Gambling Trends - What Should The Casino Of The Future Look Like?
The East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC) took place in Atlantic City in the middle of last week. At the largest US gaming conference outside of Nevada, according to the organizers, industry representatives also discussed the terrestrial casino of the future. This has to face the increasing market power of online providers.
The participants below agreed that the casino floors of the future would have to change their face in order to remain competitive. In fact, the design of the gaming rooms has hardly changed in the past sixty years.
Review: Always the same casino floors
So still brightly flashing slot machines and large areas with gaming tables dominated the image of most casinos. However, in order to continue to attract wealthy visitors, new ideas are needed.
It is especially the youth who disdain the traditional design and prefer other forms of entertainment. However, the young players are important if you want to stay competitive against the online game.
The answer to the right strategy is the big question that has been bothering casino operators for a long time. In the past, new solutions were used to attract younger customers.
Failed attempts
But in many cases the attempts failed early. For example, machines with an increased level of skill quickly disappeared again into oblivion.
Another way of attracting new players to table games is to use machine-supported versions of the tables that are classically occupied by croupiers and casino dealers. In addition to eliminating the need for expensive staff, these would have the advantage that they would break down barriers, especially for inexperienced players. Due to their lack of experience, they often did not dare to sit at tables with experienced players and dealers.
Despite the bankruptcy with skill-based slot machines, the industry wants to rely on the instinct to play with younger people. Rick Meitzler, CEO at Novomatic Americas, said that the younger generation is drawn to gamification. In ten years, 15-year-olds will be tomorrow's customers. That's why you have to adapt to their habits and preferences early on.
The question of what will move the players of the future is also the focus of casinos such as the Atlantic City Tropicana. Their senior VP Jacqueline Grace explained that one observes the behavior of the potential target group closely. It is already clear that this demands more "action and experience" than the traditional clientele.
E-sports and sports betting - the solution?
Two trends that will determine the future for best online casinos are e-sports and sports betting legalized in more and more US states. They are ideal for attracting younger gamers, according to the gambling experts.
This development was confirmed by Robert Heller, CEO of the sports betting service provider Spectrum Gaming Capital:
We believe esports is the next big thing. Every casino company I've spoken to is interested.
E-sports are already more important to many than television or the cinema. At the same time, casinos with e-sports betting could create an offer that is ideally tailored to this target group.
According to Ari Fox, Co-CEO of the gaming developer Gameacon, it is always important to convey to young people that this offer is made especially for them. This mixture of gaming and gambling must be communicated as a form of entertainment that “their parents didn't do”.
It is far from certain whether smoking will still be allowed on the casino floor of the future. In fact, casinos in the USA are among the last areas where tobacco consumption is often still possible undisturbed. However, this is meeting with increasing criticism from anti-tobacco organizations, politicians and casino employees. Perhaps that is why it was no coincidence that casino workers demonstrated outside Harrah's Atlantic City during the conference for stricter anti-smoking measures.
Even if casinos generate a large part of their income at gaming tables and machines, the additional entertainment and gastronomy offers offered by the companies are of the highest importance. The reason: Young people in particular often changed their activities.
After playing or placing bets, the casino managers hope, they would flock to the resort's restaurants and cafes to hang out with friends. An attractive offer in this area is therefore inseparable when it comes to designing the casino of the future.