For the Gaming Industry, Android is a Game-Changer

What’s Changing in Gaming?

We can now add gaming to the list of industries transformed by COVID. The industry took a tremendous hit in 2020 when casinos around the world were closed and revenues plummeted. Although there are strong signs of recovery — in the U.S., a booming casino industry is on track to bring in a record $44 billion in 2021 — it’s definitely not across the board. Industry insiders don’t predict a complete turnaround until 2023.

Recovery isn’t just a matter of turning the lights back on in the casinos. Everything about gaming looks different this year and heading into 2022, with sports betting exploding in popularity. Investment banking giant Goldman Sachs says sports betting could see 40% annual growth over the next decade, outpacing even e-commerce. Casinos have been looking for a way to attract a younger audience for years, and COVID has given them a path through sports betting.

With 22 states and the District of Columbia now allowing sports betting online & increasing year on year, it has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. In the second quarter of 2021, sports betting was up nearly 650% over the same period in 2019. It’s becoming so lucrative that gaming content providers are trying to figure out how to attract people who have been betting online to brick-and-mortar environments using the omnichannel (mobile, online, physical) approach to maximize revenue, an approach which has been very successful in the retail market, also accelerated by COVID. To that end, these providers previously only providing content have been buying up a wide range of venues, such as dog tracks and horse tracks, in the hope of doing just that.

Additionally, Sports betting is looking to diversify into hospitality venues such as restaurants and sports bars which are investing in technology to enable gaming in their locations and enhance the customer experience. In the U.S., Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the pioneers in this space and announced earlier this year that customers in several states would be able to bet on sports right from their tables.

Lotteries are also experiencing unprecedented growth, with record sales in New Jersey and several states across the United States. With casinos closed during COVID, Lottery has seen a boom and is expected to grow by an additional $194B by 2025 due to surging adoption of social media promotions and the relatively low cost of technology adoption. Casino gaming heavyweights are also looking to capitalize on the positive trend in sports betting by shifting resources to this growing revenue stream.

Technology

These trends in sports betting & lottery are driving the adoption of new hardware to create enhanced experiences for users and maximize revenue for the gaming operator by creating brand loyalty. Furthermore, many of the lottery kiosks found in convenience stores and other venues haven’t changed in years. The industry needs to get past filling out a slip of paper and handing it to a clerk who prints out the ticket. This customer journey needs include digital interaction to continue to pull in that younger demographic. As users have grown accustomed to such technology, they don’t have to contend with a steep learning curve. These lottery terminals — many of them using Elo touchscreens, provide the user with a seamless, intuitive experience.

As this transformation is taking place, it’s becoming more apparent that Android is the ideal platform for this environment heading into 2022. Android’s massive install base of nearly 70% market share for consumer devices, gives familiarity to the user from the very start. The security, world class life cycle management and versatility make it a no-brainer. The Android platform can be deployed within a single establishment with a variety of use cases from point of sale to self-service to access control. This gives gaming companies powerful tools to deploy endless solutions to their customer base.

Why Elo is the Perfect Partner for Your Tech

With years of experience working with Android, Elo is one of the leading technology providers working with the platform. Offering mobile and fixed, android enterprise solutions, Elo’s devices are rugged enough for constant use at sports books and with the flexibility necessary for lottery terminals. Elo’s Edge Connect™ system accommodates a wide range of peripherals from 3D cameras and barcode scanners to card readers to status lights. Elo technology can be adapted for just about any purpose. Elo’s Android-based platforms make it easy to deploy and manage devices with over-the-air OS and security updates using EloView®. The device management system includes easy-to-use development kits, robust management tools, and world-class security systems. It delivers the convenience and familiarity of Android interfaces in a business-friendly way.

Elo is ahead of the game for the rebirth of the gaming industry and Android is at the core of all these innovations. Powered by Android, Elo is helping partners take advantage of the ways gaming is continuing to evolve. Explore Elo's sports betting solutions.

By Jim Foster, Business Development Manager – Elo Touch Solutions