For some, the idea of land-based operators successfully scaling to build a profitable omni-channel business model gives rise to scepticism. The barriers to entry are considered too high, given the differing technical requirements of online and the expectations of customers. For European land-based operators preparing to build back from the pandemic, disproving those theories is important and Switzerland’s Grand Casino Luzern provides them with an excellent dissenting view.

Operators looking to build market share in multiple regions and jurisdictions must overcome a number of challenges. Variations in national gambling regulations require agility on everything from payment processes to advertising, whilst even the most established brands must integrate locally in new markets to build trust and a thorough understanding of customer preferences. Turning the opportunity of a new market into a scalable business model is an area where Parimatch have outstanding experience. In this interview, we speak to the CEO of their international business about the opportunities he sees in emerging markets and the challenge of balancing local consumer demands with the weight of a global gaming brand.

For all operators, but particularly the market leaders, there is an increasing need to invest time and resource into building a brand based on responsible gambling practices, not just to meet the demands of regulation but as a core differentiator in a congested market. In that context, Kindred’s recent, high-profile decision to publish the percentage of revenue generated from at-risk gamblers is an important milestone.

As operators work to field a innovative and exciting products that can differentiate them from the competition, compliance leaders have an important role to play; both in speeding up route to market for new products and in shaping company brand and ethos. In this session, we ask the General Counsel at Lotto24 how operators can leverage their compliance team to help positively drive product development and offset the challenge posed by the grey market.

For forward-leaning operators, compliance is not just an obligation, but an opportunity to improve business efficiency, accelerate route to market and offer improved value to the customer. Delivering those benefits in practice requires a proactive approach to generating internal buy-in right across the business. In this joint interview, Betway Group discuss how a board-down compliance culture – integrated with marketing and commercial operations – can be used to generate increased value for customers and drive down an operator’s reputational risk.

In response to a number of pressing issues including Responsible Gambling, player protection and customer retention, operators are working to deliver a more individualised, player-centric approach. In that context, loyalty programmes – which by definition focus on delivering an exclusive experience for a select group of customers – have an important role to play. In addition to retaining core players in a competitive market, these high profile programmes can be excellent platforms on which to build a responsible company brand that puts the player first. In this session, ICE Connect speaks to 10Bet about the future of their loyalty programme and its role in supporting a player experience which is individualised, compliant and sustainable.

For those responsible for delivering the future gaming experience, there are perhaps two words that best summarise the road ahead: differentiation and personalisation. In a European gaming market that is subject to increasing levels of regulation, intense competition and considerable consolidation, operators are obliged to maximally differentiate their products and to offer a unique user experience. One way to do that is to employ next-generation technologies to deliver an immersive, personalised player journey. In this session, we speak to the COO of Entain Group about their exciting partnership with Verizon Media and the role of immersive tech in realising the potential of e-sports.

The core objective of the ICE Connect programme is to challenge accepted norms. Just one of those is that operators cannot necessarily differentiate on product in a saturated online market – and instead must rely on brand or bonuses to stand out against the competition. In mature markets, that is a challenging logic given the possibility that future regulatory reviews will significantly curtail bonus schemes in mature European markets. This interview will provide a perspective from a new online operator as they work to deliver a unique player experience.

For those operators who depend on live sports betting, 2020 was a uniquely challenging year. The initial cessation of the majority of live sport across Europe saw a sharp decline in gambling activity prior to a resumption in the Summer. Re-acquiring and retaining customers who either stopped betting altogether or who were driven into other verticals is vital for the sector, particularly for smaller, non-diversified sportsbook operators who were unable to double down on other revenue channels in the meantime. We speak to one such operator about the challenges facing their sportsbook in 2021, particularly in a market where regulation already requires an innovative and agile business model.