Integrated services across online gambling platform services are not that recent. Instead, they’re the result of a build-up that has realized that running this kind of platform requires maximum efficiency.
Why? Because the market is ultra-competitive, and every margin can be the difference between profitability and stagnation. This is the kind of situation that makes companies search for solutions that yield the most upside, or at least a fair return on investment.
Among these strategic outputs, we see an increasing level of convergence between the main branches of this industry. Sports betting and casino games have long been in different markets, but they’re still products that have the same legal status as forms of gambling.
Coupled with the rise of centralized administrative solutions and better-than-ever computing power, the reasons for a unified platform are continuing to grow. BetOnValue, working with its internal aggregated data, confirms it when looking at how many operators are taking this route.
In this article, we will explain why the industry is moving in this direction. May our text clarify these trends!
Why Have Separate Verticals Stopped Being Feasible?
In earnest, any online gambling company will try to distribute its focus in a way that serves its interests on a broader scale. Only when the invested money stops yielding favorable results will there be the pulling of the plug.
The main premise of this section is that the walls between verticals are not as sturdy as they’ve been, especially regarding the presentation and integration of their products.
If you’re unfamiliar with how vertical and horizontal integration work, it’s about the way a company expands and adds to the modular running of its operations. Verticality is about having the chain of supply and development top to bottom, while horizontal strategies are about having a spread-out model.
Now, when you integrate verticals within a company, you’d need to have your own supply and integration process. For an iGaming operation, it’s about developing multiple verticals, but also adding to them to a collaborative system that helps them gel.
The main verticals are sportsbooks and casino gaming platforms. Regardless of how much they have in their competence, operating them separately becomes increasingly costly because, when adding them to the same system, they can share branding, marketing strategy, and even data, especially given how data analysis has become strategically vital.
For these reasons, knowing how to develop vertical integration, but also making it work horizontally, has become a crucial methodology.
Player Preferences and the Benefits of Convergence
The first idea that we want to advance is the fact that player preferences are starting to be increasingly focused on holistic experiences.
Before delving into that, we should clarify that convenience is the primordial factor here. If you know that you may jump between two radically different activity sides, access to a unifying hub is essential.
Simply put, having at least two separate apps or websites is a bit redundant. For the player, it’s a headache that has no major justification. For the operator, it’s a spread-out cost that doesn’t really yield too many benefits, especially if they require relatively separate marketing.
Moreover, having both types of products within a certain site/app can provide the opportunity for internal exposure. A player may feel like they’d like to try a few slots, crash, or live dealer titles, which are active gameplay styles compared to quicker and more passive ones like placing sports bets.
With this shift, gamblers become savvier because they can experiment with different ways of spending their money on such entertainment. Integration becomes a way of setting up an interconnected experience that trains the customer into developing their preferences.
Second-Screen Activities and the Shared Attention Methodology
It may sound a bit humorous, but the shortening of attention spans has a really strong relationship with the way gambling operators can think of their integration, especially in the context of younger audiences.
You’ve probably heard, seen, or practiced the second-screen type of activity. You have a live game going on in the background, perhaps on a TV or laptop. On the other screen (device), you place a bet on that match. Perhaps you’re just playing a mobile game while a YouTube video is providing some ambient noise.
Integrated platforms are trying to harness this type of possibility. Some online gambling platforms may allow you to spin a few rounds while you decide on how to structure your bet on an upcoming match. The reels are rotating, which may lead to a win.
This is where you might be doing it via 2 devices (one on a casino game, while the other is on the books), or a split-screen. It’s the same principle, but the latter is a more direct form of integrated solutions. Needless to say, it’s much harder and more expensive to provide such an experience that can operate integrally.
Product Crossovers
We won’t say too much in this section because it’s a very controversial point of contention for some jurisdictions. It’s all about the issues created by cross-selling.
From some regulatory points of view, it’s a confusing and somewhat coercive tactic. The UKGC’s recent integration of socially responsible incentives contends that it’s important for a gambling platform to provide bonuses for a single product, especially if they require deposits on a certain type of game.
The principle against it revolves around the simple reality that players may spend too much money if they’re tempted to go for something that they weren’t necessarily aiming for.
Naturally, online gambling platform operators want to have you stay on their site as much as possible, which is why they’re trying crossover-style integration. But not all tactics are so rash.
There can be things as simple as slots with a football theme (or just centered around another sport). It may not be a direct attempt to have users cross over, but they would be attracting that sport’s fans toward a different kind of gambling, simply by creating a gaming environment that speaks to their taste.
Odds Integration in Live Feeds
This one is a really fascinating format that, if you’ve seen certain media-gambling partnerships, is starting to gain steam.
If you’re watching a live feed, whether for the scores or stats, you might see suggestions for bets. The recommendation would be to jump into the action via in-play betting.
Even more interestingly, there may be broadcasting or streaming platforms that have some popping widgets on the screen, showing you the odds and where to bet. These are obvious signs of partnerships.
An online gambling platform would do a very savvy thing: create its own live feed. Rather than switching sites or apps, you see the scores and match data in real time. You tap a button, and here you are, on the same platform, preparing to make a bet in a matter of seconds.
Platform Design with Intuitive Suggestions
One of the most important methodologies of vertical integration these days is to have access to and manage internal data. Now that AI is able to analyze it, identify very granular patterns, and come up with suggestions, doing so has become more feasible than ever.
The name of the game is personalization. It’s not just about what you present, but how you present it.
By establishing custom algorithms that track the player’s data and turn it into pattern recognition, the online gambling platform would know what to recommend. Do you like betting on English association football? Here are some hot markets on this front.
Are you into crash games and Egyptian slots? How about these suggestions that may be to your liking?
This way, recommendations become more personal rather than general, and the experience becomes better-suited for quick decision-making on the customer’s part.
Conclusion
Of course, all of these strategic points are really exciting for a gambling brand, even if they may be expensive and quite hard to implement efficiently. However, as a player, you should look beyond convenience and realize that these loops shouldn’t keep you too hooked.
Always find a way to gamble in a measured way and gamble responsibly!
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