Poll results: Operators onto a winner with skill-based games
Respondents to this week's EGR poll believe skill games will help online casinos attract new customers
Skill-based games can become a rich source of revenues for online casinos in the not-too-distant future, according to the majority of respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll.
The embryonic genre is considered by some to be the best way to attract younger generations into gambling, with Nevada passing legislation in December that allowed casinos to offer skill-based games.
Several start-up companies have sprung-up to create online and mobile versions of these games, with major operators like LeoVegas also confirming they have looked into the genre.
Some call for a traditional slot game with a skill element added in during the bonus round, for example, while others call for monetary rewards to be added to versions of popular social games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush.
Regardless, 56% of respondents to the EGR poll agree that these types of games could help attract a new audience or at least retain existing customers thanks to the added gameplay twists.
That said, 44% remained unconvinced by the genre, which has only really sprung up in the last six months. As a result, regulations in the UK are unclear, as is the ability of developers to balance the skill element with luck. How will pay scales be set? Will someone with enough practice be able to consistently beat the games? Will novices have no chance of winning at all?
Uncertainty remains the name of the game, but the combination of two enormously successful industries offers enough potential that EGR readers are willing to bet on the kinks being worked out.