Big data is a buzzword and has been one for more than 20 years; to be precise, this has been the case since the sudden increase of software and hardware capabilities at the beginning of the millennium. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is taking place at unprecedented speeds as all of these advances are being propelled forward by this buzzword: big data.
Big data analytics have been a game changer for every industry including the casino industry, transforming casino players’ experiences by tailoring games to individual preferences and creating new exciting games. In New Zealand, the US and Canada where there are large numbers of online casino players, this is especially true. But what is big data?
What Is Big Data?
The amount of data we produce through our devices every day is beyond our comprehension. Across the globe, quintillions of bytes worth of information on all aspects of our life, work, and play are being collected.
Thanks to devices, social media and smart technologies associated with the Internet of Things (IoT), more data is now being transmitted than ever before. Volume, velocity and variety are what make it “big data” rather than just “data”.
Raw, unstructured data are being collected and stored in warehouses for businesses to access for a fee. Once stored, they need to be organised, cleaned and analysed; this is what we call big data analytics.
But what are we doing with all those quintillions of bytes of data? Data can be used to preempt the next disaster and predict good times following a catastrophe as easily as they can suggest a new artist to listen to and a new game to play.
One of the most exciting applications of big data is in the online casino industry. By using big data, online casinos can provide unique experiences that keep their players engaged and entertained. Data such as website traffic, player behaviour and demographic information are all gathered to create a complete profile of each player and tailor the casino experience to their preferences.
How Big Data Is Used in the Casino Industry
Online casinos attract thousands of players every day. Hence, the industry relies heavily on big data analytics to deliver top-notch, tailored experiences to all its faithful casino players.
Big Data Contributes to Improving Customer Experiences
Data analytics allows online casinos to optimise their game offerings. By analysing players’ behaviours and game data, casinos can identify popular games, preferred bet sizes and payout trends. Using this information, online casinos can optimise player entertainment and revenue by selecting and creating better games, adjusting game mechanics and setting betting limits based on the data.
Big Data Helps Personalise Experiences
By collecting behavioural information and historical data, casinos can use predictive analytics to adjust the gaming content presented to each player and suggest games a player will enjoy based on their preferences.
If you prefer live dealer games, you will receive real-time notifications on ongoing live tables. If you are a fan of slots, then you will get notifications about the latest slot game. In this way, the gameplay experience can be streamlined and new and exciting titles that are aligned with the interests of the gamers can be introduced.
Big Data Gives Insight Into Casino Trends
Online casinos take advantage of big data to understand and predict market trends in order to stay one step ahead of their competitors. By analysing big data, they can identify the most popular games, the most effective promotions and the demographics of their players. They can also develop new games and, as with every other industry, marketing strategies that bring in new players and keep them coming back.
Big Data Increases Security
Whether it’s facial recognition or monitoring player behaviour in real-time, casinos can use big data to detect and prevent cheating. For fraud detection, casinos analyse data to track behaviour and identify patterns indicative of fraud. As a result, all games can be conducted in a fair and transparent way.
Big Data Promotes Responsible Gambling Measures
The use of data analytics is not just limited to enhancing customer experiences but also extends to promoting responsible gambling practices. Casinos can identify players at risk of gambling-related issues based on their time spent playing, betting patterns and frequency of playing.
Casinos can take proactive steps towards responsible gambling such as establishing deposit limits, introducing cooling-off periods or offering support resources if they identify early indicators of problem gambling. By leveraging data analytics, casinos can actively promote player welfare and foster a more secure gambling atmosphere. At EmuCasino, we encourage responsible gameplay by offering the Deposit, Bet and Loss Limit as well as Self-Exclusion tools to help you maintain control of your game.
How Big Data Will Keep Revolutionising the Online Casino Industry
It’s safe to say that online gambling will continue to be driven by data analytics. By 2025, the world of data analytics will undergo a seismic shift with the rise of augmented analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). AI algorithms will be increasingly used to analyse vast datasets quickly and gain actionable insights that can develop our games and gaming experiences. From our favourite slots to live blackjack and augmented reality pokies, the future has much to hold for online casino gaming.
