Deborah Conte Santoro, Managing Director ReelLink at Swiss Casinos, says the future of retail casinos is not in copying their online counterparts, rather using technology and digital capabilities to take the player experience to the next level.
What does true unification between land-based and online gaming actually look like, and how close are we to achieving it?
“When a player no longer recognises the boundary between land based and online gaming is the point at which you reach true unification. But what does this look like in the real world? It means shared content, seamless branding and real-time continuity. When a player discovers a title online and later finds the same game on the casino floor, the journey between the digital and real worlds must feel natural and connected. In the past, this was not possible due to hardware limitations, slow innovation cycles and regulatory separation. But Swiss Casinos is closing this gap via ReelLink, a proprietary solution that allows certified online content to be delivered directly to slot machine cabinets on the casino floor without replacing the hardware or interrupting operations. It means operators can now align their content strategy across both environments and update the casino floor at the same pace as they do with their online lobbies. This means we are not just close to achieving true unification – we are already doing it via an innovative solution that’s certified by BMM Testlabs.”
What are the biggest technological and regulatory barriers standing between creating a stronger bond between land-based and online gaming?
“Technology and regulation tend to evolve at different speeds, certainly with land-based casinos where systems were never architected for dynamic content delivery from multiple game providers on a single cabinet. Other core technology challenges include closed ecosystems, limited remote update capabilities and long hardware refresh cycles – machines are expensive so tend to be installed on the gaming floor for several years before being updated or replaced. On the regulatory side, online and land-based compliance frameworks differ (quite significantly), certainly when it comes to certification requirements which are rigorous and clearly separated. At Swiss Casinos, we have invested in resolving this with ReelLink, which requires no hardware swaps or downtime. It’s also secure, has a low-latency connection and is fully integrated with the operator’s casino management system. This ensures that it meets all Swiss regulatory requirements. This is a good example of how regulation doesn’t need to limit innovation – it actually helped shape a solution that enables real-time content delivery at scale within a stringent regulatory framework.”
How are game providers adapting content traditionally designed for retail floors to perform effectively online, and vice versa?
“The way we see it, there should be no differentiation between channels. There’s one player and one experience, regardless of whether they’re on the casino floor or online. If a player has a favourite slot title, they want to be able to access that game in person and online, but until now, the industry has operated in silos and in the rare instances where the gap has been bridged, it has meant a tremendous amount of work.
“Content adaption has meant rebuilding games from the ground up for the different environments with retail focusing on hardware longevity and slow update cycles while online has been all about prioritising rapid iteration driven by player data. This means the innovation cycle for online is dramatically faster than in the land-based space because online developers can do pure game development while land-based suppliers also have to consider hardware and the supply chain. ReelLink changes this dynamic by creating a direct distribution layer to cabinets without rewrites, hardware constraints and manufacturing cycles. This is also a win for game studios, opening up a new revenue channel without additional development. With ReelLink, it’s no longer about converting content between channels; it’s about delivering content across channels through unified infrastructure and instant deployment.”
How can legacy retail systems be modernised or adapted to integrate effectively with online platforms?
“It begins with shifting architecture away from hardware dependency and towards flexibility. Traditional casino floors are locked into cabinet-specific software and long update cycles that simply can’t keep up with the pace of change, especially compared to the online sector. To integrate effectively with online platforms, retail needs an abstraction layer that decouples content distribution from physical machines to enable remote deployment of content with centralised management and real-time updates – in short, content updates without touching the hardware. ReelLink delivers this by sitting above cabinet and CMS systems, transforming them into addressable digital endpoints. It enables remote game activation, content rotation without downtime and true plug-and-play capabilities across different cabinet types. This moves the innovation cycle from hardware-driven to content-driven. The most sustainable path for retail modernisation is not replacement but orchestration, and being able to unlock content assets through a unified infrastructure.”
How important are live experiences, such as live-dealer and in-venue streams, in connecting the land-based and online casinos? And how do you anticipate these technologies continuing to develop?
“Live gaming is all about emotion, and it’s this emotion that acts as the bridge between the atmosphere of a retail casino and the convenience of online play. For operators, online gaming brings scale and accessibility while land-based delivers sensory energy, social interaction and community. Live combines both, whether that be through live dealers, event activations or streamed casino floor experiences. At Swiss Casinos, we see the future being venue-driven live content, hybrid broadcasting formats, in-venue streaming and synchronised participation where online and on-floor players engage in shared moments. Technology delivers connectivity, but emotion dives loyalty. The operators who win next will be those who turn their venues into authentic content engines rather than static gaming spaces.”
As younger, digitally native generations become the core customer base, how important is it for the future of land-based casinos to attempt to cross the digital divide?
“It’s no longer strategic, but structural. Digital-native generations don’t separate channels, they expect continuity, instant gratification, personalisation and recognisable content across all touchpoints. The goal is not to digitise land-based but to platform-enable it so that it can become a live content ecosystem that evolves daily, just like in the digital space. ReelLink ensures retail floors deliver the same content agility, game rotation and recognised titles that players enjoy online, but within the compelling casino floor atmosphere that online simply can’t replicate. The future of land-based success isn’t the imitation of digital – it’s the amplification of the physical slot machine experience through digital capability.”
So, how close are we to true unification Deborah?
“We’re not just close, thanks to ReelLink, we’re already doing it.”
