Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/829524
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 MAY 2017 XX Gaming CORPORATE EVENTS TEAM BUILDING, SOCIAL EVENTS SEASONAL PARTIES... Looking for a venue-wi-a-difference for your event? Gianpula Village offers a range of original and unique venues perfect for creating at memorable occasion. To make an enquiry or book a show round call (356) 9974 8923 or email events@gianpulavillage.com www.gianpulavillage.com NetRefer wins three awards at MIGEA 2017 e gaming revolution: Millennials silently forcing changes THE iGaming target consumer base is changing fast and changing now. Very Soon, millennials will make up around 50% of the iGaming target customer base. How- ever, what used to work before won't work with the new generation of players, as they have significantly different expectations. iG- aming operators, especially online casinos, have been playing against their customers for decades. It is the business model they are used to and are the most comfortable with. But, millennials don't find this idea particu- larly appealing, as they want to compete against each other, not against the house. They want to play the games where having superior skills can make all the difference in the world. This revolution has been brewing for some time now, but the iGaming sector has been more or less ignoring it. Up to this point, this was an acceptable strategy, but with millennials set out to become the majority of potential customers, the time for change is now. How are millennials different? The Generation – Y or the millennials grew up or picked up along the years of growing years, skill games on their consoles while chatting with peers on several social networks. This means they are not greatly excited over playing games of luck. So when it comes to iGaming, they are expecting stunning designs as good as the video gam- ing industry, skill games and social interac- tions – all in one experience. Currently, iGaming is serving them, more or less, recycled experiences. How to adapt to the change? First all of all, the industry needs to rec- ognise the need for a change. The industry has a popular notion among customers that when they lose, the industry gains at the cost of their loss. This has gradually prevented a lot of customers from staying and trying out new products. Fortunately, the one market segment that completely caters to this kind of smart millennial customer base is that of the daily fantasy sports. The only logical way that the iGaming sector could still prosper is through accepting that it can be a great extension to the video gaming industry, of- fering millennials what they really want. Daily fantasy sports are leading the way in this regard, and one of the DFS leaders, DraftKings has already transformed a num- ber of sports bettors into DFS players. This is a potential threat to the iGaming industry unless this segment adapts to this growing demand. What are the potential threats to iGaming? • Video games operators innovating as per the likes of millennial customer base • DFS players such as DraftKings • Starts-ups founded by millennials them- selves who may come up with innova- tions in games What does iGaming segment really need today? • Come up with skill-based games • Games that are socially interactive in their structure • Games that are not played against the house • Designs that could compete with video games The iGaming industry is not beyond re- demption. Players in the sector can still achieve this as long as they recognize the changing customer base. Just as we often advise fantasy sports startups, we want you too to see the bigger picture more clearly as you consider build- ing innovative gaming or fantasy sports platforms. Of course, we are always around to answer your queries personally. To win back millennial customer base, the iGaming industry should focus on game of skill, rather than game of luck. In a nutshell: • Casino operators need to understand millennial audience • iGaming sector should become a con- tinuation of the video gaming segment • Focus on games of skill instead of games of luck NETREFER, the Unified Perfor- mance Marketing Leader, has won three awards at the Malta iGaming Excellence Awards 2017. Malta's iGaming Excellence Awards has been created as one of the original and most comprehen- sive awards events for the iGaming industry and are held annually. The event brings the entire industry together to reward and celebrate the companies and individuals that are constantly working to innovate and improve the industry. The event provides a rare opportunity for networking, entertainment, and social conscience never seen in the iGaming community. NetRefer won the following awards during the gala dinner last Friday 5th of May 2017: • Best Industry Contributor of the Year • Best iGaming Technology Pro- vider • Chairman's iGaming Value Award For further information about Ne- tRefer solutions kindly contact: Business Development: +35627673337 or sales@netrefer.com