In this interview with CalvinAyre.com’s Becky Liggero, Valery Bollier of Oulala explains why the iGaming industry needs to adapt more of a social business model.
Many gambling operators have tried to optimize their business model in order to cope with the demand of the new generation of players. Unlike the players from the baby boomer generation, millennials tend to be more social and thus prefer games that enables them to interact with other players.
Valery Bollier of Oulala Games said that the iGaming industry needs to adapt more to a social business model if they really want to corner the millennial market.
“Simply because this is what exactly the new generation is expecting. They have been raised playing video games that are of course skilled but are also socials. And it might not be very nice to hear for people that are not doing those types of games for years and have very optimized business model. But it is simply what’s young generation are expecting,” Bollier told CalvinAyre.com. “Playing against the house is boring, and then you don’t like the house, because whenever you lose against the house, the house will take your money. Horrible. You don’t want this. You want to play in the marketplace with friends and the best you going take the money.”
Bollier cited the case of the growing popularity of daily fantasy sports (DFS), which he said is paving the way in the shift toward the social business model.
Unlike other games like the online poker and casino, Bollier pointed out that the DFS was the first game offered to the iGaming sector that is structurally a skilled game and a social game.
“This makes a big difference because now you will see a lot of people that will try to transform the game like casino for example or even poker that are not social games and they will gamify it, and they will try to transform this into social game. It’s going to be very difficult for them because structurally, they are not social games,” Bolier said. “You need to invent games that are really social and dfs are social games. It’s a game where you basically create a team with your friends and you play against them. Money is not everything. Money is just the ability to prove to your friends and you know, tease them, brag to them because you took their money.”
