it ’ s a screen
“ The most important thing for us is to make the journey to the online sector as smooth as possible because we are dealing with the same customers we deal with on a daily basis in our brick-andmortar operations ”
LAURENT LASSIAZ , JOA with a data transfer and maybe some AI .
“ You don ’ t get the interaction and the interpretation of a person ’ s state of mind . That ’ s an advantage in a casino environment which helps you to deal with any issues that may happen , or with responsible gaming issues .”
These sentiments are shared by Lassiaz , who has seen first-hand the popularity of land-based casinos since reopening .
“ We saw when we reopened our casino a few weeks ago that the day you open you see all the people rushing to come back to the real world . That ’ s proof that even if the online offering is huge and fine-tuned and smooth , people still need to get together . They still need to touch things and see the product .
“ The recent weeks with so many people rushing to feel the real world is more proof that digital is not the only way to have a good experience .”
July 2021