Sport and iGaming are more aligned than they have ever been, but what does the future hold? In this article, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the increasingly large intersection that lies at the heart of this new growth industry. We’ll look at opportunities for growth, challenges that need to be tackled, and what it means for fans and players.
A limitless future?
Not quite, but there is certainly a large number of new avenues that can be explored by iGame developers and sports franchises. The interesting thing to note is that fans intrinsically trust the athletes they support, and this makes them the ideal ambassadors for new entrants into the iGaming market.
Athlete ambassadors represent one of the big growth opportunities for savvy game developers. Having an elite performer personally endorsing a service that can then be used during the live sporting action sounds very much like a home run. There is also a growing trend for punditry to move towards betting and playing tips as a way to naturally extend the discussion of the current form. Players and pundits who are able to naturally weave iGaming into this narrative are a powerful promotional mouthpiece for developers.
Could this be a bubble?
The regulation in the iGaming industry is known around the world for its meticulous nature and robust wording. By making sure that everything is done to prevent fraud and inflated odds, developers have created an industry that is more secure and trustworthy than it has ever been. The added bonus of being able to instantly detect suspicious betting patterns in real-time allows regulators to certify iGaming as a very safe industry indeed. But this doesn’t quite answer the question about an economic bubble.
In any growth industry, there will always be brands that win and brands that lose. This is just a fact and not something unique to iGaming. Just as in a sporting competition, there are bigger teams and better players, the same is true in the world of business. What prevents this natural ebb and flow of relative success from turning into a bubble is the robust regulation highlighted previously. Games that are designed with the enjoyment of sports fans in mind will always be popular because they provide a natural extension of the fan experience.
What are the key challenges?
A recent iGaming growth report predicts that compound annual growth is in a very healthy position, and perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by this. The only problem is falling for the hot hand fallacy where we expect what happened in the past to continue happening unabated into the future.
For the trend to continue on its upward trajectory, developers will need to continue investing in innovation. The good thing for players and fans is that this means developers who reinvest part of their profits in development are the ones who will rise to the top and then stay there. These are the people who have a vision of where they want to go, as opposed to those simply trying to make a quick profit from a current trend.
Perhaps the biggest challenge right now is how to leverage AI in an intelligent way. The point here is that AI for the sake of it is not much use, but the rapid deployment of personal recommendations and custom offers will make the difference. Online casino bonuses selected by AskGamblers provide a good level of insight into what’s on offer for the modern sports fan in this regard. And while AI is very much here to stay, there’s something coming over the horizon that could make the whole experience immersive, not just personal.
AR iGaming meets live sport?
There’s nothing better than seeing the latest sports lineups on your phone and then sitting in the crowd as you get ready to see the action with your own eyes. Yes, the view on the TV is perfect, but it just doesn’t offer the atmosphere and live experience of being there in person.
iGame developers are increasingly shifting their investment into the AR vertical so that they can make their offerings highly immersive. What this does is show players the same sort of view as they would have if they were in the stadium with thousands of other fans. Integrating iGaming into this experience so that action buttons and new bonuses appear in popups at key breaks in the passage of play will really elevate the experience for everyone who wants to enjoy it.
Imagine a future in which personal AI recommendations combine with immersive AR fan experiences and you can start to see what’s possible. The intersection between iGaming and sport will then go to a level that we can only dream of right now, and one in which we all feel like we’re right in the heart of the action.
