WMS is committed to player-focused research as the way to stay ahead of trends and deliver successful gaming experiences.
Our industry is changing fast. Increased competition in the global economy and the prospect of networked technology are transforming the gaming environment. Even more important, the behaviors and preferences of today’s active gamblers are quickly evolving.
To help CEM readers stay ahead of the trends, we have been pleased during the past few months to share summary findings of our first annual WMS Active Gambler™ Profile survey. This pioneering survey offers key insights on the dominant forces shaping our marketplace. In the third installment of this compelling series, we look at the driving force of technology and some of the ways operators can harness this force to ensure success.
Trend Watch 3: Technology
The impact of technology on daily life has accelerated, empowered by one main thing—home access to the Internet. And the transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. Consider this: Only one in 10 households in America had home Internet access in 1996. Today, more than seven in 10 households do, and the majority has access through some high-speed facility.
The WMS Active Gambler Profile survey reveals active gamblers are especially tech-savvy. Nearly all (98 percent) of them have home Internet access, most (92 percent) with high-speed connections. By comparison, roughly eight in 10 (84 percent) leisure travelers have home Internet access, and nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) have high-speed Internet access, according to the 2008 Ypartnership/Yankelovich Inc. National Leisure Travel MONITORSM. What’s more, three-quarters (75 percent) of active gamblers agree with the statement, “A home computer is an essential part of my life”—significantly more than the 57 percent of leisure travelers who share this sentiment. Clearly, active gamblers are enjoying rich experiences online that ultimately will shape their entertainment choices.
As technology continues its stampede across contemporary life, we see the next frontier of Internet usage: mobility. In 2004, 6 percent of U.S. households had a cell phone and no landline, the 2008 Travel MONITOR found. Today, that percentage has jumped to 16 percent, or one out of every six households. Among households headed by people between the ages of 25 and 29, mobility is even more pervasive. More than one-third of these households have only cell phones. Not surprisingly, given their embrace of technology, active gamblers are also big users of mobile technology, with most (90 percent) owning a cell phone, the WMS Active Gambler Profile survey found.
It is apparent that mobility will be the next avenue in which the Internet becomes integral to our lives. Products such as the iPhone or 3G-enabled devices will have a dramatic impact on leisure time and entertainment. This growing preference for mobility will allow active gamblers to engage with the Internet on demand, wherever they like.
Eager to embrace technology, active gamblers tend to be early adopters. The majority of them (55 percent) agreed with the statement, “I like to try new products before other people try them,” the WMS Active Gambler Profile survey found. This fondness for being unique and first translates into players’ desire for access to the latest casino games.
Implications
For ongoing growth, our industry must leverage the profound benefits of emerging technology, using players’ preferences for mobility and novelty to create closer connections.
As technology continues to proliferate, it will make robust content offerings available everywhere. Operators must use technology in unique ways to create competitive advantages. Active gamblers will elect to bypass the “easily accessible” offerings to get those that are new and different. By spotlighting innovation—Community Gaming®, Transmissive Reels® Gaming, Sensory Immersion Gaming and Adaptive Gaming® alongside networked technology, for example—operators will deliver more exciting and relevant gaming experiences.
To keep our industry partners informed about emerging trends, WMS has launched www.wmsactivegambler.com. This site summarizes all four forces driving player behavior today, as shown by the WMS Active Gambler Profile survey. It provides valuable insights and the opportunity to join the discussion through our blog. Understanding what drives players is key to success. WMS—Max your EDGE.
Rob Bone is the Vice President of Marketing for WMS Gaming.