Seminar Delivers Solid Gambling Industry Info
Published: Saturday, November 19, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
NETIMPERATIVE'S LONDON SEMINAR DELIVERS SOLID INDUSTRY INFORMATION
Nielsen/Netratings presentation especially useful
Popular online publication Netimperative hosted a seminar in central London this week, looking at the current issues facing the online gaming market, and how to get the most out of the booming sector.
Internet research firm Nielsen//Netratings's presentation was especially informative, with an overview of the market at both a global and national level. Alex Burmaster, European Internet analyst, pointed out that while the US retains the biggest market share, Spain is the fastest growing market, and France has the most online gamers per head.
The UK was the strongest market in terms of advertising gaming sites, accounting for an impressive 34 percent of all UK campaigns online, with JackpotJoy the most prolific advertiser.
Lottery-style games, including bingo, were the most popular form of online gambling globally, comfortably ahead of casino and bookmaker sites. The UK’s National Lottery is currently the most visited site globally, while InterCasino and PartyPoker are the top casino sites, according to Nielsen//Netratings research.
Burmaster went on to look at the profile of the typical online gamer, which he broadly defined as male aged 35 or under using a broadband connection - contradicting previous surveys that have indicated a female dominance. After discussing the key appeal of online gaming, Burmaster noted that much of the online gaming market remains untapped.
Peter Woodfine, head of business development at LastMinute.com, concluded the seminar by offering a media-owners perspective. Woodfine admitted that the leisure retailer’s marketing department felt a degree of trepidation when entering the online gaming arena two years ago, feeling it could send customers the wrong message.
However, the firm received no complaints, and the service has attracted a strong number of customers, although Woodfine admitted it’s gamers rarely transfer onto other Lastminute services.
Woodfine emphasised the importance of regular reporting to track revenues and help optimise marketing, which he said was often overlooked when selecting a white label partner. He concluded that continued marketing drives to “give customers reasons to play” were key to keep the service fresh.
Powerpoint summaries of the presentations were made available by Netimperative.
