Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming December 2016 20 iGaming Blue Pages I t’s no great secret that online gambling is the fastest growing sector of the global gaming industry. From its formative years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the global iGaming market had soared to a volume of US$35 billion by 2013, will reach US$45 billion this year and is predicted to hit US$55 billion by 2018. Likewise, it is rapidly gaining market share from traditional, land-based forms of gambling – moving from 8% of gross gaming win worldwide in 2013 to 10% in 2016 and likely 12% in 2018. No wonder there are so many companies looking to get in on the act. Be they land-based properties taking heed of the shifting winds or start-ups wanting their own slice of the pie, it seems there are hundreds of new sites popping up each year offering everything from online iGaming in Depth casino games and poker to sports betting, bingo and more. But just as building a casino doesn’t guarantee players will walk through the door, the path to online riches doesn’t begin and end with simply launching an online presence. With the online space becoming increasingly crowded, you’ve got to fight to bring players your way and fight even harder to keep them, which is why the key to any successful online gaming business is a well-executed acquisition and retention strategy. Of course, that’s easier said than done in an industry evolving at such incredible speed. “I think it’s really important, particularly for people that are new to the industry, to understand that where we are now is not where we were 20 years ago or even 15 years With the goalposts constantly shifting, developing an effective strategy to both find and retain players in the online gaming world is more difficult than ever. By Ben Blaschke The changing face of iGaming acquisition and retention Battle royale