In spite of a period of intense upheaval, US land-based casinos are looking forward to a return to business as usual in 2021; as the vaccination program continues at pace and business restrictions lift. Promising though the outlook is, there is also an opportunity to learn lessons and to transform casino gaming so that it is sustainable for the long-term. In this interview, we sit down with the President of Hard Rock Sacramento to get his assessment of the challenges that lie ahead, as well as some predictions of where the casino experience is headed next.

As land-based casinos build back from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a renewed focus on delivering an exceptional service that extends well beyond the casino floor. Following a year of particular upheaval for Cache Creek, we speak to their GM and COO about renovating during a pandemic, coping with closures and reduced visitor capacity and building a frictionless end-to-end casino experience.

In this interview, Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, Ernie Stevens, speaks to Clarion Gaming’s Ewa Bakun about the future of the market.

Ernie Stevens discusses the ongoing threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and how NIGA is working to ensure tribal gaming continues to grow and support communities. Chairman Stevens also discusses the evolving political climate in the US, and what the Biden administration means for his sector, as well as looking further afield to discuss how Indian gaming operators are looking for in partnering international businesses.

Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun is an impressive casino property, while Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment is one of the most progressive and forward-looking tribal operators in the market.

In this video, its president and general manager Jeff Hamilton, and Vice President of Expo and Convention Sales John Washko, discuss its post-Covid recovery. The pair plot out the roadmap for amenities to reopen and talk about plans for new launches, such as a branch of Tao in the property. And in the wake of agreements on compact amendments being reached with the state of Connecticut, Hamilton and Washko explain the plans for sports betting. The property already works closely with sports teams, allowing events to be held and broadcast on-property, and with experience of legal wagering, they reveal how the operator plans to ensure a successful roll–out in the state.

This session sees Wind Creek Hospitality Chief Executive Jay Dorris discuss how the tribe’s focus shifted to free-to-play gaming as it looked to improve engagement with customers off-property.
Jay explains how social has boosted Wind Creek customers’ lifetime values, and what it is doing to better integrate the online and in-person channels to ensure this sustains going forward.

One of the foremost challenges for product developers is to balance delivery of a seamless user journey with a robust approach to compliance. Getting that balance right is particularly important in the rapidly growing US market, where a state-led approach to regulation creates unique compliance challenges that have the potential to slow product launch and limit growth. In this session we ask Entain’s SVP for US Regulatory Affairs how he supports product leaders in balancing UX with compliance, as well as what opportunities he sees to build an efficient approach to regulation across the US market.

There has been a massive shift in consumer and business behaviour that has rapidly increased the popularity of iGaming, which means that it is imperative to offer exceptional customer experiences. But a patchwork approach to iGaming legislation within the USA has made it tricky for innovative technology companies to build an individualised approach to real-time payments and customer engagement.
ICE Connect sits down with Warren Tristram, President of Worldpay Gaming to discuss what he sees as the future of iGaming from a payment’s specialist perspective

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 chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria shares his thoughts on the legalisation debate exclusively with ICE 365. With a ballot measure put forward by a tribal coalition, a path to legal sports betting has been paved – but will it result in the first bets being placed next year?

Sarris also discusses further developments, such as the potential for legal online gaming.

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.

In this session, Anika Howard, Foxwoods’ Vice President of Brand Marketing and Digital, talks about the operator’s investment in its online offering. She explains why this has paid off, and how growth has accelerated amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Anika discusses Foxwoods’ core aims for its free-to-play offering, and how it has been leveraged to increase or reactivate customer engagement, as well as bringing in new customers.

For those that depend on live sports betting, 2020 was a challenging year, especially with the initial cessation of most live sports across the US which saw a sharp decline in gambling activity. But in 2021 we are starting to see the US reopen and live sports rebound to new heights. Indeed, in late May 2021 William Hill were the first to open a sports book within a US professional sports venue.

ICE Connect is joined by William Hill, Slane Advisory and Monumental Sports & Entertainment to discuss the latest in creating a new sports betting experience

While esports may offer bookmakers access to new customers and potentially lucrative revenue streams, it also plays an increasingly important role in the traditional sports ecosystem.

Over in North America’s NFL, The Philadelphia Eagles aim to leverage this opportunity, tapping into a broader range of fans across multiple markets.

In this session, Catherine Carlson, Senior Vice President of Revenue and Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles, joins Esports Entertainment CEO Grant Johnson to discuss how this role develops going forward.

Kambi’s Senior Sales Director, Sarah Robertson, sits down with iGB’s Elena Carruthers to discuss how sports betting can help to elevate the entire casino floor – driving greater returns not just from the sportsbook, but across gaming and hospitality as well.

Live and generating revenue in 14 US states with partners including Four Winds Casinos and Seneca Gaming Corporation, Kambi is a trusted partner to tribal operators aiming to maximize the power of their brands through sports betting.

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.

As Europe continues to move towards a brighter future, a challenge for land-based gaming is to re-establish business as usual alongside customer safety. But is possible to return to a time before Covid-19 and more importantly: do we want to?

Joining us today at ICE Connect is Per Jaldung, Chairman of the European Casino Associaton, who will discuss how the pandemic challenged assumptions about land-bassed gambling.

As igaming becomes increasingly popular, one way to ensure that operators remain ahead of the curve is to bring the benefits of digital to the casino floor. By doing so they hope to attract and engage with younger audiences, improve revenue and create long-term customers. But how can this be achieved?

ICE Connect speaks with Per Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Holland Casino who gives their thoughts on the changing Dutch market and what Holland Casino is doing to embrace digital innovations.

Before 2020, the worldwide tourism and hotel industry was seeing an increasing trend towards sophisticated resorts, especially those with a casino element. With Europe reopening, this can only be good news for resort destinations. But what does the future look like for resort locations within Europe and can some of the answers lie in Monaco?

ICE Connect sits down with Pascal Camia from Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, who will discuss how to safeguard the resort business model and successfully invest in gaming and non-gaming revenue streams.

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.