Valery Bollier, the co-founder of OulalaGames, was selected the 2017 ICE Prophet for his predictions about the future of the iGaming industry. Bollier's five-minute presentation during this year's ICE VOX Prophets competition focused on the importance of catering to millennials, warning the audience that unless the industry adapts to their needs, it will be in a grave danger of becoming extinct.
Shifting Focus
Within a few years, millennials will make up around 50% of the iGaming target customer base. However, what used to work before won't work with the new generation of players, as they have significantly different expectations.
iGaming 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 particularly 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 going on 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.
It's Revolution Time
Bollier pointed out during his short presentation that it is a high time for the industry to gather the courage and start the much-needed revolution. The iGaming sector should become a continuation of the video gaming segment, offering 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 number of sports bettors into DFS players. This is just the beginning.
The iGaming industry is ripe for a full-scale revolution, and those who recognize this need and put in the required work will thrive. The rest, believes Bollier, will fall behind and eventually become obsolete and extinct.