Opinion: The black sheep of egaming
Unibet's head of casino Adam Ruï¬ett asks whether the perception of online casino can ever be changed
It’s now almost 20 years since the ï¬rst online casinos opened their virtual doors. During this time, the market has changed from a few curious sceptics to a multi-billion pound industry enjoyed by millions. But do casinos still suï¬er from an image problem? And if so what can operators do to address and overcome this?
In the past, casinos have been dogged by a number of issues “ trust, fairness and some pretty dubious operators to name a few. Things have moved on though and, while the problems have not been completely eradicated, players now have a wide variety of large and trusted places to play. Regulations are improving and payment solutions increasingly mean that players are receiving winnings in a timely manner.
The biggest problem though, and one that is yet to be fully addressed by the industry, is that the product itself is perceived as one of the most hardcore forms of gambling. After all, you can add any number of bells and whistles to a slot, but it’s still a machine designed to play on your addictive tendencies and extract all your cash, right?
Image problem
If we look at the other gaming products, they all oï¬er something alongside the main gambling experience. Sports betting gives players the opportunity to prove their knowledge and take on the bookies. It augments an already enjoyable experience, it makes quirky and interesting news stories and, thanks to the association with large sporting events and celebrity endorsements, it is increasingly seen as a socially acceptable pastime.
No one will disagree that online poker has been through a turbulent time and the game has changed signiï¬cantly in the last few years. While the players may have changed, the characters, bravado and overall coolness remains. Poker is a game that is possible to study, learn and ultimately master. This is not only a powerful motivator, but also adds credibility and a level of acceptance to what is still a high risk gambling experience.
Even bingo is perceived in a better light than casino. Perhaps it’s the association with the traditional bingo halls of a ‘good’ night out. Perhaps it’s the seamless integration with chat rooms and social media, or maybe it’s the relatively low cost to play and potential to win a decent prize. But there is little doubt that bingo is seen as a softer form of gaming by most people; let’s just not mention the side games though, eh?
Casino, though, has none of this. You can’t practice and get better, the list of celebs willing to endorse your site is pretty short, and the experience itself is far from its oï¬ine equivalent “ I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t ï¬nd James Bond playing Baccarat on his laptop. But despite this, revenues continue to grow, and the reason for this is clear “ casinos are fun. So is it an issue at all?
A new approach
It’s probably fair to say that for the most part, casino marketing has been fairly consistent in its message “ pretty brash and heavily bonus-based. Operators use this carrot and stick approach to ‘lure’ players into casinos, hoping that they will stick around and ultimately lose a few pounds. While in the past this may have worked well, increasingly players are seeing through this fairly obvious ploy and as competition increases a bonus price war among operators is gaining pace.
Moving forward, the sites that will continue to thrive will be those that understand that players are looking for more than just bonuses. Providing great products and a great service is now a mandatory requirement. The operators that will succeed in the future are those that understand the behaviours and motivations of their players. Delivering a service that not only accommodates these, but also looks for ways to cultivate a long-term, engaging and thrilling relationship is key.
By creating unique selling points, oï¬ering something in conjunction with the core gaming oï¬ering and by being a little less obvious in the way games are marketed, perhaps we will also see the perception of online casinos change in a positive way.