As the EUROs finally take place a year later than expected, European football fans are full of anticipation, with the finals fast-approaching.
With even more exciting tournament action to come as crowds fill more and more stadiums, these sporting events can be seen as an opportunity for slot-developers to use fans’ ever-growing excitement to build on the performance of their titles.
In the third part of our mini series, looking into the impact of sporting events on sports-themed slots, we will be joined by business development manager at ESA Gaming, Maria Luisa Malfasi, who revealed that sports-themed slots haven’t ever been a runaway success as many may have imagined, and instead, they might be simply based on the popularity of sport and sports betting.
She noted: “Consequently, capitalising on large sporting events in order to cross sell your casino games is more about the quality and positioning of the game. During the EUROs, our football-themed title Goal Mine has accounted for an astonishing 54% of revenue from our suite of games.
“Yes, it has an exciting football theme with an engaging goal shooting round, but it is also about the flow of the game, the lightweight, fast-paced game play and of course the positioning as an inobtrusive game in the sportsbook.”
Moving onto the impact that sports events do have on the popularity of sports-based slots, Malfasi put it down to the positioning and promotion of the titles while the events are ongoing, remarking: “Releasing games in conjunction with major events could be really useful for publicity. Of course, when there is a hype, and everyone is talking about football it is natural that a football-themed game will generate a little more interest, but we have also added a leaderboard to help operators promote our games during such times.
“In truth, it needs to be an engaging and interesting game above all else to ensure players return after initially trying it out. If you succeed with that, you have a game that is not only popular during the length of the tournament but also beyond.”
Further exploring the development of sports-based titles, Malfasi revealed how sporting events are taken into consideration by ESA Gaming throughout the process. She explained that the popularity of the individual sport often outweighs specific events, adding: “We have a number of sports-themed instant games in our Mine Series currently in development and they will reflect the key sports that have a large following, such as tennis and basketball. What we are also looking at is how we can customise high-performing games for specific sporting events, rather than making games for specific events.”
Looking forward to the aftermath of the EUROs, Malfasi explained that the continuation of the popularity of sports-themed slots comes down to the quality of the games and their positioning.
“In our case, content is placed within the sportsbook which gives us a great advantage,” she elaborated “By developing games that offer good UX, and which provides a genuine addition to the player experience without cannibalising or intruding on the sports betting experience, our swipe-in titles remain popular all year round.”
She further revealed that the secret to success of sports-themed slots comes from players’ familiarity with the products, explaining: “Sports is something that is enjoyed by millions around the world, so it makes sense that the theme also attracts people to other types of entertainment. Look at the popularity of video games such as FIFA and you can understand the potential for the real money gaming sector.”
Concluding her comments, she said: “The excitement that occurs around a major event like the EUROs definitely plays a part. Any kind of tie-in will have a natural crossover effect and pique people’s curiosity. In terms of long-term success this is always down to the game being a valid, engaging and enjoyable experience for the player.”
