SPONSORED EDITORIAL / G A M E A C C O U N T N E T W O R K
A RACE TO THE BOTTOM
AS THE INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR ICE, GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK’S DANIEL
LINDSAY EXPLAINS TO EGAMING REVIEW WHY SOCIAL CASINOS ON FACEBOOK
CAN BE CHARACTERISED AS ‘A RACE TO THE BOTTOM’
DANIEL LINDSAY
tCOMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
tGAMEACCOUNT NETWORK
Daniel Lindsay joined
GameAccount Network
in 2013 as commercial
director after spending
seven years with
Aristocrat Leisure
Limited in various roles
within the corporate
and European division,
including general
manager Europe and
emerging markets. Prior
to that, he worked for
brand leaders in the
table gaming sector of
the gaming industry for
12 years.
80
T
he European land-based gaming market
is a complex one; it always has been,
and it probably always will be. The
nirvana of pan-European regulations is simply
not on the short, medium and perhaps even
the long-term agenda.
While the European regulated dot.com online
market has led the world, it’s disappointing to
hear land-based operators and manufacturers
railing against the proposed introduction of
regulated online gaming – often citing the
dreaded ‘C-word’ – cannibalisation.
However, their success will be ensured by
harnessing the appropriate technology and
providing a seamless content delivery system
to customers no matter where they are at any
given point of the day or night.
As various countries across mainland Europe
continue to stutter over the regulation of online
gaming, there’s a ready-made alternative and
it’s available right here, right now.
GameAccount Network developed Simulated
Gaming as an off-Facebook social gaming
product to enable land-based casino operators
to offer a fully immersive gaming proposition
for their customers when not on-site.
The integrity of the land-based brands is
brought online and the same games – tables
and slots – are available. It’s a mirror image
of the land-based environment where virtual
credits purchased allow continuous play and,
where regulations allow, cashback incentives
using land-based loyalty cards and casino
management systems are available.
This is not a new concept. GameAccount’s
Simulated Gaming has been powering
the largest land-based casino in the US –
Foxwoods Resort Casino – for over 11 months;
several other US operators will be live with
Simulated Gaming over the next six months.
This will not only serve to generate significant
incremental revenue through a new channel of
entertainment, but it will also reactivate lapsed
players and drive renewed visitation to the
land-based venue where spend is up on gaming
as well as other verticals within the property.
In general, social gaming monetises players
(registration to deposit) at around 2%. The
very best social casinos manage somewhere
around 5%. GameAccount’s Simulated Gaming
is currently monetising around 18-20% of
registered players through to deposit and play.
This is because players trust the online
brand. They visit the bricks and mortar venue,
seeing and playing the same games in and out
of the venue.
They recognise and gravitate towards the
same games that they love to play offline, in
the online space.
Where rewards are allowed, players receive
tangible value against the purchase of virtual
credit made online in Simulated Gaming. They
can spend that credit in the land-based casino
when they visit.
AS VARIOUS COUNTRIES ACROSS MAINLAND
EUROPE CONTINUE TO STUTTER OVER THE
REGULATION OF ONLINE GAMING, THERE’S
A READY-MADE ALTERNATIVE AND IT’S
AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
t DANIEL LINDSAY
t GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK
For casino operators, this is the perfect
opportunity to engage with their current,
lapsed and future patrons. It allows them to
prepare for real money online gaming in a
pre-regulated environment. Same brand, same
content, new revenue stream. Oh, and there’s
no gaming tax on earnings through social
gaming.
For regulators, Simulated Gaming is an
endorsement of how real-money gaming can
work safely and securely, using the latest KYC
and harm minimisation requirements.
For players, it’s an easy sign-up process
and they can earn rewards while playing their
favourite games using brand names they trust.
Social casinos on Facebook can be
concluded as a race to the bottom becoming
dominated by sites owned and operated by
large land-based slot suppliers.
Online Simulated Gaming supports an offline
presence, rather than cannibalising it. It works,
and it’s available now – so why not see what
the fuss is about on the GameAccount Network
stand (N2-310) at ICE
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M