As Baby Boomers age, the gaming industry is trying to attract more millennials. It’s a topic that attracted a lot of interest at the National Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention taking place at the Phoenix Convention Center through Wednesday.
A session focused on how to connect with millennials began by laying out the biggest problem with targeting the age group.
“There’s so much choice out there for them from an entertainment perspective," said Matt Cullen, CEO of San Manuel Digital, the digital development company of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California.
While slot machines are the bread and butter for most casinos, they are often the least attractive game among the younger generation.
“The millennial player wants something besides pressing a button or looking up and pressing another button. They want to actually control some aspect of the game," Marcus Yoder told a roomful of attendees.
Yoder’s company, Gamblit Gaming, is into what he calls ‘gamblifying’-– taking online games of skill that are already popular and adding elements of chance. He said they’re putting out a lot games to see which ones will take off.
Looking beyond games, was the message from consultant Gene Johnson.
"Thirty years ago, two-thirds of all gaming revenue in Las Vegas was gambling," he said. "Today it’s two-thirds from non-gaming.” That includes concerts and clubs, sports bars and restaurants.
As casinos try to appeal more to millennials, one expert warned against alienating Baby Boomers. He said it’s okay to make room for new options, but don’t toss out the slots.
