Social media has a strong influence on all areas of modern life. From how we shop to how we think about the world, the rise of social media has made an indelible mark on modern culture and society. Online gambling has been far from immune from these effects, with social media having a profound impact on everything from how slot sites and casinos operate, to how players engage with these sites on a day-to-day basis.
From the role social media plays directly in shaping the online gambling industry, to the ways in which social media has influenced the design and features of slots sites, it’s been nothing short of a revolution for the sector. But how specifically has social media come to impact the evolution of the gambling industry, and how are players benefiting from social media to improve their gambling experiences?
A Source of Information
Like never before, people now have access to large volumes of information from social media. The digital conversation takes place on social, with players chatting about their experiences, strategies, favorite slots, and gameplay tips with their followers and friends. Players are increasingly turning to social media to explore reviewed games and reviewed slot sites before deciding where to play or making decisions about which games to try. Good word gets around, as do the negative experiences players are having at different slot sites and casinos.
The net result is a more savvy audience for slots and casino games, who have access to more information about the games and operators that host them than ever before. This can only be a good thing – players are more informed, and as a result, slots sites and developers need to be at the top of their game.
There’s much less margin for operators to be lax with customer service, or for game developers to launch dodgy titles – with the world more interconnected than it has ever been, thanks to social media, there’s more direct influence on getting it right for players. Arguably, this effect could be held responsible for the rate of innovation and improvement the online gambling industry has seen in recent years, with the player experience now better than ever and continuing to improve.
A Source of Influence
Social media isn’t just equipping players with more information – it’s actively influencing them, for better and for worse. Social is the new frontier for casino and slot marketing, so much so that it has attracted the attention of regulators. In Great Britain, the Gambling Commission prevents influencers with a reach that covers under-18s from promoting gambling sites, such is the potency of social media influence as a marketing strategy. Targeted advertising on social media is a major source of player acquisition, both directly through adverts paid for by the slot sites themselves and the influence and advertising activities of their third-party affiliates.
Social media influencers hold sway with their audiences, and at some level, every social media account with a following has the potential to influence other people in one way or another. Online slot sites go to some lengths to try and harness this power, with the aim of driving players to set up new accounts, or to return to gamble through their platforms.
Through the use of social media-specific promotions, exclusive offers, competitions, and bonuses, slot sites can make themselves relevant within the social conversation, and appeal to new and existing audiences in their own environment. In the highly competitive world of slots site marketing, these types of strategies can and do make a real tangible difference to corporate bottom lines, and can actually be the difference between success and failure in the modern slots industry.
A Source of Inspiration
The impact of social media isn’t just external to slots sites – the sites themselves are now copying elements of social media features, to adapt their playing experiences and to add more social components to their offering. Things like leaderboards and chat rooms are simple additions from a technical point of view, but they go a long way toward making slot sites more social places to be. The result is an increase in player engagement and time on site – something else to encourage players to come back for and to improve the entertainment value of playing through a particular slot site.
Inspiration is also drawn from the feedback from players gathered through social media. Direct channels of communication between players and developers actively help shape the future of game development, giving game creators a better understanding of what it is their audiences want to see. With individual players now more able to directly inspire developers and slot sites than ever before through social media, there are yet more undeniable influences from social media feeding into the slot experience.
Social media has had a lasting impact on slot sites and online casinos, and that’s only set to grow as it plays an ever-increasing role in shaping our society. While issues like responsible gambling still need to be stressed within the social realm, particularly with the effectiveness of social media influencing and targeted advertising, the net positives from social media weigh in to make its impact generally a positive one – for players, as well as for slots sites and casino brands.
