iGX: The New iGaming Customer Experience Summit – An Exclusive Preview

Industry summits and conferences have become year-round events, but some garner more attention than others. Such an event is the iGX Gaming Conference, taking place in Geneva April 18 – 19.

The conference brings together CMOs and top-level Marketing, Acquisition, and Retention leaders from the most prominent iGaming operators to share strategies and practical insights on capturing– and keeping–new customers in an ever-competitive digital landscape.

It will cover a number of key themes, including: iGaming expansion, brand engagement, AI implementation, and game-changing strategies for Responsible Gambling.

The event offers an invaluable chance to learn and openly discuss new strategies while gaining practical tips from industry leaders, among them Anders K. Holst, CEO and Managing Director at Varelotteriet, who took time out of his hectic schedule to tell us what he’s most looking forward to about the event – and give us an exclusive preview of the content of his iGX panel session.

Without further ado, let’s dive straight in and get his take on why this year’s iGX conference is an unmissable event.

With so many events being held amidst the jam-packed annual iGaming schedule, how do you separate “the wheat from the chaff”? Which events are must-attend? And why is the iGX event so important to you?

“This will be my first time attending iGX. However, I am looking forward to attending, especially because of the many roundtable events.”

What is your panel session at the conference going to be about, and what will attendees learn from it?

“The panel session topic is: How to leverage the latest digital tools to provide a super-duper engaging customer experience that attracts new audience segments and helps you stand out from the crowd.

“During the session we will discuss the dynamics of operating in the lottery space and how it often implies that a significant part of the customer base has been coming from retailers. However, future (and to some point current) demographics/customers are ‘born digital’ and more inclined to bypass the retail outlets.

“While the incorporation of mobile games, such as online scratch ticket games with multiple layers of engagement, can provide opportunities for growth and expansion for lottery operators, it also brings along significant challenges and strategic assessment.

“Yet, until the lottery operators are 100 percent online, the retail outlets will both play a role in attracting new audiences as well as servicing the incumbent.

“From attending the session, delegates will learn how to apply digital tools and technologies to the retail channel that can enable operators with very limited freedom to operate (e.g., regulation) and with games of low-user engagement/entertainment (e.g., draw-based lotteries) to either re-skin or supplement their lottery games with digital attributes of significant value capture and/or apply digital tools that improve performance of otherwise ‘offline’ data sources.

“A great example of this is through introducing a free-to-play game, Varelotteriet created digital footprints of 90% of our retail consumers. The game was presented to the customers when buying a retail lottery ticket as an additional coupon – with an access code to the free-to-play digital platform with permission capture.”

How difficult is it to find the balance between iGaming and lottery products, especially when attempting to attract new, younger audiences? What are the key factors?

“Traditionally, this has been a very difficult process but the Introduction of iLottery or online scratch ticket games with enhanced player engagement features by lottery operators is indeed an interesting development.

“For players, lottery subscriptions offer convenience, guaranteed participation, and potentially additional value.

“For operators, they are a tool for customer retention and steady revenue generation.

“However, it’s crucial to balance these benefits with Responsible Gaming practices and to ensure that the subscription model adds genuine value to the player experience.

“While leveraging FOMO (e.g., by subscriptions) can be an effective business strategy, it must be done responsibly and ethically; especially in the context of gambling-related activities. The focus should be on enhancing the player experience in a way that adds value without exploiting vulnerabilities.

“Accordingly, these approaches may also blur the lines between traditional lottery offerings, online casinos, and even elements of mobile computer gaming. In the end, helping to attract a whole new generation of players.

“Several particularities and trade-off axes must be assessed, including:

• Definition of the Lottery space (vis-à-vis the operator’s areas of legal jurisdiction):
  • From traditional draw-based lottery and lotto-to-online casinos and even sportsbooks.
• The degree of gambling (vis-à-vis the operator’s vision and profile towards Responsible Gambling)
  • From products of low gambling, to products of hard-core gambling
• The degree of entertainment
  • From products of low entertainment value/ low-user engagement, to products of high-user engagement and higher entertainment value.
• The degree of regulation (vis-à-vis the operator’s areas of legal jurisdiction):
  • Stepping over boundaries (e.g., may bring down the legal barriers that today protect lottery operators). Or have the barriers into lotteries already been breached (e.g., by loot boxes in online games)?

Thus, balancing those trade-offs will to some point define the future of lotteries. With the risk of lotteries gradually transforming into ‘online casino games’”.

What other panel sessions are you most looking forward to attending yourself at iGX? Are there any key speakers that you’re most keen on hearing from?

“I am especially looking forward to the roundtable session, especially the Nordic round table on Day Two.

“From my point of view, balancing innovation with regulatory Compliance, Responsible Gaming, and brand identity will be key in the future for lottery operators. Accordingly, they need to carefully consider these factors and the evolving landscape of digital gaming and gambling to make informed decisions about their product offerings.”

Editor’s Note:

From this brief glimpse into Ander’s expertise, it’s apparent his panel session will be riveting, far-ranging and packed with insight: From new strategies to capture customers, who are “born digital”, to the integration of online tools to enhance the retail experience, and the trade-offs of balancing Responsible Gambling requirements with cross-vertical product development.

Find out more details about the schedule, speakers, roundtable discussions and ticketing via iGX.