Embrace modern technology or risk being left behind

Founder and commercial director of Bede Gaming, Michael Brady

Around this time of year, industry insiders like to predict what trends will emerge over the coming 12 months and how they will shape the sector.

Online gaming is still a very exciting sector to work in. It continues to generate double digit growth despite increasing pressure from the economic landscape, increased regulation and higher taxes. We just hope that regulators work together, and with operators, to take a pragmatic approach to new regulations.

As we move into 2017 there is an emerging need for operators to make their businesses more efficient and scalable in order to absorb these costs, and to be capable of entering newly regulated markets as they open on a global basis. However, to do that operators need a modern, flexible platform or risk being left behind.

Modern technology and thinking, and specifically, how younger firms are embracing it and leveraging its power, is enabling them to accelerate past the more established operators.

These previous start-ups have entered the market with a digital-first mind-set, with their platform at the core of their IT strategy, and have grown exponentially as a result.

Be bold and brave

The New Year should bring about a new way of thinking for established operators. They need to be bold and brave, and break free from the shackles and limitations of their legacy technology.

They have the knowledge, experience and might to push the boundaries in ways that many smaller operators can only dream of, but at present many are simply resting on their laurels. Instead they must invest in technology, not just to remain ahead of the curve but to improve the player experience.

Taking an omni-channel approach is vital, but many have yet to crack the code when it comes to offering a seamless experience across retail, desktop and mobile.

Retail should be considered in the same way as digital channels; a single account, one universal wallet, one multi-channel loyalty programme and promotions should link seamlessly across land-based and online play.

A numbers game

Big data has been a big topic over the past two to three years, with the conversation set to continue long into 2017. Operators understand they need granular level customer data, but struggle to get access to it, to transform it into usable insight, or put it at the centre of their customer communication and management.

That is why it is important to choose the right technology platform, ideally one that uses real-time data and messaging to target players with the right offer at the right time, automatically.

When it comes to the platform we recommend using a single code base and modern architecture to enable scalability.

Technology has always been a driving force behind industry growth, but following recent M&A activity many continue to rely on their legacy platforms to keep things running smoothly under the hood.

With huge integration processes and procedures to manage and oversee, it is only natural that the day-to-day running of the business takes a back seat. But 2017 should be all about operators and suppliers getting their heads down, and driving our industry forward.

If they don’t, 2017 could see the introduction of a new world order in the gaming industry, one where smaller, more nimble operators lead the charge.