The Omnichannel Strategy for Enhanced Customer Experience panel at SBC Lisbon brought leaders from across the globe to discuss the future of omnichannel marketing and integration in the future.
Cecilia Paolino-Uboldi, Director of International Strategic Partnerships at Carnival Corp., a cruise operator that operates casinos on many of its ships, moderated the panel. Paolino-Uboldi is no stranger to panels, having spoken at the SBC summit in Barcelona in 2021.
She asked the panelists to define what omnichannel is, with President and CEO of Galaxy Gaming, Matt Reback, laying out three areas that the term omnichannel covers:
- Offering the same games on multiple channels.
- Having jackpot totals linked between online and land-based channels.
- Omnichannel experiences like loyalty programs and other rewards which translate between platforms.
Rebeck joined Galaxy Gaming in 2023 to guide its strategic growth. The company was founded in 2006 and provides global omnichannel table game solutions to casino operators. The CEO also explained why omnichannel customers are so important for operators, saying, “omnichannel players are worth 2.5x more than online-only players.”
“Omnichannel players are more involved than regular players because there is an element of trust,” CEO of Casumo Holdings Ltd. Francesco Postiglione added. Casumo Holdings operates the online casino and sportsbook Casumo, which has been operating under a license from the Malta Gaming Authority since 2012 and with licensing from the UK Gambling Commission since 2015.
The conversation moved on to how businesses can leverage the latest technologies for smooth transitions between different gambling channels. Rebeck mentioned the introduction of more jackpots linked between online and land-based channels.
Meanwhile, Alexander Martin, Advisor & NED at Dice GP mentioned issuing “user ID and passwords to continue to play online” to help ease retail players through KYC protocols quicker and to avoid players dropping off at this obstacle.
Martin also explained the potential for land-based locations to use technology that recognizes online players as they arrive through their phones, and use this to deliver personalized benefits such as complimentary drinks and bonus funds.
Rossi McKee, the Co-founder and Vice President of Telematic Interactive, CT Interactive and CT Gaming, explained that “land-based are going to find a new avenue… with responsible gambling banning advertising.” She suggested that connecting to a land-based location would help online operators build trust and attract customers in the future based on these regulation changes.
Looking to the future, Marco Bedendo, Chief Operating Officer at Microgame, suggested that “the new frontier will be one platform for retail and online” with the “same personalization.”
Since launching in 1996, Microgame has been an application service provider for gambling services in Italy, including online poker and sports betting. The company has worked on integrating its online services with real-life gambling experiences in the past, starting with its first live event, the People’s Poker Cruise, in 2009.
Before joining Microgame, Bedendo was with the Sisal Group, which Flutter Entertainment acquired in 2022.
The panelists discussed personalization and data’s role in this in great detail, with Bedendo explaining, “online, you know your customer very well,” before suggesting you can tailor what content online players see with AI. Reback agreed, indicating that you need personalized experiences to retain players, especially as “the competition for customers is fierce and is only increasing.”
Martin highlighted the importance of personalized experiences at land-based locations and online, saying, “some players don’t want to get contact, some love it.” He also emphasized, “retail really has to step up” as online technology is so far advanced.
He cited examples like the Cosm sports suites, which let fans watch events on 150-foot screens, and the Las Vegas Sphere as cases for land-based operations to follow. He said, “it must be something very special.”
The panel also discussed the challenges facing companies trying to implement an omnichannel strategy. McKee shared her perspective from operating companies that manufacture gaming technology and provide business-to-consumer services online and in retail. She said, “the regulation still needs to catch up in a lot of situations to allow seamless experience.”
Postiglione agreed, suggesting that anti-money laundering and other regulations hinder operators from delivering the best omnichannel experiences.
The panelists agreed that integrated omnichannel strategies were the way forward for the industry, emphasizing the need for regulators to catch up with technology to allow innovation.
