US Market

PADDY POWER: ASX IS A STEP FORWARD FROM DAILY FANTASY SPORTS

PADDY POWER DISCUSSES the ways in which ASX, his new virtual sports trading exchange, is a step forward for the traditional Daily Fantasy Sports offering in the US

BY ERIN GALLAGHER

SBC: Firstly, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! For those of our readers who don’t know, can you tell us a little bit about ASX? What does it involve?

PP: So effectively, what we’ve built is a digital-asset exchange, like a virtual stock exchange. I guess our working slogan at the moment is we’re a place where sports meets stocks.

In essence, what we’re doing is gamifying the trading of sports NFTs by using a next-generation fantasy platform. It’s a step forward from the traditional Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) offerings that exist in the United States, which is the market that we’re targeting.

We’ve been doing all of our initial testing with the Premier League, but our big launch is going to be a strong push around college football, which is just kicking off now. So, currently, we’re testing with a few NCAA games - and then in the next few weeks, we’ll be launching, which is a real nail-biter! Hopefully we’re finding all of the bugs and ironing out the usual development snags at the minute. It’s part of the process but, as you can imagine, it’s all hands on deck.

NFTs are definitely the sexy thing at the minute, and they’re being traded

IT’S QUITE UNUSUAL THAT WE’RE BRINGING FINTECH TO THE SPORTS WORLD, RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND

- so we’re gamifying the trading of NFTs and providing a platform for that. There’s definitely an opportunity to do this. That said, there is also a huge demand for our kind of product - we certainly think it’s engaging, and hopefully everyone else comes to agree.

SBC: How will this help bring new forms of sports betting to the US market?

PP: ASX is a step forward from daily fantasy sports. A really clear differentiator between ourselves and what’s already out there for traditional DFS betting is that the latter is almost like a ‘set and forget’ model,

WE'RE GAMIFYING THE TRADING OF NFTS AND PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR THAT

so to speak, which diminishes fan engagement. What I mean by that is you pick your fantasy sports team, watch the game and hope that your team plays well, and then you’re allotted your points.

However, with our model, it’s more of an ‘always on’ fantasy platform. So, effectively, we IPO the athletes that are playing, then you buy shares in those virtual athletes. Your portfolio then increases or decreases, based on the underlying fantasy scoring system, depending on how those athletes perform (well or poorly) in comparison to the other players on the pitch.

The key difference here is that you can also trade in-play. You may think an individual’s performance has peaked during a live game - if they just scored, for example, when their price would’ve naturally spiked. But if you reckon that price change is excessive, you can then sell that player, and trade out of any other positions you might have. This real-time trading flexibility sets the ASX platform apart in the DFS domain.

It’s really a FinTech-inspired game. I’m not sure if we’re the first company to do this, but it’s quite unusual that we’re bringing FinTech to the sports world, rather than the other way around; it’s stocks first into sports.

It is a different product for sure. In the US, we hope that there’ll be less of an educational piece required, because a strong culture and understanding of DFS has already been established across the pond. ASX is built on the same principle, the scale is the same; it doesn’t necessarily have precisely the same scoring system but our algorithm works off a recognisable and intuitive fantasy scoring system.

So if your player plays well, approximately 85% of the fluctuation in price will be based on their performance on the pitch and the remainder is governed by market forces. There’s integrity in the market fluctuations from that perspective. It’s the next generation of fantasy sports, and all the sleeker and more engaging for the upgrade.

ASX IS A STEP FORWARD FROM DAILY FANTASY SPORTS

SBC: In what ways did your participation in the HYPE Accelerator programme help streamline your overall growth strategy?

PP: The HYPE Accelerator programme was good. It hasn’t finished just yet, so we’ll see what the end outcome is soon enough.

We’ve been kicking around with this idea of ASX for quite some time. It’s almost been one of those start-ups beginning from someone’s garage: we put it together, and have been playing around with different ideas and components. But when we entered the HYPE Accelerator programme and we won, that was a great endorsement - it meant that we had to become much more serious about developing ASX, raising money and putting a team together.

That validation gave us a kick up the backside to be honest; it pushed us to actually get things moving rather than just tinkering around and wondering whether it would work. That has definitely been one of the real benefits of this programme. With that encouragement, the endorsement also gave us some excellent awareness across the industry. You get access to loads of new partners and networks through HYPE.

Importantly, it also gave us a welcome shot of confidence in what we’re doing - which you only get when a respected external party both validates and backs your idea. After all, we’re asking people to leave their ‘grown up’ jobs to come and take a risk on a start-up. Now, though, we can say to people: “don’t just take our word for it, HYPE supports ASX too!”

We’ve currently got 16 members of staff, and that number is growing. We’ve got a very strong team already, so now we’ve got to make sure everything pans out the way we have planned.

WE’RE SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THE US MARKET - OUR MARKETING HAS TO BE REFLECTIVE OF THAT

SBC: Can we expect similar marketing campaigns to those we have seen Paddy Power use in the UK and Irish markets to promote ASX? Or are you going to take a bit more of a demure approach?

PP: Not a chance! It’s funny that you ask that because we’re actually heavily engaged with an agency called The Tenth Man, which was founded by, and is run by, Ken Robertson. I have to say he was the genius behind a lot of the Paddy Power marketing campaigns over the years.

He was at Paddy Power for 15 years. If he was Tweedledum, I was Tweedledee. We worked side-by-side for 15 years, and he’s a close friend of mine. We’ve been having a lot of fun already with developing some of the brand positioning for ASX. So while we can’t reveal anything just yet, the Tenth Man is really putting manners on us. It won’t be copying Paddy Power at all, but it will try to be something different.

After all, we’re something different for the US market. Our marketing and creatives therefore have to be reflective of that. What I do know is that we plan to develop a very strong brand, and we also plan to be a very brand-led company too. I think you can expect some good things!

SBC: In your opinion, what lessons have you taken from ‘stock market-type’ platforms seen in the European market?

PP: I think the best way to answer that

question is to say that we’re a FinTechtype company. So all of our tech people are coming from the financial sector. They’re bringing skills related to compliance and regulation from a FinTech perspective, rather than the other way around of trying to apply sports compliance to quants.

That gives us a lot of confidence that some of the mistakes made by others won’t be repeated by us. We won’t be falling into those traps.

SBC: How important will AI be in managing and interpreting live sports data from matches?

PP: A few years ago, we were saying that artificial intelligence is the future. But it’s not anymore, it’s now - we use it for everything. We almost don’t use the phrase anymore because it’s just so integrated into every single part of ASX with regard to interactions and

AI IS THE RISING TIDE THAT LIFTS ALL BOATS, BY MAKING EVERYTHING INTUITIVE

platforms. AI drives our algorithms, affiliate marketing model, comms, trading, even push notifications... In short, it’s the rising tide that lifts all boats, by making everything intuitive.

SBC: Looking to the future, what are your key aims for ASX? Are there any particular goals you would like to reach / states you would like to target, or strategies you would like to implement?

PP: So our new headquarters in the US is in Miami, which is a tech hub - that’ll obviously be a target area of ours. But funnily enough, we are starting with Notre Dame in Indiana, because one of our main goals is going to be owning the college football space.

Ultimately, our offering is a complementary product for the existing players in the market, rather than a competitor product.

Our short-term goal is another funding round which will help us ‘crack the States’, so to speak. To do that, we’ll be building towards a Series A raise which will hopefully happen within the next few months. After that, we can kick on from there and further WE ARE STARTING WITH NOTRE DAME IN INDIANA, BECAUSE ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS IS GOING TO BE OWNING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPACE

develop the platforms. We can do that on a relatively small scale given the size of the US market and then build it out. After that, the world will be our oyster.

SBC: And finally, are there any challenges with regulation for an exchange such as ASX? Will it follow the state-by-state sportsbook regulatory model or circumvent that in some fashion?

PP:With regard to regulation, and all that stuff which probably puts most of us to sleep, we’re engaged with lawyers to make sure that we’re compliant with all of the regulations. We don’t want to be skirting around any legislation - we’re going into the US from a FinTechinspired product perspective and applying that to the sports model. •

IT’S GAME TIME! FOR IGT PLAYSPORTS

IGT CrystalBetting Terminal AS G2E MAKES ITS

RETURN TO LAS VEGAS, global gaming leader IGT is prepared with a spectacular innovation showcase as it plans to place IGT PlaySports in the spotlight

BY ERIN GALLAGHER

The company’s exhibit extends more than 20,000 square-feet and covers every regulated gaming channel and segment. Of the many focal points within IGT’s spacious booth will be the PlaySports team and technology, a subset of the company’s IGT PlayDigital organisation.

Under the theme, “It’s Game Time!”, IGT PlaySports will demonstrate what has propelled its climb to leadership as the top B2B sports betting supplier in the US, and provide a first look at some of the company’s next generation sports betting technologies.

IGT Flexes its Content Versatility

G2E attendees will be eager to experience IGT PlaySports’ new multi game bundle with Game King X® video content for the company’s widely deployed PeakBarTop cabinet and the award winning CrystalBetting Terminal.

With the new content, casino patrons can watch sports, play IGT slots, video poker and keno games, and wager on their favorite sporting events on the same gaming machine and via the same on-machine funds.

IGT PLAYSPORTS WILL DEMONSTRATE WHAT HAS PROPELLED IGT’S CLIMB TO BECOME A LEADER

50+

Sportsbooks powered by IGT PlaySports

17

States with IGT PlaySports deployments

450+

PlaySports Kiosks deployed in the US

24/7 /365

Availability of IGT PlaySports Trading Advisory Team

3659

IGT’s G2E Booth - It’s Game Time!

IGT PlaySports Kiosk

THE PANDEMIC ACCELERATED THE DEMAND FOR, AND ACCEPTANCE OF, CASHLESS TECHNOLOGIES ACROSS NEARLY EVERY SECTOR

As the far-and-wide leader in video poker content and hardware, IGT is uniquely positioned to maximise this growth opportunity and engage the broadest spectrum of bar and tavern guests.

Matteo Carli, IGT PlaySports Senior Vice President, commented: “There is significant crossover in avid video poker players and passionate sports bettors, and many betting venues in the US already feature IGT’s bartop gaming devices with leading IGT games such as Game King X.

“Adding sports betting functionality to IGT’s PeakBarTop and casino content to the CrystalBetting Terminal via the CrystalFlex™ multigame software helps our customer maximise their IGT hardware investments and deliver added choice and convenience to sports fans.”

IGT PlaySports kiosks join cashless gaming revolution

Another focal point within IGT PlaySports’ G2E showcase will be advancements in its self-service betting technologies. The IGT PlaySports Kiosks has been a cornerstone of the PlaySports retail portfolio for several years. With more than 450 units deployed in sportsbooks across the US, including Nevada, the kiosks are famously found at every retail FanDuel Sportsbook across the nation and at dozens of other sports betting venues.

For the first time at a trade show, IGT PlaySports will exhibit the new cashless capabilities of the PlaySports Kiosks. In addition to betting with cash, players have the option to place wagers at these kiosks via bank cards.

“The pandemic accelerated the demand for and acceptance of cashless technologies across nearly every sector,” commented Carli.

“IGT’s PlaySports Kiosks can now accommodate a range of cashless payments options, providing players with elevated safety and a modern user experience.”

Matteo Carli, IGT PlaySports Senior Vice President

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

“IGT PlaySports retail betting technology has been instrumental in FanDuel Sportsbook achieving its position as America’s #1 Sportsbook,” said Niall

Connell, Senior Vice President, General Manager

FanDuel Sportsbook.

“IGT leverages its pedigree in lottery and casino gaming to navigate complex regulatory environments and help FanDuel Group gain market access. Additionally, IGT’s PlaySports Kiosks continue to help us deliver unrivaled retail experiences, reduce lines at betting windows and service more guests during high-traffic betting events.”

Jamie Azure, Chairman of Turtle Mountain

Band of Chippewa Indians, added: “Sky Dancer Casino was able to pioneer sports betting in North Dakota thanks to the talented PlaySports team. The IGT PlaySports platform and in-house services have enabled us to add a new dimension to our entertainment offering, reward our patrons in compelling ways and truly differentiate our casino in the State.”

are committed to their customers’ success. Many of IGT’s PlaySports customers leverage the company’s turnkey solution which is supported by IGT’s in-house trading advisory services team. The Las Vegas-based

Approved! IGT’s PlaySports Pad

At G2E, IGT PlaySports will spotlight yet another GLI-approved selfservice betting solution. The company will exhibit the recently approved PlaySports Pad. The tablet-based solution can be tethered to nearly any location within a resort-casino, expanding retail sports wagering beyond the walls of a defined sportsbook. The innovative, self-service technology requires very little capital investment and allows operators to manage high-traffic betting times without additional labor costs.

“Given IGT’s pedigree in land-based gaming, our teams are very skilled at bringing new products to market that meet local regulatory requirements and drive value and growth for our customer,” said Carli. “The PlaySports Pad is an easy-to-deploy, self-service betting solution that enables our customers to offer additional points of sale with very minimal labor or investment considerations.”

The team behind the technology

IGT’s G2E booth will be staffed with many PlaySports team members who experts are skilled at setting odds, managing data feeds and maximising player retention and acquisition.

The PlaySports team also supports the IGT Sports Betting Academy, a customized, self-guided training program that helps sportsbook staff familiarise themselves with PlaySports technology and hone their hardware troubleshooting skills. Additionally, IGT employs a robust PlaySports operations team to ensure service

standards are met and a highly handson support team to educate and elevate the customer journey.

Carli continued: “The PlaySports team’s collective dedication, expertise and talent is truly the heart of IGT’s sports betting business. We sincerely look forward to seeing our valued customers at G2E and collecting their feedback on our latest solutions portfolio and technical support services.” •

IGT PlaySports Pad

PLAYSPORTS’ COLLECTIVE DEDICATION, EXPERTISE AND TALENT IS TRULY THE HEART OF IGT’S SPORTS BETTING BUSINESS

JESSE CARY: FOCUS AND SCALABILITY ARE KEY TO SUCCESS IN ADDRESSING US IGAMING CHALLENGES

STRIVE GAMING’S NEW

CTO spoke at length with SBC Leaders about some of the technological opportunities, challenges and pain points for incumbents in the US igaming sector

BY CHRIS MURPHY

SBC: What platform challenges are operators facing in the early stages of the US market?

JC: The speed of regulation is creating huge challenges for operators trying to compete in this market. There are 26 states and counting that have either enacted or drafted legislation for sports wagering, five states for icasino plus Canada (including Ontario) in the mix. All this activity and opportunity in just a few short years means trying to maintain a first mover advantage in all these states with a profitable, let alone competitive CPA, is a tall order.

Keeping up with North America requires a complete focus and not being distracted by other markets. Some operators who have full control of their own technology in-house still can’t manage to keep up with existing operations elsewhere globally and adapt for the US at the same time.

Scalability is a challenge from various points of view, both in terms of handling the load that US sports betting brings and scaling out infrastructure without, in most cases, the ability to leverage public cloud computing.

In regulated states, many operators have gone for the “IBM” safe choice platforms that no one gets fired for choosing, aka vendors or platforms that were just live already regardless of how good they were. They are now facing operational challenges because these platforms were not designed and purpose-built for this market so they lack some of the more modern, real-time operational capability and flexibility needed to maximise customer experience and value that other platforms can provide.

Compounding this is the fact that because many of these platforms have legacy issues or technical debt, it prevents them from servicing their operators’ requests for changes and

upgrades even if they could prioritise them. This itself is an issue because most operators don’t have the sway to be at the top of a very long client list given the limited number of solutions in play today. THE VARYING TYPES OF REGULATION PER STATE WHICH DON’T CONFORM WITH OTHER STATES IS MAKING IT HARD TO COMPETE PROFITABLY ON A NATIONAL SCALE

SBC: What impact is state by state regulation having on these challenges?

JC: The varying types of regulation per state which don’t conform with other states is making it hard to compete profitably on a national scale. Speed of regulation would be more manageable if regulations were identical and conformed to some sort of national standard, but they aren’t, they don’t and why should they.

New deployment topologies are creating headaches in terms of geographical compliance and

operational excellence. Local reporting and regulatory requirements are different enough that vendors are having to effectively draw straws on division of responsibilities, basing solution decisions on resources more than sound design choices.

This can have an impact commercially and in terms of delivery. Local nuances in the KYC process including vendor availability, as well as customer and product management, mean that no two states are quite the same.

The Wire Act prevents taking crossborder wagers so depending on the geography, in practice this can mean some customers in dense areas might place a bet right after finishing work but have no option to cash it out early after commuting home over a bridge! It’s a logistical nightmare and there is not a healthy number of vendors to choose from who solve this well. It also results in server sprawl, with server deployments necessary in each state.

Data sovereignty stipulations create their own issues also. Serving multiple jurisdictions and requirements for launching within tight timelines with little lead time afforded by rapidly moving regulation is putting a strain on operators who can’t rapidly and cost-effectively deploy infrastructure, let alone configure it to meet the demands

without lots of development.

Because of the delivery challenges to comply with the variations in state legislation, many platform vendors are struggling to keep up, which is forcing operators to use multiple platforms across different states because the platform they have in one state can’t cope with another state’s regulations in time for launch. This is not what operators want. In some cases, they are sticking with products they recognise as inferior just to avoid adding more vendors to the mix, where a single solution would be much better.

SBC: What are the current platform/ tech options available to operators?

Operators have not had the most comprehensive choice to date due to the technical and regulatory barriers built. Some of the options out there are sitting on 15+ year old code bases, requiring expensive licensing or very specific hardware setups which isn’t cost-effective in the US. To serve the US operator a player platform really must have modern, multi-tenant, modular tech stacks to solve these problems.

We are also now starting to see some entrants to the US market who have worked in grey/black markets previously, as well as white label providers, and there are a lot of unknowns regarding how they will perform, what the confidence is in them being permitted to regulate widely across the US and how they will be received by US players.

SBC: Can we broadly categorise these?

JC: It will be hard to categorise the providers here as there are so many ways to look at it from an operator’s perspective, but I would say some are derived from retail, lottery or social platforms and so weren’t built at their core to meet the requirements at hand. There is clear evidence in the market that specialist providers yield the better results from a delivery and creation of value perspective.

This comes down to how a specialist platform will unify the gaming experience across all channels. Specialist providers who aim to be the best solution in their respective verticals will offer so much more to operators who try to be everything to everyone.

TO SERVE THE US OPERATOR, A PLAYER PLATFORM REALLY MUST HAVE MODERN, MULTI-TENANT, MODULAR TECH STACKS

SBC: How does this impact the approach taken in each state (legacy rebuilds/modern can be configured)?

JC: I think many operators feel like they are hostage to the situation as only a limited number of platforms are available to meet the regulations for any

new state roll out. This is now forcing companies to face up to whether they should do M&A to acquire the technology they really need or look at more advanced B2B solutions that weren’t available when PASPA was repealed.

For anyone with one or more existing PAM deployments, this choice feels limited to what’s already in place, so they are often considering these options begrudgingly to avoid perceived data integration problems down the road by adding more software into their landscape. This comes at a high cost because the products out there require a lot of re-development to meet the regulations. A more configurable platform alleviates a lot of this, despite the requirements to deploy on-prem as the overall time to deliver is reduced.

SBC: How can operators easily launch into multiple states?

JC: Configurability is crucial. This takes care of so many things in terms of business process flows. Requirements for a lot of custom code to be written to comply from one state to another should be seen as highly negative for a platform.

Modularity; if responsibilities need to be divided across different lines, being able to compose the platform into a hybrid on-prem and cloud solution based on the right mix of building blocks eliminates incompatibilities and provides an open ecosystem for creating API-driven solutions based on operator needs, not driven by technology limitations.

This also includes good modular design within the application architecture that allows any mix of integrated vendors to be activated for a given deployment, whether KYC, payments or content.

A platform designed with unification of the back office in mind, with a real single customer view that can accommodate the satellite accounts per state necessary to maintain compliance, is the way forward. This means launching a new state just attaches to a system which has value that exceeds the sum of its parts. The appropriate buzzword to use here is “synergy”. •

BRANDON WALKER AND JEFF MILLAR ON THE INEVITABLE RISE OF US IGAMING

WHERE SPORTS BETTING GOES, iGaming inevitably follows. SBC Leaders gathered the thoughts and opinions of two key industry figures on how that concept fits into a US market that continues to be transformed by legalised sports wagering

BY CHRIS MURPHY

As more and more US states come alive to the prospect of a thriving iGaming sector, the surge in demand for key verticals and full-service delivery is gaining increasing momentum. To explore the subject in better detail, SBC Leaders joined Brandon Walker, Head of Amelco USA, and Jeff Millar, Commercial Director North America at Evolution, for a round-table discussion.

Kicking off with the fast-paced

regulation of US online sports betting, we asked why has the progress of online gaming been markedly slower?

“While online iGaming has been legal in a handful of states since as far back as 2013, the main issue has always been traffic,” responded Walker. “The US has a rich gaming heritage, but it has traditionally always been a brickand-mortar casino-based activity.”

He added: “It’s only the emergence of sports betting as central to America’s online revolution that has really opened the market to other verticals, such as iGaming and esports – and players are willing to give it a try. As more states come online, as they soon will, gaming will form a central part of the online entertainment mix.

“The opportunity to bet on sports as well as getting into the live casino experience, presents Americans with a wealth of exciting possibilities for their entertainment. Looking at FOX BET and FuboTV – we can already see adoption fast-underway.”

According to Millar, every state in the US has its own political climate and distinct stakeholders, making it difficult to predict when legislation will pass. “However, we are optimistic online casino gaming will follow in the footsteps of online sports betting,” he said.

“In states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where players may place bets on sports at casino property or online, the majority of the revenue comes from online, and smartphones specifically.

“Moreover, those two states also have online casinos, and the majority of the online revenue is coming from online casino games. That is not to say that one is better than the other, but online sports and online casino wagering certainly complement each other.”

Expanding on the speed of regulation

and the major opportunities for tier one suppliers, Walker believes it’s all about technology.

“We’ll see the speed of regulation improve as the tech improves,” he noted. “This is happening in real time, and as operators develop the ability to rollout across multiple states simultaneously with minimal compliance fuss – we’ll be sure to see supply creating demand.

“Looking at it from the state’s perspective, revenue’s too hard to ignore not to speed up regulation.

Brandon Walker, Head of Amelco USA Jeff Millar, Commercial Director North America at Evolution

They can see the money that is being made for the state’s budget, and if your citizens are driving to another state to bet, why not keep them here? New York’s a clear example of this, with boatloads of punters decamping across the Hudson into New Jersey – which means that three years of revenue has quite literally gone down the river.”

When quizzed about which states should feature prominently on any US roadmap strategy, Millar answered: “We keep an eye on new legislation being introduced in each state. We try not to get too ahead of ourselves though, until the state governor actually signs the bill into law. We are watching states like Connecticut, Illinois and Indiana. Of course, we also keep an eye on all the US states considering online sports betting, such as New York.”

Walker added: “Let’s start with Washington – the State Gambling Commission has approved sports wagering licensing, which will become effective at the end of August. This will pave the way for online tribal sportsbooks to be ready soon enough – and it’s going to be a key place to watch.

“Moving further south, Arizona’s another dark horse that’s going to emerge soon enough – as well as Florida. Given the extensive tribal networks, we’ll be doing what we do best, and have done to great effect in Colorado, which is helping our landbased partners get online and scale fast to capture market share.

“Of course, no US prediction would be complete without a mention of New York, and with DraftKings and FanDuel fighting to the top of the queue, it’s going to be an interesting market to watch. You’ve got a fantastic range of demographics across the state, which means there’s going to be a seriously diverse range of sports and markets in demand – which is certainly something our team is looking forward to.” Turning to the topic of online operators and suppliers and how they can familiarise customers with the digital environment, Millar believes that land-based casinos who also operate online casinos have a tremendous opportunity to cross promote their offering.

“There are many strategies and tactics, but probably at the top of the list is ensuring the loyalty program rewards players regardless of where they choose to play – online or at the property,” he advised. “At Evolution, we have several products that help land-based operators with crosschannel marketing.

“For our live casino games, we can provide them with a dedicated studio environment that matches the branding of the land-based property, including the uniforms of the dealers and the background images. To take

AS MORE STATES COME ONLINE, AS THEY SOON WILL, GAMING WILL FORM A CENTRAL PART OF THE ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT MIX WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ONLINE CASINO GAMING WILL FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ONLINE SPORTS BETTING

it one step further, our Dual Play product allows brands to actually place a live casino table on the floor of their casino property, allowing them to stream to online players from their casino floor.”

For Walker, ease and convenience are key. “Looking at it from the platform perspective, it’s really all about the wallet. So the implementation of KYC protocols needs to feel ‘instant’ to the player and thus make the onboarding experience (almost) as simple as walking into a brick-and-mortar casino.

“Aside from that, there’s a number of lessons that can be learned from the wider US online entertainment industry. Essentially what you need is data and segmentation, and the ability to tailor a spread of games to each player’s preference.

“Another important element is the UX. The design, feel and presentation of such an app is essential in giving the US customer the user journey they expect. Efficiency, comfort and security are the basic foundations, but bonus campaigns are another key asset for onboarding, and a point of difference between online and offline. Bonusing can provide plenty of incentive to explore the casino lobby.

“While we’re on the casino lobby, let’s not forget live dealer studios – they’re as close to real as possible, and this is in many ways the closest on offer to the Vegas experience for many. I see this as the perfect way to onboard customers as it’s a virtual extension of the world they already know and love.”

According to Millar, the current adoption rate of American players to live dealer games is high. “In our experience, most Americans are first and foremost amazed that they can play against a real person from a video feed over the internet,” he explained.

“Regulated online casino gaming is brand new to many of them, so introducing live casino gaming takes that experience to another level. Live dealer is also known to be an excellent product by which to introduce sports bettors to casino, which will set us in good stead as new states regulate.”

Walker added that Amelco is seeing growth across the board as multistate rollouts continue and, in many ways, a number of states are only just becoming familiar with live dealer and casino.

“From this point, the only way is up,” he said. “After all, live dealer – especially from the likes of Evolution and Playgon – presents the first opportunity for US players to experience the most authentically ‘Vegas’ digital experience.

“Paramount to fostering that growth is having the foundations in place to support scaling up, rapidly when necessary. This means a robust platform that can offer live dealer (or indeed any other vertical) as one – a 360-degree offering that can deliver the full customer journey.

“If that is available, and indeed it is, the ability to deliver the same casino experience stateside that we already see in Europe will become commonplace – and online gaming will continue to see exponential growth.” •

THERE’S A NUMBER OF LESSONS THAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THE WIDER US ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY