Will technology and the legacy of Covid-19 see European casinos embrace an omni-channel future?

A host of high profile industry figures have provided insights on the evolution of the European brick-and-mortar sector in the latest ICE365.com market report, ‘Building an omni-channel future for European casinos'.

The likes of Ron Goudsmit, a founding father of the European Casino Association (ECA), Hermann Pamminger, secretary general of the ECA, Wolfgang Blien, CEO of Casino Luzern and respected industry consultant Andrew Tottenham are among the contributors.

The report, which is sponsored by Gaming Innovation Group, details the historical relationship between the igaming industry and the brick-and-mortar sector and explores whether the combination of technology and the devastating impact of Covid-19 is shifting the dynamic.

With properties shuttered for months by Covid-19 and only now reopening across Europe, the report questions whether operators may be prompted to look into new channels for future growth. If the customers can't come to the property, will the property come to the customers?

Robin Harrison, B2B editor at Clarion Gaming explains that the in-person and online sectors have existed in parallel, rather than crossing over.

“But there are already multiple points of contact between the two, to the extent that 63% of ECA members have an online offering,” he says. “This means work to make the two channels work for one another can only benefit operators, as the report outlines.”

One expert predicting a closer relationship between the two channels is Ron Goudsmit. A founding executive of the influential ECA, Goudsmit believes more and more casinos will be entering the online space, using their resources wisely to find the right balance between investing in the property and having an igaming presence.

In the report he predicts: “What will probably happen is that some customers will come back wanting to play online also, and that is why it's important to have a digital presence.

“They have learned about online, played it, and now, while they want to come back to you, if you don't have an igaming offering, you can't stay in touch with your customers.”

Richard Brown, CEO of report sponsors Gaming Innovation Group said: “The Covid pandemic has prompted entire sectors of the European gaming market to re-appraise their strategies. This latest report from the team at ICE365.com, draws on opinions based around building an omnichannel future for European casinos, from expert personalities and top organisations from within the gaming industry. Bringing these debates to the fore, the report, which we are proud to sponsor, connects all sides of the industry that the ICE 365 brand serves.”

The report is available to read and download on ICE365.com https://ice365.com/in-depth/re...