Every industry has its buzzwords, and omnichannel has been a fan favourite in gambling for the past few years. Omnichannel, defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as "a way of selling products that is the same and equally good for the customer whether they are buying from a computer, a mobile phone app, etc," was used primarily by gambling companies to indicate that they handled both online and land-based operations. To an extent, this was omnichannel, but not true omnichannel.
Sure, players had a similar experience if they played in a casino or on their phone, but there was still a disconnect; particular games, promotions or even game features were still exclusive to one channel and not the other. But expecting the same experience across different formats would be impossible to achieve with our current technology, right? George Cho, Massive Gaming CEO and Director, sat down with Global Gaming Insider to discuss how far the industry has actually come.
10 JUNE, 1992 - THE PLAYERS
Although Street Fighter II was not the first arcade game to be turned into a console game, it is one of the most famous - and fitting for this discussion. The title was first released for arcades but was quickly ported to the SNES, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, PC and Mega Drive. Later ports included the Game Boy, Sega Saturn, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. In short, players could play the cabinet version at the arcades, then go home and play an identical version there, too.
The button-mashing madness resulted in 200,000 arcade cabinets and 15 million video game copies sold worldwide. Street Fighter II was in the top three highest-grossing games of all time, the best-selling fighting game until 2019 and is still regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made. While it's difficult to explain what exactly gives lightning in a bottle its 'spark', many people attribute this success to the fact that people could play Street Fighter II almost anywhere they liked. It did not matter which mood or set of circumstances you found yourself in; Street Fighter II was there for you. Always.
A SLOT GAME FOR EVERY POSTCODE
Street Fighter II became a cultural behemoth in 1992 because it was accessible and was an identical experience both at home and at the arcade, thus catering to different players. The home consoles even sold special controllers identical to the ones found in arcades for true omnichannel vibes. However, emulating this would pose an obvious challenge to slot providers. Nothing would alert the gambling harm charities more than a slot provider selling a USB-C crankable slot arm to make the at-home experience more authentic! Alternatively, Aristocrat acquired Awager in October, which offers live streams of slot machines that people can interact with on their phones. Live slots streaming, as it is called, is being billed as a whole new category of gaming.
But rather than bringing the casino home to the player, some slot providers have begun to toy with the idea of bringing the iGaming experience to the casino floor. Namely Massive Gaming, established under parent company Neowiz, which is South Korea's leading social casino games provider. This company has been working with Kangwon Land, the only casino in South Korea that allows nationals to play, to do just this. Over the past few years, Massive Gaming has been adapting its online IP content into certified slot machine software for casino floors and ocean cruise liners. "A strong example of this is our title Shen Shou Wan Fu," Cho told Global Gaming Insider. "After proving successful online, the title was commercialised as a full-cabinet slot at Kangwon Land, and it has also been included in the content lineup for our on-premises cruise deployment. In addition, our collaboration with LT Game in Macau continues to expand our global presence in the offline sector."
And just like Capcom did with Street Fighter, Massive Gaming recognised that younger players were connecting with games in different ways than generations before them. Up to 80% of global online gambling traffic now comes from mobile devices, and around 70% of online casino users are under the age of 40, whereas land-based casinos tend to attract players in their 50s and 60s. "Younger, digital-native players expect fast, intuitive, seamless experiences across all environments. For casinos to remain relevant to this generation, they must bridge the gap between online familiarity and offline engagement," Cho continued. "This is exactly where the on-premises mobile model provides a meaningful connection. Major integrated resorts across Asia, such as Genting, have adopted similar approaches for the same reason."
MATHS IS FUN
Much like Street Fighter II, sometimes players want to stay in and decompress at home while playing their favourite game; while other times, they want to go out with friends on a night out. Cho agreed: "We see this topic as one of the most significant shifts in the iGaming industry today. For land-based operators in particular, allowing players to enjoy the same experience wherever they choose - on the casino floor, on a cruise ship, or on their phone at home - is increasingly becoming a core competitive strategy rather than a convenience feature."
Unlike Street Fighter II, modern games are built with online frameworks that make it difficult to transform these into offline experiences. "When comparing online and offline slot gaming, many people assume the biggest differences lie in bonus mechanics or game features," Cho said. "In reality, the largest gap is in the back-end infrastructure that players never see. Online content requires only a network connection. Offline, however, games must integrate flawlessly - down to the second - with the venue's Central Monitoring System (CMS), player tracking and cashless solutions. This level of technical and regulatory complexity is challenging for many online-only content providers."
The actual games themselves do not need many changes, though. "What surprised us most was how well the core IP and math models from online carried over into offline environments. There used to be a common belief that online and land-based players wanted fundamentally different experiences. But as younger, mobile-native players enter casinos, they increasingly look for the same IP and the same 'math of fun' they already know," Cho continued. "Shen Shou Wan Fu demonstrates this perfectly. It performed strongly online, became a top-performing cabinet game at Kangwon Land, and is now receiving positive responses in its on-premises mobile version. This shows that a well-crafted IP can succeed consistently across all channels."
MODERN DAY - THE POSSIBILITIES
So the players have been showing interest in omnichannel gaming for decades, the maths is viable, but the most difficult step is always going to be convincing operators that this is a profitable direction. After all, introducing new games is no flippant endeavour. Cho knows this too: "From the operator's perspective, floor space is one of a casino's most expensive and limited resources. Placing an untested slot title carries significant risk. But when a title has already been validated by millions of online players, operators can make data-driven decisions and select content with a proven profitability profile." Rather than fighting for space in a casino, Pragmatic Play recently signed an exclusive deal to bring Big Bass slots to Ladbrokes and Coral retail locations in the UK, which is a safe way to test the waters.
Traditional slot cabinets are not the only route that operators can embark upon, either. Massive Gaming has translated online games into on-premises tablets, too, meaning casinos do not necessarily need to set aside massive amounts of floor space to introduce new titles and experiences for customers. To fully explore this growing omnichannel momentum, Kangwon Land recently signed a new slot software development agreement with Massive Gaming to continue creating new experiences for customers. As the only land-based property in Korea to welcome local players, this has created a unique environment for the two companies. "In fully regulated online markets, omnichannel titles support integrated marketing and strong player retention," Cho commented. "In restricted markets, on-premises mobile models provide a legal pathway to deliver online-style experiences within land-based boundaries. For these reasons, we view the omnichannel approach as a sustainable global direction - one that aligns industry needs, player expectations, and diverse market regulations."
For those who may feel like a full casino cabinet is too much of an investment, Massive Gaming has the perfect compromise: tablets. By installing tablets on a casino or arcade floor, the operator can offer a full suite of iGaming titles for the customers while saving space, and customers get to engage with the games in a way that is familiar to them - on a touch screen. The tablets also have the capacity to hold many different online titles, or perhaps even an operator's online casino site, for a fully branded experience that blends omnichannel with complementarity. Customers who prefer iGaming have a reason to visit a land-based property, while retail customers have an excuse to check out what the company's website can offer.
NEW GEN
Street Fighter II was revolutionary because it looked at how young people were interacting with products and created a new omnichannel market for them. Now, 30 years later, the slot industry is starting to catch up to this. Cho believes that, by achieving true omnichannel, operators can finally address two of the biggest challenges to operations: "An ageing core customer base and the need to attract younger digital-native players; and the need to maximise the profitability of expensive casino floor space using verifiable data.
"At the same time, player behaviour is shifting globally," he continued. "Mobile-native audiences expect the same seamlessness they experience on services like Netflix or Spotify. They respond strongly to familiar IP and consistent experiences across environments. From the player's perspective, recognising a familiar online game on the casino floor instantly builds trust. There is no learning curve, no hesitation - just immediate engagement. Familiarity is one of the most effective drivers of satisfaction and loyalty," Cho argues.
And what can we expect from the future? Well, it seems that laying the foundation of translating iGaming to land-based gaming was the hard part, and now Massive Gaming is continuing to push innovations past the computer screen. Its latest game series, Dragon & Wizard, offers an evolving storyline with each sequential slot release, more like a traditional video game than a traditional slot machine. The studio has even released a Crash version of Dragon & Wizard and, although there has been no word about bringing this title specifically to the casino floor, the possibilities are now there.
Games such as Plinko, Crash and Mines have redefined the iGaming sector within the last few years, but the pendulum may yet swing back to the traditional casino floor.
Retail stores from the 1800s are credited as the first modern-day implementation of omnichannel, because they offered sales from brick-and-mortar stores as well as catalogues. But the specific word was first used by Walmart's electronics department in 2003
