The Future of iGaming. In Six Letters.

After laying out “the future of igaming in six letters” 15-plus years ago, we’re seeing the predictions come true, at least in casinos. 

The six letters? EZ, I1, TV. 

EZ. 

As in easy-peasy Brits. Casino games have gotten easier to play. Lobbies easier to navigate. Registration forms and payment methods… in some markets SUPER easy. In the Philippines, Gcash emerged during Covid for this previously largely unbanked and cash-driven economy as the e-wallet of choice.  So deposits in a low credit card penetration country became as easy as buying KFC or Jollibees. Gcash then added a Glife section with mini-apps from the relatively recently PAGCOR-regulated and approved “e-gaming” sites (online casinos) and the numbers rocketed! 40 million (out of a population of 125 million) joined BingoPlus from DigiPlus. All it took was a mobile phone number (passport/national ID required to get a SIM, now thanks to BingoPlus’ then CEO Elvis Chan’s aggressive SMS campaigns) and the Gcash account that almost everyone has. So no bots, minimal KYC (already done with Gcash), instant cash-in and out. Oh, and millions spent on brand awareness. Can DigiPlus do likewise in Brazil with Pix? We’ll see—they’ll be trying. 

I1. 

“I won.” We call national lotteries a “hope tax” as, despite their huge participation rates, their 60% hold ensures virtually no one wins. This is what also sank the brief poker revolution we saw from 2003-2008. You can’t win. In lottery, the possible ROI on the investment keeps people playing… in poker, not so much. Players have to feel like they have a chance to win! Hence, games like Jili’s Super Ace, a fast, fun and EZ game to play with low to medium volatility so you feel like you DO win, is conquering Asia. Likewise “crash” games, with their modicum of “user agency,” you choose when to bail. But you feel like you CAN win. In sports betting, you can win, but the payout… usually not impressive. Hence the rise of single game parlays where the win amounts can be impressive although the odds are against you. But the players don’t care… until they do.

 TV. 

Televised poker matches made the industry fifteen years ago. But TV ain’t what it used to be (this, as everything, varies by geo and target market). Stake got their traction from “influencers,” on Twitch, YouTube and the other things we can call “TV” today. Plus, a near-great RAF program and of course excellent celebrity endorsements really set Stake in motion. BingoPlus has their bingo draws broadcast right on the site  (successfully hitting all three of these points: EZ, I1, TV). GalaBingo came back to life in 2012 with celebrities (Peter Andre, Ant and Dec) with traditional TV, much to everyone in the industry’s surprise. Video is how information is consumed these days. Big news, eh? Yet, how are you  using “TV,” be it on FB or TikTok or IG or… whatever’s next to motivate you prospects and players? But we still have a long way to get to “get the other nine.” And it comes down to a change in thinking about CRM. CRM used to stand for “customer relationship management.” Which for most meant managing post visit comms via email, sms, maybe wepushes. Today CRM stands for “Conversion. Retention. Motivation.” It begins, in real-time, on the SITE (or in-app) where we need to lead “outer-directed” players by the nose to feeling successful, getting “value for money” on their investment of time, attention and funds. Think Temu levels of “gamification”, but ONLY for those who want it/need it (outer-directed prospective players). Make your CRM—whose technology has improved immensely the last 15 years—real time and triggered by behaviour, not some calendar.