The live casino industry is rapidly evolving, moving beyond its traditional roots to embrace new technologies, emerging markets, and bold innovations.
Once dominated by legacy providers, the space now sees challenger brands step into the spotlight. But what is driving this change, and what does 2025 hold for live casinos? Industry leaders James Corrie, Head of Live and RNG at Live88, Graeme Powrie, Chief Commercial Officer at EEZE, and Rory Kimber, Commercial Director at Lucky Streak, share their insights.
Globalisation and new technologies: An era of change
The expansion of global markets, particularly in regions like Latin America, is creating exciting opportunities for operators to connect with new audiences. Brazil, in particular, has become a key focus for many in the industry. Graeme Powrie emphasises the importance of this emerging market: “Brazil is the hot topic. A very localised approach is now necessary. You need local knowledge to resonate with players, and it’s no longer a one-size-fits-all strategy.”
As live casino offerings expand worldwide, player expectations are shifting toward experiences that are not only immersive but also tailored to individual preferences. James Corrie highlights this growing trend: “Player individuality is becoming the key to success in the modern market, which is why challenger brands that offer a socially connected, adaptable, and user-first experience will future-proof their offering.”
Rory adds that the localisation trend also stems from increasing supplier diversity: “We’ve seen the emergence of more tier-two live casino providers. There’s much more competition now, and operators are no longer reliant on big names like Evolution and Playtech. Smaller brands are bringing fresh perspectives to the table.”
This rapid global expansion of live casinos has been driven by significant technological advancements, particularly in streaming and mobile accessibility. Powrie explains how these innovations are helping operators scale their reach: “Streaming is becoming easier and more cost-effective. You have the opportunity to reach more customers and bring them on board with you.” As mobile penetration improves and bandwidth limitations decrease, providers can deliver high-quality live casino content to a broader, global audience.
The player experience has also been enhanced through virtual elements and technological tools that allow operators to adapt and innovate quickly. Powrie identifies virtual components as a key opportunity: “The biggest opportunities are around virtual enhancements – adding virtual elements to the game, whether it be backgrounds or interactive features. It offers customers something different and enables operators to change aspects without physically rebuilding a studio, allowing them to adjust elements on the fly.”
These tools empower operators to deliver fresh, engaging content in a cost-effective manner, ensuring that the live casino offering remains dynamic and competitive. By combining localisation, technological innovation, and player-first experiences, operators can thrive in an increasingly globalised market.
The barriers for challenger brands
While live casinos are ripe for growth, breaking into the market is no small feat. The resource-heavy nature of live casino development makes it far more complex and costly than the slots vertical. As James Corrie explains, “The major challenges are primarily technical complexity and operational costs. Unlike with online casino and slots, live casino offerings depend heavily on real-life human interaction and real-time gaming environments, which involve a number of logistical and regulatory blockers, or at least hurdles.”
Graeme Powrie echoes these challenges, emphasising the significant investment required to deliver a live casino product. “It’s a very, very expensive operation to set up a live dealer studio,” he says. “You can do more with slots. You can put 100 slots out fairly quickly, but with live casino, you need one studio, the infrastructure, and a large capex investment. Developing a new game show, for example, can take nine to ten months, and even then, you don’t know if it’s going to work or not.”
Kimber points out another barrier: “The Big brands are so large that they can focus on multiple markets at once, but smaller brands don’t have the same resources. It’s about finding overlooked opportunities in niche markets and focusing on core products to build a foundation.”
The time and cost involved can discourage smaller suppliers, especially with established players dominating the space. However, Powrie points out that there are still opportunities for challengers to succeed. “The big brands can’t be everywhere. Their focus is on large markets, which leaves room to pick up share in places they might not see as a priority,” he says.
By localising offerings, introducing smaller denominations, and tapping into untapped markets, challengers can carve out a place for themselves. Corrie adds: “Traditional offerings, such as blackjack and poker, still have their place, but players are now demanding live casino injects an extra layer of engagement.”
Opportunities for growth and the future of live casino
The future of live casino will be shaped by a combination of regional expansion and product innovation, with Brazil emerging as a critical market for experimentation. Powrie describes its role as a proving ground: “In terms of new markets, I think everyone is looking at Brazil. It’s a great market right now and will be a good testing ground for new game types. At the moment, operators are still relying heavily on standard games because customers expect them, but we’re waiting for the next big one to come through.”
Innovation in formats, especially game shows, is driving differentiation. Powrie explains: “Wheel games are still the main draw, but somebody’s going to come up with a new kind of game that customers just jump on. Game shows allow for real differentiation. There’s a lot more interaction with the game presenter and a lot more going on on the screen, which creates a far more engaging experience.”
Kimber echoes this sentiment, noting that smaller providers can capitalise on market-specific needs: “We’ve found that focusing on regional opportunities, like adapting products to specific currencies or languages, gives us a competitive edge. The big providers can’t do it all, and that’s where challengers can win.”
At the same time, operators are enhancing player engagement through gamification and personalisation. James Corrie shares insights into their roadmap: “There are ample opportunities for product differentiation and innovation heading into 2025. Our roadmap includes customisable prizes and prize values that give operators more control. Loot Boxes is moving towards gamification, steering away from the standard live casino offering to pursue a fresh and vibrant new direction.”
Corrie also underscores the role of technology in keeping the experience dynamic: “We will continue to develop our green screen technology and advance our core offerings with personalisation tools, so operators’ customers can enjoy the most unique and immersive gameplay.”
All participants agree that localisation and innovation are central to the industry’s evolution. Operators who tailor their offerings to regional markets while delivering immersive, player-first experiences will be the ones to succeed. Rory Kimber adds, “Big providers don’t want to handle the smallest denominations or specific currencies, like the Georgian currency. That’s where you can start to build up your market share. Smaller challengers like us can identify opportunities and act quickly, while the larger companies are often tied up in layers of approvals and processes.”
As Corrie sums up: “Player individuality is becoming the key to success in the modern market, which is why challenger brands that offer a socially connected, adaptable, and user-first experience will future-proof their offering.”
Looking ahead, the live casino sector is on the cusp of transformation. With game shows, gamified features, and hyper-localised products redefining engagement, the race to deliver the next big hit is set to shape the industry’s future and ensure live casino remains a cornerstone of the gaming experience for years to come.
