In your opinion, what technology has had the greatest impact on iGaming in 2024?
Allan Stone: It’s not necessarily a new innovation, but there has certainly been a realisation from operators that there is a growing opportunity to create a core betting experience around micro betting, player props and same game parlays. If you look, historically, most operators use those particular products as something of a ‘bells and whistle’ to drive engagement and acquisition.
Now, however, what you're seeing is operators embracing such products and understanding that there is a new generation of player out there that will never be a ‘straight money line punter’. They’re different to what we might consider to be a traditional sports bettor; they’re after quick-fire, technology-led products. This is how they tend to engage with digital products in other areas of their life, so it makes complete sense that this would be how they engage with gambling.
It’s not like these technologies didn’t exist, but I do think that this has been a big thing for operators in 2024. Brands don’t always need to have traditional sports betting, trading market products.
As mobile gaming continues to grow, what innovations are necessary to enhance mobile user experiences and ensure seamless integration across multiple devices?
Allan Stone: Brands need to understand that they need to be building a product that’s cross-platform, no matter what. They shouldn’t be developing a product that is tailored to just one vertical – it should work seamlessly on desktop, tablet, mobile. That's what has been missing from this space.
We've always just attacked gambling as being a core desktop product, and then introduced tablet or mobile at a later point. But if you can understand how to build products in a cross-platform way from the get-go, then you will enhance that mobile experience.
Then you have the personalisation side of things. Personalisation is most definitely the missing ingredient here. There is no such thing as a ‘too rich’ user experience that is available on mobile. That's just not been achieved, and I think that’s because everyone has taken something of a cookie cutter approach to their apps. We always challenge our clients to look at how their products rank against other products outside of their core vertical. You might have a great product, but if you’re not ranking in terms of user experience, then why would people be loyal to your brand?
Users have a finite amount of attention for entertainment products. If you’re not ranking on those first pages, or you’ve not got a streamlined user experience, then you’re going to receive less attention and, as a result, lower engagement. So why not work to try and increase your ability to capture more of that user attention?
How can the iGaming industry stay ahead of regulatory changes and ensure compliance while still fostering innovation and growth?
Allan Stone: I feel like a lot of brands use responsible gambling and compliance as somewhat of a crutch to justify not innovating. They complain that their product isn’t where it’s supposed to be, and often say that’s because of compliance or responsible gambling markers. But if you look at industries such as consumer finance, it’s easier to open up a bank account than a betting account, so I don’t necessarily think this is due to a compliance issue.
I think that there’s two ways that people can approach this one. The first is that the more intelligent operators can be in terms of decisioning and where they place their ads, the less they will be viewed as being problem gambling adjacent. If you’re showing your adverts to a relevant audience, they’re not going to complain, right?
Much of the negative press around gambling is because people believe that the advertising strategies are too intrusive. They’re not, they’re just not as efficient as they should be.
From a compliance perspective, the measures in place are designed to protect the player. Instead of viewing those requirements as an annoyance, I think that the operators who embraced them have used it to their advantage. One really great example is Jackpocket here in the US. Like any operator, they have to verify that players are the right age. But they have a message that pops up saying something along the lines of ‘we don’t want to be the bouncer, but we need to see your ID. It’s to protect you and also to confirm you’re old enough to buy a lottery ticket’.
They’ve turned that age requirement into a marketing opportunity to show their brand, their personality but also to inform their players about the age limits in place. It’s a pattern interrupt; players aren’t usually used to seeing an age check like that. Pattern interrupts are great at creating the perception that there is less friction, but they can also help drive brand loyalty because the player now feels much more connected to that brand.
That's what you want - to start to create to build efficiency and brand loyalty with the customers but then that also creates a more positive user sentiment, which then leads to less complaints, which then leads to less need for regulatory oversight. There's a domino effect here. I think a lot of people just don't have a full understanding of what those things can do for the brand.
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