Synergy Blue’s new report shows rise of “gaming gambler”

The new report from Synergy Blue found that 63% of gamblers would spend more time playing casino games if they were more like video, arcade or mobile gaming.

US.- Synergy Blue, the premier creator of skill-influenced games and platforms for an emerging class of players, has released a new report showing the rise of the “gaming gambler”, an emerging generation of gamblers who are influenced by arcade, video and mobile games and looking for a more engaging gambling experience as a result. 

In fact, 63% of people said if casino games were more like video, arcade or mobile games, they’d spend more time playing them.

This and other findings were released in a new report, The Rise of the Gaming Gambler. Synergy Blue surveyed over 1,000 gamblers to examine their preferences and expectations for their gambling experience and found a growing trend toward the use of thought, skill and intuitive playing as key drivers of game engagement. Additionally, these game components also increased player perception of a stronger chance of winning, which was associated with more frequent gameplay and longer playing times. 

The survey found that 84% of gamblers said that if a game requires more thought, strategy or skill to play, they have or might have a better chance of winning. These preferences are also being driven by gamblers’ other gaming experiences, with 79% of gamblers saying if casino games were more like video, arcade or mobile games, they would be more likely to visit casinos to play.

“As always, perception is everything, and we’re finding that this is increasingly true in gambling,“ said Georg Washington, CEO of Synergy Blue. “In a chance-based world, players want gaming qualities that make them feel like they have some control. The ability to think, make choices and get better at a game over time not only offers more engaging play and longer playing times, but it increases the very powerful perception that the odds are shifting in their favour, which further increases engagement and play. Bringing the gaming experience into gambling is the key to emerging generations of gamblers, the Gaming Gambler.” 

A previous report published by Synergy Blue in late 2018 found 19% of casino operators thought skill-influenced games could help drive longer playing times. In that same report, casino operators also listed player understanding as a key area of improvement for skill-influenced games. This new data hints that the modern gambler may not require as much instruction as we previously thought, with 77% saying that if a casino game resembled an arcade game, they’d understand how to play.

The survey also found that table games were perceived by gamblers as the most exciting games to play due to the ability to make choices, improve playing over time, and the improved chance of winning. Additionally, they wanted to see these qualities replicated in slot games. 

Additional findings from the report include:

• Gamblers said table games are exciting to play because:
  • 51% – requires them to think or make choices
  • 44% – the opportunity to play with other players
  • 41% – able to get better at them/improve play over time
  • 36% – feel like there’s a better chance of winning

In the report, Synergy Blue explains that the desire for more control and improved playing, the need for more engaging, social experiences, and the push for more thought offer a telling look at what today’s gamblers want from their casino experience, but these components are not a new gaming experience for most.

A big part of what is driving gamblers today is the gaming experiences that many have become accustomed to over years and even decades. Gamers who have been playing arcade games, video games, and more recently, mobile games, have a different view of what makes a game engaging and exciting. 

The vast majority of respondents want to see the arcade, video and mobile gaming experience that they love (and still regularly play) replicated in casinos, and the ability to offer this could be the key to casinos attracting future generations of gamblers. 

“Chance will continue to reign in gambling, but according to survey respondents, the power of perception is real. Gamblers want to feel that they have some control when playing games, they want to be challenged by having to think, and they want to be able to understand and get better at games, because even in a chance-based game, these core components give them the very powerful perception that they have a better chance of winning,” reads the report.

“Replicating the styles of arcade, video, and mobile gaming in casinos will give gamblers a gaming experience that they know, understand and want. This dynamic offers some unique insight into the continued rise of skill-influenced games, which address many of the needs of these modern gamblers, the majority of whom are also gamers.”