It is no secret that mobile has radically changed the world of gaming and betting. A pastime that was once the preserve of the high street betting shop and the racecourse has – via the intermediary of online gambling – become something that millions of people dabble in from the comfort and convenience of their own smartphone.
In the process, mobile gaming has grown into a $75bn global industry.
At the same time, it’s hardly a stretch to say that the buzz around mobile gaming has helped to transform the traditional high street betting shop, too. Whereas the betting shops of old focused almost exclusively on sports betting – with their pencils and paper betting slips, TV screens showing the latest odds and live events – the modern high street bookmakers is a brightly lit, interactive digital world offering the choice of sports betting, gaming machines, casino, lottery and bingo all in one place. Just like on mobile.
And the common thread linking the modern betting shop to mobile? Touchscreens.
A new kind of experience
Screens have long played an important role in on-premise betting establishments – we’ve already mentioned the use of TV screens to display odds and show live sporting events for the punters to watch. Contemporary betting shops continue to make use of large-form, high resolution digital display screens for the same kinds of purposes.
But what really represents a leap forward from the past is the way touchscreens are extensively used to create much more immersive, interactive and varied experiences for modern day gamblers and gamers. Instead of writing down their selections and taking their slip to a cashier to place their bet, punters nowadays have the option of doing it all for themselves at a self-service touchscreen kiosk.
The same kiosks can be used to give the customer access to the full range of products the betting company offers, just like an all-inclusive gaming app. So after they have placed their sports bet, they might want to try their hand at the lottery, or play a casino game or bingo, all available right there at their fingertips. And touchscreens feature elsewhere around the premises, too, providing the interface for the modern, digital equivalent of slot machines.
Providing this level of choice, convenience and richness of experience has been crucial for on-premise bookmakers to respond to the challenge posed by mobile and online gaming. The crux of that challenge is to stay relevant by giving customers a reason to still come into shops when they could, if they chose, fulfil all their gaming needs on their phones. The superior experience offered through large-form touchscreens is a key part of meeting this challenge, along with providing a welcoming, sociable environment.
The touchscreen revolution benefits operators in other ways, too. The digitisation of betting also lends itself to a high degree of automation in payment processing, bookkeeping, adjusting odds and so on. Self-serve kiosks are directly linked to the EPOS system and the old problem of coping with a rush before a big race to get everyone’s bets placed is solved. And very important amidst growing awareness around addiction issues, digital systems provide robust mechanisms for encouraging safe, responsible gambling, for example by automatically ensuring spending limits are abided by across all products.
If you have any questions about our self-service / touch screen kiosks then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We can help you find exactly what you are looking for.
Email: salesUK@advantech-aures.com
Call: 01928 599 966