Kit Szybala

Ch-ch-ch-Changes – Non-gaming amenity trends in the post-pandemic world

Posted on November 30, 2021

As a result of the pandemic, casino operators have had to rethink their non-gaming amenity strategy, altering their programs to better suit their consumers and improve their bottom line. In the past year, as the industry reopened, some patrons were happy to find a refreshed hotel room product, reconfigured food and beverage options, new entertainment choices, and other revitalized non-gaming products.  The pandemic gave operators a chance to redefine the entertainment experience.

Sports betting, while a gaming amenity, has dramatically changed the non-gaming offering provided by casinos across the United States.

From both a mobile and land-based perspective, sports betting has become intertwined with casinos’ amenity offerings. In legal markets, one would be hard pressed not to find sports betting applications up and running on people’s mobile phones in casino bars.  In these jurisdictions, casinos have been able to increase length of stay on property as well as spend on gaming and non-gaming items, particularly food and beverage.

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A Sporting Chance

Posted on September 1, 2020

Esports has grabbed the attention of more than just the gaming industry, and for good reason.

The industry’s rapid rise has benefited from numerous omnichannel platforms that allow for unprecedented viewership and engagement from a diverse audience. With the “new abnormal” defined by Covid-19, esports has proven that media consumption is not just about what people can watch on the major networks. Instead, people are turning to streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube for competitive-based content

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10 Trends – ROI from the IRs

Posted on November 25, 2018

With competition increasing in casino markets across the world, many of the more astute casino operators are expanding and/or repositioning their facilities to differentiate themselves from their competition to better meet the needs of their customers. These operators have realized that they must create compelling environments and engaging experiences to fully penetrate their marketplaces and improve property performance.

Globally, casino operators have utilized the phrase “integrated resort” as a catalyst to redefine the casino experience. This strategy is not new, as it has been employed in markets like Las Vegas, Singapore and Macau. However, recent developments in these markets have truly reimagined the concept.

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10 Trends – Play On

Posted on November 25, 2018

With the recent repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in the United States, sports betting has become one of the most talked-about topics in the industry. In the coming year, as states and U.S. territories examine how to address PASPA’s repeal, operators will be faced with a significant challenge: creating a suite of products that can effectively compete with the illegal market in a variety of regulatory environments.

To accomplish this task, operators will attempt to do several things, including but not limited to securing access to data, developing in-play/in-game wagering products, and identifying other unique products that can help them enhance fan engagement and viewership, and subsequently help them satisfy all stakeholders.

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Home Stretch in Japan

Posted on May 16, 2018

For nearly 20 years, Japan has gone through several false starts and iterations in its attempt to legalize integrated resorts. In December 2016, Japan took its first official first step toward legalization with the passing of the IR Promotion Bill. Later this spring, Japan is poised to take the final step in this process with the introduction of two bills that will help solidify the initial act: the IR Implementation Bill and the Basics Bill on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures.

The government of Japan has been contemplating what items to include within these bills in its quest to create an environment that maximizes the potential benefit realized by the country in terms of investment and tourism as well as to attract quality operators to the market.

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Regulatory uncertainty continues to cloud prospects

Posted on May 11, 2017

In late February, gaming industry stakeholders converged in Goa at one of India’s first gaming specific conferences: Sports Betting & Gaming India (SBGI). The event, led by Eventus International at the Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, was well attended considering the gaming market is largely in its infancy.

Over 150 attendees discussed several India-specific topics, including the market’s value and potential from an online, lottery, sports betting, and land-based perspective, as well as the regulatory and legislative hurdles involved to expand the market. These types of events have become a necessary first step for stakeholders to understand an emerging market’s value and provide guidelines on how to participate.

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Research Brief: Gaming in India

Posted on July 16, 2016

Since the release of Global Market Advisor’s (“GMA”) white paper entitled “Gaming-In-India-White-Paper” in April 2016, India’s gaming market has evolved with a new gaming license issued in Goa and the potential legalization of gaming in India’s second largest populated state: Maharashtra. In this research brief, GMA quantifies the value of the potential gaming market in Maharashtra and includes an updated review of the gaming market in Goa.

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Asia’s Sleeping Tiger

Posted on April 21, 2016

Since the emergence of Macau and Singapore as two of the world’s largest gaming markets, casino developers have looked at other jurisdictions within Asia for the next great opportunity. Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Primorye region of Eastern Russia, the Philippines and Cambodia have all generated varying amounts of interest from international casino developers. Japan, with its large and prosperous population, now appears to be out of play, at least for the foreseeable future.

The remaining countries’ nascent casino industries are all highly dependent on gamers from China and, as has been clearly demonstrated over the past two years, gaming revenue from Chinese. As such, the next great Asian casino development opportunity remains elusive.

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Gaming in India: An Evaluation of the Market’s Potential

Posted on April 16, 2016

Although Macau’s gaming market is struggling, its reliance on the Chinese gamer still allows it to dominate the global gaming landscape and maintain its role as the largest gaming market in the world. As a result, the global gaming industry remains transfixed by the potential value of the Chinese gaming market. Not surprisingly, gaming destinations throughout the Asia Pacific region, including Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea, have opened hoping to capitalize on the market’s potential. Some gaming operators have attempted to target other possible valuable demand segments in Asia like the Japanese. With these large sources of demand capturing the attention of the gaming industry, many gaming operators and markets have yet to fully explore other alternative sources of Asian based gaming demand.

So far, few gaming operators have considered China’s democratic and capitalistic neighbor, India, as a potential source of demand. India shares many of the same characteristics that make China such an attractive source of gaming demand. India also has a large, prosperous economy, an enormous population, and favorable consumer/gaming habits. On top of that, India is able to offer a stable and less reactionary government and volatile economy.

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