1. 52 WWW.EGRMAGAZINE.COM
SPONSORED EDITORIAL / BETCONSTRUCT
NOCOMPETITION
eGaming Review (eGR): What have been the
biggest developments in live casino in the past
year?
Robert Forrest (RF): Several developments over
the past year have caught our eye, including
‘multi-table play capability’, which allows players
to open all the games on a single screen, while the
issue of ‘reliable bet reconciliation’ has finally been
overcome. We have also seen a move towards
increasing production values by taking advantage
of advancements in resolution to bandwidth
optimisation, slow motion and the use of camera
software.
Across the entire estate of live casino providers
we have witnessed an increase in the portfolio
of games and a move by the largest suppliers to
upgrade game functionality to include features
such as bonus options and more player-friendly
products.
Development in mobile has set the tone for
providers. This has been market driven, not so
much by the players, but by the casino operators
themselves who are demanding it as part of their
portfolios.
eGR: How have the developments and advances
in mobile technology affected the operations
and success of live casino?
RF: Mobile’s share of the live casino market is
negligible compared to the more traditional
gaming channels like sportsbook and slots.
Although it is showing fantastic growth, mobile
development has not really had any effect on
the success of live casino. However, in the future
mobile development will cause a ripple effect in
improvement across all delivery channels.
Operationally, development has had a big
effect with a number of large operators ploughing
resources into mobile. It is driven by supply and
demand. The operators have demanded it and
the industry has responded. Mobile’s share of the
market will increase but we will only see a marked
difference to net figures in several years.
eGR: What are the biggest concerns/obstacles
facing live gaming operators?
RF: The biggest concern operators have today is
providing a quality mobile product. Improving the
smoothness of the video stream and the playing
experience on smaller devices will prove crucial to
mobile’s long-term success. HTML5 will eventually
also make a big difference.
Many players complain that they find the same
products on almost every site but greater choice
leads to better product development. Operators
will be on the look-out for any edge they may
have over the competition in order to make
them stand out, for example, increasing their
exclusive solutions such as localisation through
dedicated language tables, an expansion of private
branded areas and innovative promotional and
marketing concepts. Moving into untapped and,
as yet unexploited, markets and meeting both the
challenges of both regulation and certification
should also be high on everyone’s agenda.
eGR: What competitive advantages can a live
casino product give to an operator?
RF: Retention, acquisition and player engagement.
Live casino has no competition from operators
employing only traditional RNG online casino table
games. It is also a far more effective medium to
both build your player base and keep it satisfied
and offers trusted results. This can result in a 100%
increase in player sign-ups and a 50% increase
in average spend. Player engagement through
localisation and/or the player/dealer relationship
can be one of the principle differentiators between
operator success and failure.
eGR: What are your predictions for this space
over the coming year?
RF: Technologically we could see new companies
make an appearance on the scene, employing
optical character recognition software and
replacing the universal bar code scanner on every
card table, as well as more imaginative use of
advanced 3D techniques and a better realisation of
the capabilities of touchscreen technology.
In content terms, the last year has shown a
greater advancement in the quality of delivery.
This will also be the tone for the next year along
with an increased use of features such as widgets
and mini games.
Globally we can expect to see further cultural
homogeny as more online entities sign studios
from outside their geographical area.
Mobile developments and results will generate
the biggest headlines. The impact of mobile will
mean that the entire product vertical should
improve across every channel due to developers
gaining more experience in the development of
mobile versions and increasing their experience
and use of HTML5.
ROBERT FORREST
tHEAD OF LIVE CASINO
DEVELOPMENT
tBETCONSTRUCT
Robert Forrest has
been in the gambling
industry for 30 years
and has worked for
some of the biggest
live dealer suppliers
and egaming operators,
including Ladbrokes
and Gala Coral. He
has been head of live
dealer development at
BetConstruct since the
beginning of 2014.
ROBERT FORREST OF BETCONSTRUCT TELLS EGAMING REVIEW HOW LIVE CASINO IS
EVOLVING IN THE EGAMING SPACE AND WHY IT IS IMPERATIVE TO OPERATORS' SUCCESS