Online Bingo, 'Casual' Games Offer Growth Alternative for Gaming Industry, Report Says

The new study, “Casual Gaming and Gambling On the Internet,” released today, a copy of which was provided to OnlineCasinoCrawler.com,  is based on the insights of more than 60 gaming experts around the world.

The report notes that recent weeks have been seemingly tumultuous for the online gaming industry with an online gambling prohibition bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives; the chief executive officer of online sportsbook BetonSports arrested by the FBI; and high courts in Germany limiting the validity of private betting licenses.

"It is particularly the rapid succession of these events in just a few short weeks that shocked the industry," said the report.
 

Alternative Games

However, some savvy gaming operators, behind the scenes, had already started to think about alternative revenue streams. Online poker and betting exchanges are maturing. But, casual gaming and gambling, including skill gaming, online bingo and fantasy sports, may be the future for the industry. Though some casual gaming and gambling offers have already been online for several years, the industry has only just begun to consider them as viable. “It is astonishing at what speed this industry is currently moving,” said Martin Oelbermann, co-author of the study for MECN, which also has offices in London. ”We can see, for example, on a weekly basis high-caliber companies and investors, such as media giants Liberty or Burda, as well as Betfair’s founders getting involved.”

To date, the industry has not focused marketing efforts on casual gamers, leaving, potentially, billions of dollars in revenue and millions of customers off the table. But, everyone in a leadership position in the gaming industry already knows that the market for heavy punters and gamers is saturated, and new customer markets need to be cultivated.

Casual gaming, what is more, is unlikely to attract the interest of legislators, or regulators, making it attractive for investors to target, experts said.

Complying with some recent European court decisions, state-run lotteries -- including Dutch De Lotto and German WestLotto -- are decreasing their marketing and expansion efforts for sports betting.  “The legally less problematic skill gaming sector, including online versions of various card and board games, must become a consideration in many strategic discussions at state lotteries as one of the key future growth options," said Oelbermann.



Other key findings of the report are as follows:  the current market size for casual gaming and gambling -- skill gaming and online bingo --  is approximately $500 million; there are  eight million registered players playing those games for cash. By 2010, the casual gaming and gambling market is expected to grow to $1 billion.

Most interestingly, experts figure that more than 63 percent of the casual gamers are women, though up until now, the online gaming world has generally been male-dominated.

At least 72 percent of the experts believe that offering a large variety of games is the most important characteristic of a successful casual gaming site, and, 91 percent of experts think Europe, not the U.S., may emerge as the "most important" region for future online gaming growth.

“In the past, online bingo was played by few and oft considered a peripheral pastime; today, online bingo is played by real aficionados,” a statement from Antigua-based VKI Studios, which develops Web sites for a number of online bingo game producers. “The strict control and meticulous monitoring of gaming sites is something which online bingo proprietors proudly maintain. Online bingo is a well regulated, friendly and carefully watched world of people enjoying online bingo in the way it should be enjoyed.”

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