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The Challenges of Bridging the Gaming and iGaming Gap

Published

3 months ago

February 23, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

With both forms of interactive entertainment experiencing their highest points yet, gaming and iGaming are still far from a visible plateau. As two parts of a digital market, they both illustrate fundamental differences, but they also experience undeniable crossover. Actually taking advantage of this crossover can be complicated, however, with key differences holding back what could potentially be a lucrative combination. Looking at the stats and the challenges, it’s clear there is something to be found here, but how could it come about?

Not Always a Young Man’s Game

As much as gaming is thought to be the primary domain of young men, the statistics show otherwise. A recent study of thousands of American and UK gamers by ExpressVPN found that the average age of gamers is incredibly broad, falling between players in their late 20s to their early 40s. The gap between women and men has been similarly unexpected, with 72% of men self-describing gamers versus 49% of women. In terms of games, the most popular for both sides was the Call of Duty series.

Turning now to iGaming, a study from Time2Play found that most players have similar ages between their late 30s and early 40s. Looking at inclusion, another study found that around 33% of men in Great Britain had gambled online in the last 12 months, versus 24% of women. In terms of games, there is again a lot of popularity, with both sexes turning to roulette as their go-to.

Finding Common Ground

Looking at these statistics, the inevitable question arises of what can be done to cater to men and women of all age grounds who enjoy both video games, and casino titles. With so much shared ground, there has to be a way to leverage one side to the other, and online casinos have been experimenting with the combination for years.

Video games, enjoying a long legacy on the digital front, as well as having much larger budgets than individual casino games, inevitably serve as much stronger starting points. You’ll often see translations like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil made into slot games, for example, thanks to having long stories and many titles to draw from.

Moving in the opposite direction from casino games to video games is possible on a broader scale, but it’s harder to leverage for individual properties. Video games based on casino titles tend to be generic, without themes of trademarks to go alongside them. Even the big names like Gonzo from Gonzo’s quest haven’t stepped out far, and this is unlikely to change.

Given these elements, it seems like the best combination of casino and video games would be to adapt the most popular video games towards the most popular, or best-suited, casino titles. As explored at Bloody-Disgusting, this has been tried many times in pachinko, with standout examples of Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Representation in the west is often lacking, however, especially when it comes to the big and obvious names.

Ultimately, the ripest game for exploration would have to be Call of Duty. Since the game has offered levels set in casinos before, this would be a more natural fit than most, though it seems a game like this would struggle to integrate with the most popular casino game of roulette. While a themed release would be possible, the most suitable combination would instead likely be found in slots, with bonus games taken from the series’ history.

The big takeaway here is that while there is so much shared between gaming and iGaming, finding a way to combine the two areas is tricky at best. While there’s no doubt multimedia and franchising pushes will further attempt, so far there’s been no killer apps to keep both sides happy. As for what comes next, unexplored potential in VR and AR could hold an answer, but only time will tell if this proves true.

Related Topics:Call of Duty ExpressVPN gaming iGaming UK US

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HappyHour.io Strengthens iGaming VC Position with Ben Clemes as Investment Portfolio Partner

Published

10 mins ago

June 6, 2023

Alan Campbell

Reading Time: 2 minutes

HappyHour.io, a leading investment firm in the iGaming industry, is delighted to announce the appointment of Ben Clemes as Investment Portfolio Partner. In this role, Clemes will accelerate the growth of current investments while spearheading the expansion of the portfolio with promising start-ups poised to shape the future of the industry.

Clemes joins HappyHour.io from Gaming Innovation Group (GiG), a company he co-founded alongside Robin Reed, Managing Partner of HappyHour.io. During his tenure at GiG, Clemes held various influential positions including Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Business Officer and General Manager of GiG North America. Notably, he played a pivotal role in establishing Guts.com, one of GiG’s flagship operator brands, as well as the platform business GIG Core and its expansion into the North American market.

With over 16 years of comprehensive experience spanning casino operations, user experience (UX), business development and commercial success in the online gaming realm, Clemes brings a wealth of expertise to HappyHour.io. Prior to his online gaming ventures, he spent six years in Las Vegas working across various properties. Clemes will return to the United States, with a base in San Francisco, and will work with North American-based start-ups, investors and partners in his new role.

“It is a privilege to be joining the team at HappyHour.io and working alongside such inspirational thought leaders and pioneers in the iGaming industry whilst supporting the brilliant minds of teams and individuals that are changing the way the industry is evolving,” said Clemes. “I am really excited to jump in and support these future giants of iGaming with my years of diverse experience and finding more companies of tomorrow to support and grow.”

“Working with Ben again is immensely gratifying, given his remarkable track record of growing start-ups into robust and prosperous businesses,” Reed said. “With his vast experience and deep understanding of the industry, coupled with his visionary outlook, Ben is the ideal custodian for our current investments and future portfolio companies. His addition to the HappyHour.io team is warmly welcomed.”

HappyHour.io remains committed to driving innovation, supporting emerging talent and fostering the growth of the iGaming industry. The appointment of Ben Clemes as Investment Portfolio Partner further solidifies its dedication to nurturing the industry’s next generation of trailblazers.

EveryMatrix Press Releases

EveryMatrix awarded World Lottery Association security standard

Published

1 hour ago

June 6, 2023

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

EveryMatrix has been granted World Lottery Association Security Control Standard 2020 (WLA-SCS:2020) Level 2 certification, one of only a select few B2B technology providers to receive this distinction.

WLA-SCS Level 2 represents the most complete and comprehensive certification standard for lottery and sports betting operators and their suppliers. This achievement follows a rigorous audit carried out by GLI, which EveryMatrix successfully passed.

The standard features 21 controls for lottery technology suppliers, incorporating the use of cloud hosting for lottery gaming systems, as well as controls for privacy and application security.

As part of the certification audit, EveryMatrix’s platforms for both iLottery, sports betting and iGaming were assessed, and no non-conformities found.

Ebbe Groes, CEO, EveryMatrix, said: “Security is a top priority for EveryMatrix and achieving compliance with this rigorous standard is proof of our commitment to our existing and future WLA customers”.

In addition to WLA-SCS Level 2, EveryMatrix is ISO 27001 and ISO 20000 certified. These three certifications are a testament to its capabilities as a technology supplier, as well as its steadfast commitment to security, quality, reliability, and customer service across all facets of its business.

EveryMatrix has won several World Lottery Association (WLA) and European Lotteries (EL) agreements in the last few years including Norsk Tipping (Norway), OPAP (Greece), National Lottery (Malta), Veikkaus (Finland) and most recently with Hungarian gaming and lottery operator Szerencsejáték, one of the largest contracts in its 15-year history.

Latest News

Gaming in Spain: Post-conference mailer & webinar announcement

Published

1 hour ago

June 6, 2023

George Miller

Gaming in Spain: Post-conference mailer & webinar announcement

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Two weeks after the conclusion of the 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference, we can look back at another highly successful event.

If you were there, we were very happy to have you. If you could not make it this year, see you next time? We will be back in May 2024 – a specific date will be announced soon!
Furthermore, following up on this year’s Gaming in Spain Conference, we would also like to announce our upcoming Gaming in Spain webinar Products & services for the regulated Spanish iGaming market on Wednesday, June 21 (more on this below).

Looking back at the 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference
We were exceedingly happy to welcome key decision makers in Spain’s regulated iGaming industry in Madrid for a full day of knowledge & networking.
A highlight of the day was the keynote speech by Mr. Mikel Arana, Director General of Spain’s national gambling regulator, DGOJ, who not only stressed the need for clear communication between industry and regulator, but also explained the regulator’s new approach to responsible gaming:
“It is very important for the DGOJ to maintain contact with Spanish operators and – even if we do not always agree – to explain first-hand why we make the regulatory decisions we make and what goals we want to achieve with them. […]

Above all, we have established a new approach to player protection. First, by not treating all players the same. Second, by not letting player protection depend on the criteria of individual operators’ social responsibility policies, but by establishing a common minimum standard.”
Mr. Arana’s full presentation was recorded and is available here: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Arana
Full recordings of the other sessions are available below.

Regulatory reform in the Spanish iGaming market

Jorge Hinojosa, Director General, JDigital: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Hinojosa
Peter Marcus, Group Operations Director, Entain: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Marcus
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Haijer

Market regulation: Past & future

Mikel Arana, DG, DGOJ & Birgitte Sand, CEO Birgitte Sand & Associates: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Arana_Sand
Juan Espinosa, Founder Silverback Advocacy; Santiago Asensi, Managing Partner, Asensi Abogados; Birgitte Sand, CEO Birgitte Sand & Associates: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Asensi_Espinosa_Sand

The Spanish market: Facts & figures

David Henwood, Director, H2 Gambling Capital: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Henwood
Mauro de Fabritiis, Founder, MDF Partners: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_DeFabritiis
Chris Gyere, Head of Tech Recruitment at Pentasia & Headcount: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Gyere

Enforcing individual betting limits & preventing ID fraud

Marc Sabadi, iGaming Spain Manager, Mitek: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Sabadi

Operations (panel)
Featuring:

José Antonio Giacomelli, GM, MGA Games
Felipe Masa Sánchez-Ocaña, Director E&Y Abogados Sevilla
Mikel López de Torre, Digital Director, Sportium
Jordi Sendra, COO, Alea
Alba Castro Torruella, Associate Director, Kreab España (moderator)

Video: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Operations
Responsible gaming

Alla Serebrianskaia, Partner, Asensi Abogados & Aurora Merino Salas, CEO, Asensi Technologies: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_RG_Asensi
Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO, Mindway AI: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Kjaergaard
Paul Foster, CEO, Crucial Compliance: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Foster

Future market developments (panel)
Featuring:

Xavi Muñoz, Partner, ECIJA Law Firm
Mauro de Fabritiis, Founder, MDF Partners
Scott Longley, Contributing Writer, Earnings + More (moderator)

Video: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Future
We thank our sponsors Asensi Abogados, Asensi Technologies, Betconstruct, Jdigital, Crucial Compliance, iGamingCeuta, MDF Partners, Mindway AI, Mitek and Sportradar for making this event possible!

GiS Webinar | Products & services for the regulated Spanish iGaming market
Join us on Wednesday, June 21 at 11:00 CET for our FREE Gaming in Spain webinar Products & services for the regulated Spanish iGaming market.
This webinar will highlight several relevant products & services that are specifically tailored to the Spanish market.
In addition, the webinar will feature a brief regulatory and legal update provided by Spain’s leading gambling lawyer, Santiago Asensi.
Other topics and speakers include: