Synergy Blue, the creator of skill-based games and platforms, has released a report showing the state of adoption and expectation for skill-based games in casinos and how casinos believe the addition of skill and arcade-like components is impacting how they navigate a changing landscape.
The survey found that 70 per cent of casinos say they have, plan to or are considering adopting skill-based games, games with skill components, or games with arcade-style play.
Synergy Blue surveyed executives from over 100 casinos about their priorities, challenges and the role they think skill-based games will have in the future of casino gaming.
The report, The State of Skill-Based Games in a New Era of Gambling, shows that casinos are looking to skill as a way to increase playing time and expand player demographic.
Considering that casino slot gambling revenue has seen ups and downs in recent years, casino operators are looking for new ways to stay competitive, drive foot traffic and keep their patrons engaged once through their doors. But this is proving challenging because new gamblers often spurn traditional casino games in favor of a more entertaining, immersive experience.
“Competing in a landscape that’s growing more crowded all the time will continue to require casinos to provide new experiences for gamblers and the emergence of skill-based games offers exactly that. But the newness of skill-based games brings both exciting opportunity as well as daunting challenges,” said Georg Washington, CEO of Synergy Blue.
“Because skill-based gaming is still in its early days and without comprehensive analysis of metrics, it’s difficult for some to give it valuable floor space. We hope this report is a first step in understanding what the path forward for adoption looks like and the learning that can be culled from early adopters.”
Additional findings from the report include 50 per cent of casinos said those in generation X, who are more financially established, are their target growth demographic over the next five years.
The challenges respondents think skill-based games are solving are: 67 per cent - appealing to a new generation of gamblers; 46 per cent - increasing casino attractiveness through diverse product offering.
Of those who have adopted skill-based games or games with skill/arcade components, the results so far include: 81 per cent say it provides a different player experience; 38 per cent say it has added a unique marketing element for their property.
The report highlights that future generations of gamers will increasingly be more tech-savvy and digitally native. For instance, many generation X members are from the early video gaming generations and are accustomed to more engaging and immersive gaming experiences.
