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Market Monitor The second coming
The second coming
● Agenda setting ● Channel crossing
● Value proposition ● California dreaming
PART TWO
AGENDA SETTING
Omnichannel is not a new proposition in the gaming sector but the opportunity engendered by the state-by-state regulation of sports betting and igaming in the US has brought the question of engagement with a previously land based-only customer to the fore of discussions.
In particular, the linkage that is often made at a legislative level in many states between obtaining a licence for online and mobile betting and gaming and already being in possession of a land-based licence provides a further push for omnichannel.
“ At a high level, to the point about the current landscape in the US and the premise that to have a digital offering you need a land-based licence, that has pushed the agenda on omnichannel to a large extent,” says Anthony Evans, vice president for product strategy at Playtech.
In the UK and European sector, the process of converting customers to omnichannel had to start with the basics and the creation of loyalty schemes, which could then be employed as the facilitator to an online conversion. This is what took place in the last decade with UK betting shop estates, while the casino sector was even further behind the curve and is effectively only now looking to move online.
However, not only is the pace of change in the regulatory landscape in the US happening at speed, but the main players are also starting from a different point in a customer loyalty sense.“ A lot of these casinos have wider loyalty programmes,” Evans points out.“ They have been embedded for 20 years or more. The casinos have mechanisms that are different from the land-based bookies for attracting customers.”
While the starting point might differ, then, Evans suggests there are lessons that can be applied from the European experience.
“ There is a huge amount in terms of the utilisation of the marketing strategies,” he says.“ The technology is the enabler here. You can integrate the systems to give you the fundamental ability to be able to offer direct to the customer, so the learnings are about how you can design solutions that enable you to do that.”
He points to an example in the UK with Rank’ s Grosvenor Casinos.“ The essence of that is exactly the solution for the US gaming giants,” he adds.“ You get a loyalty card, you get tracked in different games, and entertainment and F & B, and then you can go online and connect your digital card and start iGB Market Monitor