As Editor of Gambling Insider, I’d like to start this letter off by extending a huge congratulations to all the winners at
June’s Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific – and a huge thank you to everyone involved in setting up the first-ever
in-person version of the ceremony.
The global nature of our industry is such, though, that from Asia we move straight back to Amsterdam: so a
huge welcome to all our readers, particularly anyone picking up a copy at iGB Live.
Ever since first entering gaming some years ago, I’ve heard in various forms that personalisation is ‘the next
big thing.’ I heard the same about AI, which is now making a clear impact, but has gaming personalisation
developed enough for a concept that has been so heavily touted?
We explore that very question in our cover feature – and what companies have to do to take tailormade
personalisation to the next level. But the short answer is that gambling is still a way off in this area.
Currently, when I open a sportsbook or online casino app, I’ll see a homepage that has been prepared by the
website’s content team. There will be banners promoting the biggest offers – but it will be the same offer for all
players.
Yes, there are a multitude of markets to bet on – with Euro 2024, for example – and a colossal collection of slot
games to try. But to find my favourite picks, I have to search manually. There is no personalisation tool yet in
existence that can measure my last 10 wagers and account for all my personal preferences, then suggest my
perfect bet right at the top of the homepage when I log in.
But why shouldn’t there be?
Perhaps that’s exactly what the future holds for gambling. The industry at large, however, should stop
emphasising the prospect of personalisation so much until such a reality exists. Because all that ends up doing is
reminding us how far we still have left to go!
On a similar note, the personalisation debate reminds me of omnichannel… another topic we have heard countless
marketing professionals wax lyrical about. It has the potential to merge the realms of online and land-based, while
it can give every gaming firm the 360-degree operations they need to dominate their respective regions.
So why hasn’t it?
A discussion at SiGMA Manila was one I found refreshingly candid, as a panel of both land-based and iGaming
experts unanimously concluded that “we don’t have any true examples of omnichannel.” They offered some hope,
suggesting the Philippines’ live slots market is the closest the industry has got thus far.
Overall, though, it was a bit of a reality check to hear that a term we so often use does not actually bear that much
weight given the current state of play. As such, we explore omnichannel further in this issue’s roundtable, as well
as welcoming a host of other contributors and interviewees in this bumper edition of Gambling Insider magazine.
Happy reading!
