Since the creation of the first online betting site, more than 20 years ago, the gambling industry has embraced the online environment and isn’t slowing down. With the steady growth in popularity, online casinos need the help of big data analysis to keep the industry thriving. Find out more.
With most companies today operating on the internet, and some relying on it entirely, the volume of data generated daily is growing exponentially. The data sets that companies acquire from their users are too vast for one person to handle, so technology stepped in and made sifting through that data much easier and quicker. This is known as big data.
Despite what the name might trick you into believing, big data doesn’t refer to a massive amount of information – it is a technology aimed at processing data by filtering only relevant information from large data sets. In the case of an online casino, for example, this technology represents tools and approaches that the operators can use to analyse and process structured and unstructured data — such as that of their players and the kinds of games they like to play, or how long they play for.
This data analysis technology has been around for a long time now — since 2008 — and it has impacted many major industries around the world. Here we talk a bit about the impact that it has had on the online gambling industry.
It’s All About You
When you visit your favourite online casino to play a hand or two of some online poker, you go back to that same site because your personal user experience is expected to be good. The odds are the best and accurate, the real-time offers seem to always be exactly the kind of thing you are looking for and you’ve even found some of the advertising to be interesting instead of annoying. It is as if they are learning about the things you like and dislike and then giving you exactly that. Well, that’s exactly what they’re doing. Big data is the driving force behind any and all of these little personal touches you find – and love – when playing.
Knowing what people want to play, what they like to play and how long they are willing to play for are all incredibly important pieces of information. Online operators can then take this information and use it enhance the experience of their players at an individual level, as opposed to appealing to the paying majority and hoping the rest of their players stick around – an unlikely event given how easy it is to just move on to another site and keep playing. The more personalised and unique your experience is to you, the more likely you are to continue using the betting site and maybe even recommend it.
This is only the surface of what this kind of data analysis and processing can do for online casinos, and it gets much more detailed and intricate the further down the rabbit hole you go – so let’s go a bit deeper with a few examples of how this information can be used to improve the overall experience of players on online betting sites.
Poker Strategies
Poker is much more than just a card game – it requires in-depth knowledge of potential hands, a bit of statistical analysis, and every now and then a solid poker face and a good bluff. It is also a massive spectator sport, with international tournaments (both on- and offline) being broadcast to millions of fans around the world. With online poker being so popular, there is a ton of data that can be collected, analysed and processed. Big data does indeed make use of all this information, but it isn’t always on the dealer’s side – it can help both the casino operator and the player.
The benefit for the operator is being able to gather statistics from poker tournaments and track players’ individual performances too. By either posting or analysing this information, operators can bring in new players who are interested in knowing more about the professional poker scene. Players, on the other hand, benefit by having access to the statistical information of games played as well as maybe learning a few techniques of how to manipulate the odds or, indeed, the other players at the table. So, the next time you log in to play some live online poker, try to analyse and process some of this information yourself. Who knows, you might pick up a thing or two.
Big Data Plays for You
Players that have realised how much big data can help them are well on their way to winning. Take online sports betting for example – there is, in every sport event, an underdog and a favourite to win the game. With each of those teams comes a myriad of statistical information that players then compare to decide on who will in fact win. With the amount of data made available to players, they are able to more accurately predict the outcomes of these games.
Big data can help players to be quite accurate – Google and Microsoft had a go at utilising data analysis to predict the outcomes of the football matches in the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Google managed to put up decent numbers, with 14 of the 16 games being accurately predicted. Microsoft took their analysis to the next level and predicted 15 of the 16 games accurately.
Advertising That You Actually Want
Online and land-based casinos both use big data to improve their marketing campaigns and create personalised and appealing advertisements for their players. Cookies provide operators with information about all kinds of things about their players’ preferences, such as what kind of games they like to play, how they play them, the kind of bets a player typically makes and even things like what kind of food they like. With this information, online casino operators can tailor the advertising and promotional content that their players receive to their personal tastes. If you are the type of player who likes a quick spin at online slots, then don’t be surprised when a promotion for a few free spins and a suggested game to spend them at pops up – and you actually like it.
Keep the Punters Playing
Any online casino operator worth their salt will tell you that it doesn’t matter how many players move through your games and tables if you can’t keep them coming back. We already know that data analysis and cookie integration can help operators put out enticing promotional and advertising content to their players, but it can help with player retention too.
When you first sign up and create a profile, you will likely be greeted by an array of bonuses and promotional content, followed by information on their loyalty program. If these loyalty programs and bonuses are not customised to a player’s personal interests, then the likelihood of that offer translating into a sale is slim at best. With big data analysis though, online casino operators are able to create personalised loyalty programs that appeal to the interests of each individual player on their site.
There is so much more to how big data can be utilised by operators, and players, to enhance the experience of online gambling. It has quickly become the best way to quickly identify, analyse and process data from enormous data sets and put them to use.
If you have been inspired to put big data to the test and want to try to beat out the odds by way of data analysis and processing, then why not give it a go at the slots and games or online poker tables at Grosvenor Casino?
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