Digital Entertainment Evolution: How the Next Generation is Reshaping Online Entertainment
There is a generational change taking place in the gambling industry. A change that is likely to produce a series of further changes, up until modern casinos and betting houses meet the needs, preferences, and styles of the new gamblers.
The patrons of typical, in-person casinos are males in their 50s. This is a well-established premise we all know. Casual gamblers, now, can be both males and females, a little less or a little more of that age. These are when we are talking about physical, brick-and-mortar gambling sites.
But what happens in the digital space, where the traditional casino floors and interiors are replaced by digital interfaces of certified online casinos and where customers don’t have to leave the convenience of their place in order to play a casino game or bet of any kind?
Well, this has to do with the new generation of gamblers and bettors, the ones represented by Generation Z. They are different from the typical customers of physical casinos, but they are also different from the typical users of online casinos as well.
Let’s see in what ways they are different and what are the implications for the modern casinos.
More sports betting than casino games
This new generation is not so much fond of gambling as it is for sports betting. Betting gives them the chance to use their knowledge of sports, leverage their betting skills, and capitalize on their ability to analyze data. It is a generation that is data-driven and that makes informed decisions and this comes from the fact that they have been born in the digital age. So, the form of gambling that is typical in traditional casinos, like slots for example, is not among the most attractive options for the Gen Zers.
These new gamblers are more into betting on sports and most profoundly they are more into betting on eSports. Competitive video gaming is by far more popular among this generation than any other demographic group that gambles and places wagers.
So, what does this imply for the online casinos and the modern gambling establishments?
It implies that they need to make sure that they offer their users what they want and if this means that sports betting should take up more space in their service delivery then it must be so.
Online casinos need to depart from the premise that they should offer only casino games, slots, etc. They need to embrace sports betting if they want to effectively address the needs of the younger gamblers or if they want to match their preferences and leverage their dynamic.
Modern payment solutions
Gen Z gamblers are digitally savvy and as such they are more likely to utilize any digital means of payment when this is available, instead of using traditional payment solutions.
They are more likely to use cryptocurrencies, contactless payments, or any other modern methods, with which they are more familiar compared to other generations. So, online casinos need to be creative and flexible enough in their transaction methods so as to be able to cater to the different tastes and requirements of their users.
Omni-channel operations
We often hear the word omni-channel when it comes to developing customer relationships, but here, in the case of casinos addressing Gen Z gamblers, the omni-channel operations take full form and shape.
Gen Z gamblers are always connected, but they also want the real, physical experience to be identical or at least very close to their online experience, because they are not giving up on the physical world.
They want the same experience that they have online to be transferred to the offline, real world. They want to be able to integrate and blend the two worlds – physical and virtual – in a seamless manner where their experience does not divide between the two realities So, this means that for those casinos that maintain a physical presence just as they have a virtual presence, the experience that they deliver to their users should be 100% integrated. From gaining bonuses and cashing out winnings to playing offline and online or even visiting casinos in person, everything has to be seamless.