First off - a special thanks to the guys at Jacks Analytics who worked long and hard over the past 6 months to transform our website and add some "oomph" under the bonnet. With the mechanics all tinkered with, we are seeing further boost in visitors numbers and sign ups to our daily news wire service - which is all adding to the increased numbers on our social media sites also. LinkedIn numbers continue to rise and, as we vet every member to make sure they are in the casino world, you can rest assured you are in good company. This recently lead to me being asked to contribute a few words to high-society magazine "The Tatler" of all things. More on that in the future.
On the subject of social media the recent survey of social gaming site users by Traffic Generation caught my eye. The results revealed that 32% of players visit a bricks-and-mortar casino "More than once a week"; a staggeringly high figure, for a platform that critics claim has little impact on driving land-based revenue. The survey findings indicate that there is already an existing crossover between the social and land-based casino markets, highlighting social as an avenue worth exploring for land-based casino marketers.
That online figure should be put to the test very soon once we get figures back following the atrocious weather conditions that have occurred in the US and Europe recently. When the weatherman says don't venture outdoors, casinos suffer. So, do players turn to the online options?
The whole aspect of "the Player" - attracting and retaining new ones via social media, player tracking, promotional couponing and widening choice and excitement were just some of the subjects touched upon in the highly informative and downright entertaining Slot Summit held in Paris just before Christmas. Yours truly enjoyed being the MC again and sponsors and delegates alike enjoyed the three days.
Globally, we have a lot to look forward to this year. Japan is making all the right noises alongside India and soon we will see new opportunities abound. If we take China as a model for how that growth can manifest you only have to look at the recent successful movie "Iron Man" which premiered there with an additional 20 minutes of specific tailored additional footage just for that market. Brilliant thinking.
We have brilliant thinkers in the casino industry too - You can already hear those cogs whirring.
See you soon at the London show.
