My G2E question for 2013 is the following. What will gaming look like in 5 years?
I ask each of the respondents to give an imaginative answer. You will be surprise as to who participated and what they had to say.
Roger Gros - Global Gaming Business
Online gaming is the wild card in the industry over the next five years. How will people respond to it? Will Americans gravitate to online gaming as they have to online shopping? How will the casino industry respond? Will they parlay online gaming with their land-based operations? Will they just use online gaming as a revenue stream? Those are the questions we’ll see answered over the next five years.
As for G2E, floor space for online gaming companies has tripled from 2012 to 2013, so you can expect that kind of growth to continue over the next five years now that the legal status of online gaming is beginning to change.
Todd Fishon - The Greenbrier
Bricks and mortar properties will need to integrate products that have a broader market appeal; basically allocating gaming space for the next generation that looks at technology differently. However, changes in gaming always moves (and needs to move) at a slow pace (look at TITO and server based gaming). My best guess is that in five years, the use of tablets for gaming (slots and table games) will be more prevalent on the gaming floor.
Howard Stutz - The Las Vegas Review Journal
My belief is that in five years, we will see a mix of land-based and online casinos throughout the U.S.
In five years, Massachusetts should have at least one or two of their casinos up and running by then; Maryland's planned casino in Prince George's County should be open or close to opening, Philadelphia will have a new casino and Ohio's gaming market will be going full bore. As for new markets, We should see expansion finally into Texas and Florida. Will Nevada be pressured? Probably. Las Vegas has been slowly rebounding and based on the current timeline, the Resorts World Las Vegas will have opened its initial phase. Also, there may be one or two new projects announced or under development along the Strip, if the economy doesn't take an unexpected dip.
In terms of online gaming, with a state-by-state process currently underway (Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware) other states will join into the mix (California, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Mississippi). Will that be enough to push Congress into passing federal online poker legislation? Possibly, if there is a change in leadership in Washington that is conducive to compromise.
Internationally in five years, Macau and Singapore will be joined by other gaming markets in the East - Vietnam, South Korea and Japan. Still, Macau - with expansion already underway - should retain its dominance as the world's largest gaming market.
Others may not have as much of an optimistic view as I have.
However, gaming companies and individuals have made billions of dollars in investments over the past few decades and will continue to do so into the brick and mortar side of the business. We will see an investment and similar strategy by companies into online gaming.
However, gaming companies and individuals have made billions of dollars in investments over the past few decades and will continue to do so into the brick and mortar side of the business. We will see an investment and similar strategy by companies into online gaming.
I believe the two forms will find a way to co-exist as we head into the next decade.
Gary Vecchiarelli - Galaxy Gaming
There are three areas of gaming you will see change. Foremost, land-based casinos will continue to grow. Not only will gaming become more socially accepted across the U.S., but states will open up regulations and issue more operators licenses, due to the jobs gaming creates and tax dollars it generates. Second, we will see technology be increasingly incorporated into the gaming experience. Not only will technology enhance the player’s gaming experience, but table game operators will be collecting and utilizing more detailed information on their players and their gaming habits, likes/dislikes, eventually increasing brand loyalty and profitability. Finally, iGaming will provide convenience to players, especially when you factor in access via a mobile platform. When you combine all of these aspects, I see a highly competitive market and opportunities for hungry companies, especially those our size. I expect to see some amazing innovation over the next few years and that is what has me really excited.
Jan Jones - Caesars Entertainment
I believe in 5 years gaming in the US will have changed dramatically. Much of the convenience gaming will have gone on-line and the brick and mortar properties will have significantly geared up their entertainment options to attract a younger demographic. Internet will also be used to introduce the younger player to gaming entertainment and induce them to visit a brick and mortar facility. Our challenge will be to modernize our gaming products to appeal to a younger player. Las Vegas will still be the prominent gaming destination for entertainment in the US and Atlantic City will have found a niche to sustain itself.
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I want to thank all of the above group for taking time to answer this. I want to acknowledge Howard Stutz, one of the premiere reporters on gaming in this country. Stutz covers the nation's gaming industry for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Jan Jones Blackhurst, Vice President of Government and Communications at Caesars Entertainment. Jan is known internationally and is renowned thru out the gaming industry. She is a participant in panel presentations at all of the major conferences. I am honored to have made her acquaintance.
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