Industry predictions for 2020 - including safer gambling and esports

Brigid Simmonds, chairman, Betting and Gaming Council

Industry collaboration

2020 will be the first full year of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) being in operation. You will see us continue to build a strong team that will bring real change to the industry as we work in collaboration across online betting and gaming, casinos and betting shops. We also expect to see a greater appreciation and acceptance of the betting and gaming industry as an important part of the leisure industry and the support it offers to horseracing and professional and grassroots sport.  We have millions of customers who bet safely and enjoy the products our members offer and we will be promoting the great work that members do in their communities.

Regulation

It is clear that the public expect us to act on concerns that they have about our industry. A recent trust survey found that more than three in four Brits believe that the CEOs of businesses should take the lead on change rather than waiting for the government to impose it. In 2020 I can see our members and their leadership teams not waiting for legislation to be imposed on them, rather through the BGC we will take swift action to address those public and political concerns.

Initiatives

We have already announced five safer gambling commitments with 22 associated actions. 2020 will see a revolution in safer gambling as the commitments are implemented from new technology on affordability to codes of practice on high value customers and the trailing of facial recognition in betting shops. We will work with the new Parliament to ensure that the high standards that are expected in our industry are more than achieved.

Quentin Martin, COO, Luckbox

Esports

Some of the bigger bookies will have esports as their #2 grossing ‘sport’ in 2020. We may also begin to see a few of the larger gambling firms make M&A moves into the esports betting space. Esports will continue to be the fastest growing category for sportsbooks. Poker will continue to shrink as esports grows.

Responsible gaming

We will see the first company to create algorithms (AI, machine learning, or otherwise) to proactively identify problem gambling. Regulators may start to take this approach too. More regulators will force companies to use a central self-exclusion/problem gambler list.

Computer games

A gaming studio will disrupt the gambling space (similar to how Coin Master has in social casino). There will be at least one top new slot using computer IP. More companies will start using the tools mobile game studios have honed over the past few years – better onboarding, simplified UIUX, simplified/reduced offerings, continual, timely, and tailored rewards (often with no monetary value). Companies that do not do this will struggle to acquire and retain generation X/Y/Z.