James King, Director of Sales for Malta-based platform provider Gaming Innovation Group (GiG), explains why digital data solutions are becoming increasingly important for both online and offline operators.
Ben Blaschke: Nice to speak to you James. Let’s start by explaining to our readers the background of GiG and the services the company provides?
James King: GiG is a technology company working in the gaming space offering online casino, sports betting and lottery solutions along with a wide range of managed services to both digital only as well as offline/retail customers. Our platform also offers land-based operators one of the best omnichannel solutions bringing together the online and offline worlds through shared wallets and loyalty systems providing the player with a seamless experience.
Our fully scalable and efficient platform solution enables operators to reduce operational costs and complexities through automation, while being fully agnostic and allowing the operator to pick the content and services specifically for their audience.
BB: What is different about GiG? Can you explain what makes the GiG platform unique?
JK: Everything we build is about providing the best customer experience, every time. That is why we created a mobile-first industry-leading iGaming and sports betting platform.
Our platform is an agnostic solution that can be integrated with any third-party system. This provides operators with the power of choice of who they want to work with, ensuring they have the best solution for their market and their needs.
Our real-time data solution allows our partners to access, collect and present data such as responsible gaming data and information on-demand and in real-time, via an easy to use interactive, self-serve dashboard. Not only does it allow operators to blend custom reports into their back office, but it enables them to identify high value customers, complete with brand insights – all in just a few seconds.
When combined with our unique real-time rules engine, GiG Logic, operators can identify particular players and deliver tailored messages and actions directly to them. Logic also allows our partners to implement tailored player flows, fraud prevention rules and responsible gaming features, monitor abnormal behavior and build cross-sell initiatives, in either direction (land-based/online) – helping them to retain their player base. Ultimately, with GiG Logic we can offer unrivalled levels of segmentation to operators.
Finally, our seamless omnichannel solution has been built with the player experience in mind and allows our operators (both with casino and sports) to deliver a solution that encapsulates both the online and offline worlds seamlessly.
BB: Why is the company pushing into Asian markets such as Macau?
JK: We’re constantly keeping abreast of regulatory developments across the world and looking for opportunities that could enable us to support an incumbent land-based operator with their digital transformation.
Asia and its markets, like Macau, have a well-established land-based industry which, as we’ve seen in other parts of the world, like the US, over time will likely look at opportunities to diversify their offering as regulatory changes allow them to.
We believe we are well placed to support operators as and when they begin their digital journey and have a solid history of delivering digital excellence not just for online operators but also for land-based clients like Hard Rock in the US and SkyCity in New Zealand.
BB: As you say, Asia as a whole is very much a land-based market. What can GiG specifically offer land-based operators?
JK: We offer land-based operators the technology and experience to drive their digital transformation from the back end and platform through to the front end and player acquisition strategy.
BB: Do you see crossover between the land-based and online gaming industries becoming more common in the future, and in what way?
JK: One thing this global situation has shown us all is the potential and support that a digital offering can provide across many verticals, including gaming. The landscape for casinos has now changed and operators will be looking at their reopening strategy, and also their strategy for the future to accommodate the new world.
At GiG, we are specialists in taking land-based operators online for the first time. We use a combination of our business-to-business assets and our business-to-consumer knowhow to offer our clients turnkey solutions from hardware to software to operations.
Having a complete approach in both the online and offline world allows the operator to be ever accessible to their customers, and with GiG’s omnichannel solution this is delivered seamlessly.
BB: To what extent has the demand for rapid data management grown in recent times and why?
JK: We are seeing the demand for real-time reporting become an increasingly regular requirement. This is due to the potential for improvements that real-time data can enable in areas such as responsible gambling, where for example our real-time data solution allows the operator to offer customers a better service than that of their own data warehouse.
For example, if an operator is tracking new deposits, our real-time data platform allows them to identify immediately if a player is depositing funds out of alignment. Ultimately the scope of information that operators can gather about players via real-time data enables them to be more proactive in assisting the development of regulations in new and existing jurisdictions.
Customer lifetime tends to be impacted in the first few hours, so being able to action in real time is a huge benefit.
BB: Why is efficient data management so important for gaming operators?
JK: One of the most important aspects of data management for gaming operators is in relation to sustainability. Investing in a real-time data platform provides operators with instant access to vital insights such as identifying problem gamblers in real time. This allows them to act faster and resolve any issues on the same day they are flagged, rather than a few days later, which is often the case with traditional data platforms.
Real time data provides operators with key decision making insights that allows them to analyze player lifetime value and player patterns. It also enables them to identify high value customers so they can present them with the content they desire on demand, making for a better user experience and allowing operators to retain and increase their player lifetime value.
BB: From your experience, how do the requirements of land-based operators differ from those of iGaming operators when it comes to data?
JK: The differences vary depending on the entertainment options available for the land-based operator. Player loyalty bonuses can vary a lot especially if loyalty points are redeemable across restaurants, casinos and other entertainment venues. This can become a challenge to collate all the user information into one account, especially when technology differs and one would need to have all data collaborated and communicated together.
Having a unique user account and wallet for both online and land-based operators helps the business to be more compliant and understand more about the customer. This is a similar scenario to what we have available for Hard Rock, our partner who operates in New Jersey and Iowa.
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