After three days of discussion and debate at the eighth World Gaming Executive Summit in Barcelona, among the clearest themes to emerge was the need for the online gaming industry to take a more proactive stance in new US markets.
The background to this were numerous discussions about the fledgling US i-gaming market and what it will take to lift the industry there to the next level.
There was broad agreement that the New Jersey DGE had been successful in smoothly introducing a new high-quality regulatory regime quickly and with comparatively few glitches.
The problem, as suggested by Bill Pascrell III of the Princeton Public Affairs Group, was that the marketing of the new i-gaming industry was being led by traditional bricks-and-mortar brands – from an ailing Atlantic City – and not by the experienced European i-gaming operators.
Pascrell suggested these marketing campaigns had missed the target audience for i-gaming in New Jersey as a result.
Pascrell’s assertions drew nods of agreement with qualifying comments from both Andrew Zarnett of Deutsche Bank and Caesar Interactive’s Jan Jones Blackhurst, the former two-time mayor of Las Vegas.
Zarnett felt the industry would sell itself – success seeding success - while Pascrell countered that until “Paddy or ‘Stars” entered New Jersey, the marketing – and the revenues – would fall below expectations.
All agreed that the now very real prospect of PokerStars entering the New Jersey market, via new owner Amaya, was a potential “game changer.”
The prospect of wider sports betting in the US was considered with New Jersey senator Ray Lesniak to test the latest state policy with a planned wager on an NFL match, to be placed remotely - at a racetrack - in early September.
Most commentators considered that any kind of US federal legislation, either for or against online gaming, is becoming increasingly unlikely.
