INSIGHT
PERSONALISATION
AND EDUCATION:
ARE ONLINE OPERATORS
MISSING A TRICK?
SlotGuru, a new app that straddles the common ground between personalisation and responsible
gaming, has been gaining traction among the land-based casino community. But so far, online operators
are hanging back. Joanne Christie speaks to the brains behind SlotGuru to find out why.
PERSONALISATION HAS BEEN
one of the big buzzwords in the igaming
industry in recent years. Operators are
constantly mining their data to come
up with new ways of tailoring offerings
to help increase the odds they’ll get it
just right for individual punters and
that they’ll be convinced to place not
only a first bet, but also future bets
as well.
been land-based rather than online
operators which have spotted its potential.
SlotGuru is the brainchild of
Sonny Waheed and Stuart Armstrong,
two former IGT executives who saw a
gap in the market for something that
helps new players decide which slot game
is most appropriate for them.
“If you look at the plethora of games
that you have available to you, how
“Games are not equal. You have games that are designed
for time-on-device players, entertainment players,
gamblers, super gamblers, that whole risk profile is there”
Stuart Armstrong, SlotGuru
At the same time, regulators have been
asking why some of the sophisticated
data analysis isn’t being used to further
the responsible gaming agenda.
Now a new app has been designed
to bridge the two areas of focus, but
somewhat surprisingly, thus far it has
do you know which game to play?
That’s the big challenge and the reality
is that all games are not equal. You have
games that are designed for time-on-device
players, entertainment players, gamblers,
super gamblers, that whole risk profile
is there,” says Armstrong.
“Casinos spend money buying games
that appeal to all different type of
player profiles. But nowhere in the mix
does anybody tell the player ‘this game
is designed for this type of player, this
game will give you this type of
experience’,” he adds.
The basic idea is that a player types
in the name of the slot game they are
thinking about playing and the app
gives them a profile of that game and
helps them decide whether or not it is
right for them.
Central to the profile is a speedometer
that tells players the volatility of a game,
ranging from ultra-low to very high.
It also informs them about the game
style, mechanics and bonus type,
with added community features such
as reviews and ratings.
So far, SlotGuru holds information
on 2,700 games, including online titles,
and is regularly updated as new ones
are launched.
iGB Affiliate Issue 64 AUG/SEP 2017
47