The approval of the first operator licences by the Nevada Gaming Control Board for South Point and Monarch Casino has made online poker in the US a reality.
With other companies waiting in line for review and approval, the entire gaming industry has been put under even more pressure to finalise their i-gaming strategies and to select technology partners, which will help them ensure a quick route to market.
As other recently regulated markets in Europe, such as Italy and France, have demonstrated, the first-mover advantage when launching i-gaming is crucial to build brand leadership, secure a substantial market share and build a profitable business. Just like in the European markets, however, the local gaming businesses will have to compete against the existing and established online poker brands that have been operating in the market taking advantage of a grey or unclear legal framework. The recent settlement of PokerStars with the US Department of Justice that saw the company take over Full Tilt’s player accounts could potentially create a serious competitive threat to the American casinos, should PokerStars, which still has strong brand recognition in the country, be allowed to apply for a licence.
Apart from market entry lessons, Europe could offer many other lessons to US companies planning their i-gaming launch, from regulatory considerations to business strategy and affiliate marketing. Having operated online gambling for over 15 years now and seen the market’s transition from an unregulated environment to a fully regulated one, however with a patchwork of state-by-state licensing and compliance rules, European i-gaming companies have a wealth of expertise transferable to the US and many state-side companies are looking for European partners to help them set up their i-gaming operation.
EiG’s conference programme next month in Barcelona features regulatory, business and marketing sessions that will present best practices adopted by the European experts when launching i-gaming, entering new markets, defining their lobbying approach and developing new propositions, such as mobile or social gaming. Acknowledging an intensified interest from the US, the organiser has also prepared a programme designed specifically for American companies that includes presentations and discussions by the top experts from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Illinois Lottery, Pechanga Indian Reservation, Spectrum Gaming Group, IGT, Bally and Shuffle Master. Additionally, a special US i-gaming happy hour networking session has been scheduled, aimed at bringing together organisations from both sides of the Atlantic to network and discuss partnerships.
