Setting aside the fact that it was a wonderful feeling being back on the road and back on stage, there were a lot of positives to note within and around the gaming industry. Here are some takeaways from my week at ICE and the iGB Affiliate show in London.

When it comes to the world of gambling – both online and brick-and-mortar – there is a lot to look forward to. The industry is set to have its biggest year ever, and by all accounts, the pent-up demand predicted over the last two years is coming to an apex. That said, there is still plenty on the horizon, and some clear shifts are beginning to take place across the casino world.

Payments Leading the Way

What was perhaps most notable on the ICE expo floor was the prevalence of payment processors. This is nothing new; payment processing is a hugely competitive and saturated sub-market within the online gambling space, but the volume and differentiations are what was most notable this year. First off, crypto and cross-border transactions made what seemed to be their largest appearance ever. As the blockchain moves more into the focus of everyday transactions, operators are looking for the best (legal) ways to begin accepting some form of crypto-integration, even if it means working with a third party that can offer conversion, gas, and processing fees before regulated currencies are deposited. There is still a long way to go in this space before it is widely accepted in the gambling space, but it is particularly interesting to see how many players – both incumbent and nascent – are looking for ways to offer it.

Data Consolidation and Improved Customer Experience

On my panel during the ICE VOX Masterclass sessions, we discussed steps that need to be taken toward an improved online customer journey and experience. While each panelist provided some phenomenal insight, there was a clear theme among each of the ideas shared: data consolidation and data-centric strategy implementation. Anyone who has worked in this space knows that casinos are expert data collectors; when it comes to the use of that data, there is still a lot of room for improvement. While tools exist to help with the automation side of the data world, once casinos are able to internally harness the power that comes from data structuring, engagement, retention, and rate-of-play have the chance to increase significantly.

Going Cashless

During the International Casino Conference component of the week, we had a chance to hear from Scott Sibella, the President of the recently opened Resorts World Las Vegas. As the first new construction on the Strip in a decade, Resorts World has had the opportunity to implement a lot of modern technology both around the resort and on the casino floor that many others have not yet had the chance to do. One of the most notable, and one that is particularly telling of where the casino floor might be headed, is a cashless guest experience. We’ve seen cashless operations in several industries, but casinos by and large have not been a major adopter. How players lean into this shift will be interesting to monitor, as it might indicate that a new generation of casino player is more willing to visit the floor based on technologies that they are more familiar with in other areas of everyday life.

What’s Next for NFTs and the Metaverse?

In what were perhaps the most exciting conversations of the week, it seems everyone has their ear to the ground when it comes to NFTs and the metaverse. I joined a panel at the iGB Affiliate show on this very topic, and it is clear that there is only room for growth in this facet of the industry. With virtually unlimited potential for both casinos and affiliates, it’s only a matter of time before metaverse casinos, NFT affiliate acquisition strategies, and the entire subculture take off. The questions remain: Who will be the first major player to integrate this technology into their marketing strategies, and how will this virtual world work in tandem with a highly regulated market? Time will tell, but it’s sure to be a fascinating ride.