A Few Notes from a Week at ICE in London

by Corey Padveen

Last week, I made my annual trip to ICE London, speaking on Monday at the International Casino Conference and on Friday during the iGB Affiliate Show. As always, I had the chance to listen in on a few very interesting sessions and walk away with a better sense of where the gambling industry is going both with regards to the world of brick and mortar, as well as the online and beyond.

Here are a few of the most notable takeaways from my week at the show.

The Constant Evolution of Entertainment

A lot of factors play into what casino visitors and gamblers want out of operators – from consumer behaviors, to economic conditions, to advancements in technology – and so it is nothing new for casinos to have a need to adapt. What seems to be different now is the speed with which this needs to happen.

Listening to discussions from Virgin Voyages, Palms Las Vegas, the Hippodrome, and more, what became clear was that there is a particular sensitivity among consumers – both gamblers and the more general patrons – that novelty and variety are critical to an operation’s ongoing success. With growing competition both online and in-person, staying relevant means staying new, exciting, and providing unique experiences for every guest each time they visit your property.

How Has Loyalty Evolved?

Loyalty was another major focal point. My panel at the ICC on Monday discussed this subject in detail, looking at how loyalty can be extended to both the online player and the retail visitor, and while some solutions exist in theory, technology and legislation are still tough barriers to overcome in some markets. It’s important to keep in mind that the experience for a retail player is vastly different from an online one, yet the individual may still be the same person. That doesn’t mean that crossover and increased engagement can’t still be achieved, it just means that a close look at how technology integrates into the retail experience is more important than ever.

Creating loyalty starts with a deep understanding of your customer. That understanding is largely rooted in how well you collect and analyze player data and the overall player experience. For some brands and operators, that is easier said than done. In some cases, technology stacks are layered and disjointed, leading to a break in the KYC process. Improving data funnels, structuring, processing, and analysis is going to prove critical in the ongoing efforts to increase brand loyalty across the brick-and-mortar and online player experiences.

Thinking About the Next Phase of Gaming

One aspect that was touched on in a number of panels – including my own at the ICC and the iGB Affiliate conferences – was how the market is preparing to adapt to the next phase of the web; namely, Web3, the metaverse, virtual reality, and more. While it is clear that there is no doubt excitement and anticipation around how these channels can be used to tap into a new generation of players and patrons, how exactly they can be folded into the existing framework remains somewhat of a mystery. While there are small projects being launched in these spaces, the question of what role this space will have in the traditional gambling market is still up in the air, though the market as a whole can be sure that every avenue is exploring and strategizing in order to ensure that no operator finds itself left behind.