Customer relationship management : game providers and casino operators in the iGaming industry

Abstract

Purpose: In the iGaming market, the number of Game Providers and Casino Operators is on the rise. This leads to both parties fighting for market share by forming a competitive edge. The purpose is to explore the degree to which Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is employed by both Game Providers and Casino Operators within the iGaming industry. Methodology: A qualitative approach was chosen, namely semi-structured interviews with twelve individual experts, six from the Game Providers segment and six from the Casino Operators. Analysis occurred by generating transcripts where coding was performed using XMIND and a thematic study of the transcripts was performed for each of the interviews. Results: This research found that CRM is given importance and highly utilised within the industry, however with respect to Game Providers, it is mainly used for data storage, thus this concept could be given more importance and utilised in a better manner. Conversely, Casino Operators give CRM critical importance to strengthen the relationships with the player, where the notions of personalisation and segmentation are highly considered. Practical Implications: The results of this research will derive benefits towards the industry, whereby both Game Providers and Casino Operators will possess a clearer understanding of how CRM is adopted by firms within the industry and the importance it is given. Originality: The unique value expressed is the amalgamation of how the CRM approach is implemented within the highly competitive iGaming industry. Limitations and Further Research: Lastly, the limitations including the time constraint were discussed, this study provides room for further research such as exploring the positive and negative attributes associated with this study and so forth.