Are you already subscribed to Gambling Insider’s “GI Friday” magazine? Even if you do follow daily on all the iGaming news and industry updates, this is a cool option to lay back and read a short summary of anything that is important when the weekend is already knocking on your desk, trying to wake you up so you could finally leave the office (or was it the cleaners?)

Last week they have published a short review of the notable items from the Berlin show, written by our own Shahar Attias of Hybrid Interaction; so, on top of strongly suggesting you guys to easily register to their weekly mailing list (there’s also an app!), here’s it the text:

RANDOM TAKEAWAYS FROM EIG 2014, FROM A TO… J

• Affiliates: Or rather, lack of them. This year the conference wasn’t co-located in the same city as the affiliates’ weekend festival (which was held in Barcelona, the same location both events were held the past few years). That means we hardly saw any traffic generators on the floor, as well as less marketing executives from operators who didn’t bother with the extra trip. (They focused on the expo with more models and less clothes.) Was this a good idea? I don’t think so, as I believe that co-location is good for everyone. Hell – it’s cheaper for me, so please rethink this decision.
• Berlin: First time the EiG was held in this city, and I have to say that I was happy to have a business justification to visit the place. Well done, Clarion.
• Casinos: Operators now fully understand that this vertical is making more money than others, and it was clear to see that in both public and private discussions. Everybody is looking to enhance this specific product offering. It’s funny, because our industry had its poker time, and its social time, and even for a day or two its bingo/binary/etc. time, but casinos have always performed best, yet were treated as the twisted sister nobody would like to admit they have.
• Database Marketing: The importance of correctly analyzing your player behavior was never so predominant. And it’s easy to explain why: when marketing costs rise, players’ CPA is way above ridiculous and yet ARPU is declining due to regulation, operators must look for ways to increase the profit they can generate from existing customers. Welcome to the era of CRM.
• Expense Claims: I can just imagine all the accountants across the industry this week, rubbing their foreheads when they receive yet another request to justify “10 Weihenstephans and a few shots of Echte Kroatzbeere” as business costs of course. Well, good luck with that!
• Financial Trading: It’s booming. Now they even have stand-alone “slot-machine-clones” that allow you to place a binary options terminal at your betting shop or land-based casino. And the lifetime value of these “traders” is amazing! Not to mention forex brands that target markets you would never have even believe existed. If you were not part of the revolution… in this case, you simply could have been making a lot more money.
• German Models: Say no more, say no more.
• Hasta la Victoria, Siempre: That has nothing to do with iGaming, but I have mentioned a revolution earlier, and that made me think of Che Guevara. Actually? I was just trying NOT to think of those German Models again, and you guys are not helping at all.
• Internet Consumption: Over 50% of the data usage, world-wide, is being “consumed” via mobile devices. Here’s a funny question: how good is your gambling app? Oh, you still don’t have a native app? Are you at least HTML5 ready? Still working on it – no problem. Take your time… I’m sure the 90’s will soon end for you guys. Back to our era, mobile was a huge thing at the EiG and this is how it should be, considering the fact that in some countries there are more activated phone sims than people.
• Jackpots: My all-time favorite type of gambling activity! The excitement, the large prizes, the sound of dropping coins into that metal tray, but most of all – the fact that operators can make SO much more money out of these games. If online casino are trending, these games are exploding, and the main reason is the win-win factor: when a player hit that highest possible combination, he is happy (or in the typical Slots demographics case, she is happy), and the casino marketing team is even happier, since they have great content they can now use for ages (which cost them nothing, since the money won was paid out of the jackpot contribution which is not part of the ongoing profit). KA-CHING!

Bio:

Shahar Attias is a globally recognized iGaming expert, with 14+ years of experience in operational leadership roles (888, Playtech, PokerStars); a frequent speaker at major conferences (G2E, iCE, EiG, LAC/BAC); and the blogger behind www.iGamingCRM.com. He’s managed strategic consulting projects with bwin.party, WMS, GVC Holdings, William Hill, Casinos Austria and many more. Contact Shahar directly at shahar@hybridinteraction.com.