Understanding customers is essential to an operator’s growth in any industry. For online casinos, this understanding has enabled providers to appreciate the value of attracting younger players.
These players will take the industry forward as they play in future decades, so their engagement is vital. Increases in this engagement are already apparent. For example, in 2020, most online casino players in the US were aged 45-54. Now, research suggests that as many as 44% of US online casino players are aged 18-24.
These figures support expert estimations for the global market, where most players tend to be aged 18-35. Given these figures, it’s not surprising that the USA’s top online casinos use this knowledge to plan how to attract younger customers. They take several factors into account.
To begin with, although more males play at online casinos than females, the percentages are close. So, operators must appeal to a diverse audience that is not male-dominated as it has been in the past.
Younger online casino enthusiasts also grew up in a digital age, so they value digital payment options such as e-wallets, cryptocurrencies, and mobile wallets. These options offer security and allow players to deposit funds without revealing personal banking information. Many online casino operators already provide access to these options, and more will do so in the future.
Digital technology also enables the fast and easy accessibility that younger players expect. It allows operators to ensure that online casinos are compatible with various devices, including desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Access to games using different devices means players can enjoy gaming activity in any location with Internet access anytime. Smartphone access is especially relevant given that 94% of Gen Z use smartphones to access digital content, such as TikTok videos, YouTube videos, and casino games.
Much of the content that Gen Z and Millennials view online is streamed. Online casinos have embraced this by providing live casino action, which involves the use of live dealers. The potential integration of VR and AR technology could enhance live dealer content by making it more immersive.
Even without these enhancements, live casino content combines with features like leaderboards and live chat to make online casino play the social experience that younger players seek. Evidence for this social requirement comes from online gaming research in 2021, which found that around 80% of gamers said gaming made it easier to meet new people.
The online casino industry is following this research from online gaming to engage with a younger audience. The industry's future will continue to have a social focus. This will likely include using AI features like machine learning to establish players' interests and tailor content to them.
In addition, as technology evolves, operators will use it to ensure younger players from the digital generation get the reliability they expect from their online experiences. This reliability is already a high priority to operators; it involves fairness, transparency, and technical performance.
From a fairness and transparency perspective, operators ensure they have the relevant licenses and that their practices are legitimate. Licensing means the best casinos are subject to rigorous checks to ensure that players are treated fairly and their practices are transparent. The publication of the RTP for each game is an integral part of this transparency.
The technical performance of a casino website is an equally important aspect of reliability. No player, especially younger digitally savvy ones, wants to play at a casino with slow loading speeds and poor connectivity overall. So, excellent connectivity is essential across all devices. This means operators must pay attention to mobile load speeds as well as web-based sites. Having optimum connectivity across all devices means that players can continue using games in various locations, including when they are on the move.
Understanding the requirements of an audience that data suggests is getting younger is vital to the ongoing success of online casinos. Successful operators use the playing patterns of users to determine how to best engage with them. They also pay careful attention to what players who have grown up in a digital world expect from their online experience.
These players expect original content that includes live elements and is accessible using all devices. They also appreciate the opportunity to connect with other players and participate in online communities. Developers are integrating these elements into their games and continuing to monitor technological advancements, such as AI, AR, and VR, to include them in the games they create.
These technological advancements will enable enhanced engagement with younger players in the future, allowing for the creation of a more immersive experience that helps to create the online communities that younger players seek.
