For
businesses in almost every industry, sector, and profession, a strong
online presence has never been more vital to secure a competitive
edge for their product or service. Nowhere is this more apparent than
the iGaming industry, one of the fastest growing sectors of the
entire gaming industry as a whole. If, like us, you’ve noticed more
and more TV and internet adverts for online casinos, poker rooms,
bookmakers and the like, then you might be wondering why this is the
case.
For
businesses in almost every industry, sector, and profession, a strong
online presence has never been more vital to secure a competitive
edge for their product or service. Nowhere is this more apparent than
the iGaming industry, one of the fastest growing sectors of the
entire gaming industry as a whole. If, like us, you’ve noticed more
and more TV and internet adverts for online casinos, poker rooms,
bookmakers and the like, then you might be wondering why this is the
case.
The
way people game is changing – in fact, it has already changed.
Mobile technology is taking over, with many of us spending more time
on smartphones and tablets and, and far less time sitting at home on
a desktop computer, or even a laptop. And withover 4 million downloadable applications between them,
the two biggest app stores, Google Play and Apple’s App Store, have
never offered more choice for the mobile gamer.
It’s
no surprise then that even the most traditional of gaming services
are making the switch to digital, and there are few more ingrained
into our cultural heritage than playing the lottery. This makes it a
fascinating case study for the growth of digital, particularly versus
more traditional physical formats.
Digital
vs. Physical – Who’s your money on?
(Photo
via Lottoland.com)
For
regular players of the lottery, the ability to play
lotto from your mobile
seems like nothing short of a revolution in convenience.
Long-standing operators like Lottoland are clearly investing a
sizeable amount in the development of their mobile applications, and
aim to make the process of playing the lottery each week as simple as
possible for the user.
Many
lotto players are creatures of habit and prefer to stick with the
same numbers every week, often for the course of a lifetime, which is
why such apps now give people the option to renew their numbers
automatically, with no danger of forgetting to submit them in time.
App users also benefit by having the ability to play different types
of lotteries from around the world, not just those based in the UK.
Pretty nifty, right?
But
let’s give the physical version some credit. Even though it is way
more convenient to submit your numbers within a few taps on your
mobile phone screen, bear in mind that some people enjoy making the
trip to their local corner shop or supermarket as part of their
weekly routine. The app version may not be everybody’s cup of tea
in this respect, but it does seem like there are more pros than cons
for those who choose to use it.
Saving
The Planet
One
step at a time, at least. Honestly, though, the fact that digital
technology allows many businesses to reduce both their overheads and
carbon footprint by no longer having to rely on printing roll after
roll of physical tickets is huge.
The
best thing is that this is in no way the sole preserve of lottery
companies; the lesser need for physical tickets applies to gaming
services, music venues, cinema complexes, or any other ticketed event
or service the world over. We even recently saw a
great e-ticketing concept
being introduced in India, on public buses!
So while physical tickets aren’t about to become completely obsolete any time soon, having the alternative option of e-tickets will surely help to mitigate their environmental impact and will very likely lead to a more efficient ticketing process for generations to come. The future is well and truly here, and it’s wonderful to see that traditional services like the Lottery have already begun to embrace it.
