I have to admit that I enjoy a bit of a flutter on the football from time to time. There’s nothing better than settling down in front of my TV to watch a match knowing that one of the teams is carrying my money. As someone once said, “It matters more when there’s money on it.”
I couldn’t contemplate placing my hard-earned cash on some computer generated match – it would be like loading up a demo of FIFA12 and betting on which of the random set of pixels would win.
Similarly I’d not be inclined to gamble on a football match played in a studio, if such a thing existed. I’ve no doubt the players would be beautiful, eastern-European of course, and the presentation would be slick but the air of authenticity just wouldn’t exist.
For me, and millions of others it’s got to be real and it’s got to be live.
And that is why live casino gaming has become mainstream and will eventually overtake Random Number Generated (RNG) casino games as the channel of choice for all serious online casino players.
Back in 2002 VueTec Ltd introduced the first live gaming product onto the market and since then the live gaming industry has gone from strength to strength. No longer is it considered an emerging market for operators and affiliates. Instead it has become the next big thing as casino after casino rush to get their live gaming product to market.
Live Roulette is the jewel in the crown of most live casinos given how well it translates to a multi-player game but variations on Blackjack and Texas Hold’em games prove that almost any casino game can be delivered via a video feed.
There are two main factors driving the success story of live gaming. Firstly the needs of gamers who want to play a game they can trust 100% and secondly the increasing penetration and speed of broadband now available in the home and on the move throughout the world.
On the trust issue nothing can match the experience and assurance offered by those operators who stream live and direct from a real casino. RNG and, to an extent, studio-based feeds simply cannot provide the same transparency. Gamers love the fact that they’re playing at the same table as Joe Punter in a fully regulated bricks and mortar casino. This in turn fosters loyalty and longevity in their lifetime value – which is perfect for operators and affiliates alike.
Increased bandwidth in homes and workplaces all over the world has made live gaming more accessible than ever before. Players are now able to stream high-quality, seamless broadcasts of casino games direct to their PC making the whole experience much more immersive and engaging. It is in this area that we’ll see the greatest development in the future as operators improve production values, dabble with 3D feeds, and create an even better gaming experience.
Now there’s hardly a credible online casino that does not offer a live gaming option so not only is live gaming here to stay, it’s likely to continue on an upward curve of growth and is an area that affiliates should be taking very seriously.
The good news is that there’s still time for you to grab a piece of the action.
The number of dedicated live gaming affiliate sites is still relatively small and much of the affiliate action is hoovered up by a small percentage of affiliates. It’s relatively niche status means that search engine rankings and PPC costs have yet to fully mature to the same levels of ‘normal’ casino traffic.
As live games become more and more mainstream the number of new players searching for live game products will continue to increase as will competition for player traffic, thus making it vital to steal a march on your competitors before it’s too late.
So get into the real world now and grab your share of live action.
About The Author
Having run his own UK new media agency for almost a decade, Paul is now Marketing Manager at dublinbet.com, the first live casino to broadcast direct from a real casino.
As well as being responsible for all of dublinbet.com’s online and offline marketing activity Paul’s role also includes managing dublinbet.com’s affiliate program and is a member of our forum with the handle dublinbetPaul.