Take Aways From G2E 2016

Home » Poker News » Take Aways From G2E 2016

Wednesday, October 26th, 2016 | Written by Stephen Smith

The Global Gaming Expo (G2E), an international gaming conference with a focus on the North American gambling industry, was held from September 27 to September 29 at the Sand Expo Center in Las Vegas. Since its launch in 2001, the annual gaming trade show has proved a popular affair, and this year was no exception with the event drawing more than 27,000 people from various parts of the casino industry, including hoteliers, online operators and business to business providers.

In addition to serving a massive trade show, the event brings together experts in various aspects of the gaming industry and provides them with the opportunity to share ideas, and shine a spotlight on the major trends and issues of the industry.

Here were some of the themes that dominated this year’s event:

1. Casinos Are Hungry for Millennial Dollars

Many of the breakout sessions and keynote speakers dealt with millennials. Overall, casinos are lacking in patronage among 20 somethings and as the Baby Boomer generation starts to reach the age where they are not able to travel as easily and do not have as much disposable income, that’s a major problem for casinos. Many casinos are introducing social games and slot games that combine skill and chance to try and offer experiences that millennials will enjoy.

2. Slot Machines Are Still a Major Focus

Even though the key demographic that casinos are vying for does not have a passion for traditional slots, they remain a major focus of casinos. By far, slots are the biggest money maker, and at this year’s convention, manufacturers unveiled some impressive new models. The old standards are still going strong as well, as casinos need to keep their floors filled with some familiar machines that appeal to the older crowd.

3. eSports Is Gaining Mainstream Attention

eSports is growing and the casino industry is noticing. During the convention, there were talks of making Las Vegas into an eSports destination, a place where competitive players could gather together to face off, not just for large tournaments but for everyday play similar to table games at casinos. There was also talk of holding more large MMA-style tournaments at resorts in the U.S. in order to help transform Las Vegas into “The eSports capital of the world”.

4. iGaming Is Losing Steam

A few years back, there were many sessions about furthering iGaming legislation in the U.S., but the focus is clearly shifting away from pushing for an end to the prohibition on online casino games and poker. While there was talk about what regulation in Pennsylvania and some other states would bring, iGaming was not a major focus of this year’s event. Instead, the emphasis has now shifted towards exploiting the online social casino opportunities for brick-and-mortar casinos, as well as the daily fantasy sport (DFS) industry.

5. Sports Betting Legalization Is Coming to the Forefront

While iGaming legislation may not be the hot topic it once was, sports betting legalization is making up for it. A number of sessions were held discussing how it might be possible to bring sports gaming out of the shadows in the U.S. NBA commissioner David Stern was even on hand to weigh in on the subject. Also discussing the sports betting issue was American Gaming Association (AGA) President, Geoff Freeman, who during an interview at the G2E stated:

“We’re making headway and I think the prospects for the legalization of sports betting are greater today than they have ever been, we’ve got such a diverse coalition, a wide coalition, of law enforcement of leagues, of owners, broadcasters and advertisers. The universe of folks who want to see sports betting legalized is bigger today than its ever been, and as such, I think we’re going to be well positioned in the next administration to make some serious headway on that front.”

6. New Types of Games Are on the Horizon

In addition to innovative new casino games, there are other types of games bound for casinos. A number of different ones were being featured at the conference, including new spins on baccarat and blackjack.