Gaming Professionals Hopeful for Industry’s Future

A survey by Global Gaming Expo found most gaming industry professionals in the gaming industry think 2012 is going to be a good year. According to this survey, over three quarters of the respondents said they felt optimistic about the direction the casino industry was going over the next year. Four out of five respondents also said they thought their company was going to do better in 2012.
Future of Gaming
The legalization of online poker may be a game changer, but not everyone believes it will have that much of an impact. Randall A. Fine is the managing director with the Fine Group, a casino management and advisory company, and he feels that the legalization of online poker will only benefit the big players in the industry. The smaller companies won’t make much off of it.
Fine told people attending a session at the G2E Global Gaming Expo that they should keep being innovative. However, he isn’t a big fan of using technology to change the industry. Fine believes companies will do best if they stick to traditional marketing practices. Social media may be cool, but he doesn’t think it is the future.
Fine further argues that companies will do well to keep using their loyalty programs. Before he was with the Fine Group, Fine worked with the loyalty program at Harrah Entertainment. That loyalty program was one of the most successful in the country.
Is Fine right about the future of the industry? Will the legalization of online poker have an effect on the industry?
What are your feelings on the future of online gaming? Share your thoughts in the comments below.