Asia-focused content can take mobile to the next level

Tuesday 1st of May 2018

Matty Rochman, Head of OneTouch, on how providers and operators can capitalize on Asia’s mobile betting boom.

With competition for market share at an all-time high within an increasingly saturated gambling sector, it has never been more important to adapt to players’ ever-changing demands in order to acquire and retain them.

No longer do players need to settle for whittled down mobile iterations of their favorite desktop title. Instead, they have the luxury of mobile-first offerings, but we still have lots of work to do.

The Asian market is pushing heavily to replicate the popularity of mobile gaming in Europe at the moment, with a quick look at recent figures highlighting just why it’s time to be pro-active.

Take last year’s Q4 results from online gambling quarterly for example, which showed that 63% of the total revenue made by major European operators came via mobile, with the average casino revenue from mobile coming in at 56%. For some operator’s figures are dramatically higher, with 82% of trade coming from mobile.

Much like Europe, Asia’s mobile gaming market is exploding and will continue exponential growth in the next few years, with figures matching or even outweighing Europe’s mature markets entirely possible. This monumental opportunity is too good to be passed up, but it’s important suppliers create Asia-friendly titles.

In some respects, the growing Asian market is already a few steps ahead of where many markets started off. After all, it’s already blessed with an array of high-quality technology, both in terms of the hardware we play on and the developments of software that is played on it.

Slot and table games are now more life-like, while storylines, features, branding and even sound effects have made them more immersive than ever. In many ways, the graphics available on mobiles, tablets and other handheld devices now are as good as on games consoles.

Now it’s time for suppliers and operators to focus on the user interface and the experience this generates. For example, OneTouch looks at game creation from a more ergonomic perspective, not only ensuring that players are playing in a comfortable position but also on the go.

Table games have been forced to play second fiddle to slots titles in recent times, but our portfolio of titles, which include those traditionally popular in Asia, looks to change this stance for the better.

Take our Baccarat title for example. Built in consultation with Asia-based game and design experts, the game mixes advances in technology with the traditional game attributes that have resonated and captivated players for hundreds of years.

This means it features single touch ergonomics and the latest in high-end graphics and sounds, but also includes the game’s signature squeeze feature, therefore providing a truly mobile experience designed to cater for even the most demanding of demographics.

Another key attribute we have added to our full portfolio of titles, which also features Sic Bo, Hold’em Poker, Wheel of Fortune and Blackjack, is our provably fair RNG, which provides verified fairness and transparency, an important component of betting within the Asian market.

The mobile market is ready to boom in Asia, but the only way operators can find the key to unlocking the potential is by delivering bespoke Asian-friendly mobile offerings.

Matty Rochman is Head of OneTouch, a leading mobile games developer.