Reaching the next generation of casino players

The casino operators that successfully engage the next generation of casino players will be the ones that apply gamification and console gaming mechanics to the in-person experience.

As director of the University of Las Vegas, Nevada’s Centre for Gaming Innovation, Dr Daniel Sahl is tasked with overseeing these efforts. He warns the industry faces a challenge in engaging a new generation of digital natives, that have grown up enjoying interactive experiences of which video games are a key part.

“We need to think about how we can take elements of [video games] and insert them into casino games to make them appealing, recognisable and fun,” he explains in the ICE365 Esports series keynote.

University of Las Vegas, Nevada’s Blackfire Innovation Centre aims to create the gaming and hospitality experience for a new generation of players.

But he adds: “If 2020 has shown us anything, we do not want to live in a world that is purely digital.” This means there is a huge opportunity for operators that manage to achieve this convergence of console and real-money gaming.