After an evening packed with premium networking opportunities such as iGatherings and dinners, the second day of incisive keynotes and panels at the SiGMA Europe Summit in 2023 was brought to life with a panel discussion – Beyond Gaming: Unleashing immersive experiences.

On this panel were two key decision-makers in their organisations,?Alexis Wicén, CEO of Unibo and Todor Minev, CEO of TolkaCity with the discussion being moderated by the CEO of Wicked Games, Darryl Manning.

The immersive experience

Setting out, the panel discussed the definition of the immersive experience, and what it means for iGaming today.

Todor Minev claimed that this type of engagement-driven gaming is the reason iGaming has become so successful today.

He explained that the iGaming industry is missing the aspect of interaction with other people such as in video games, which is something land-based casinos retain over iGaming for now.

Wicén then touched upon his CS:GO playing career, to express how engagement is the key result you can expect from immersive gaming keeping the players interested.

On Unibo he explained their gamification campaigns and how they continue to cultivate a series of features that are intended to generate more interest and engagement.

His organisation is intent on making the gameplay and gaming sessions the main focus, as opposed to making the prizes and winnings the focal point.

Rewarding play

Manning then shifted to the aspect of Maths within gaming, describing the importance of rewarding play as opposed to making winning the key concept.

He mentioned the way in which slots are played in places such as Las Vegas, in many ways describing this as mindless interaction.

Sticking to the focus on Las Vegas, Minev explained how he is baffled by the fact that in land-based gaming there is a heavy intention to improve player engagement with more entertainment features and spectacles to reach new players and engage existing ones, yet this is nowhere near as respected or explored in the iGaming sector.

On gamification, Wicén described how the numerous features being brought by a gamified experience are giving players so much extra to remain on the same game engaging them far more than slots games for instance that focus on finding new users at the expense of engagement.

Streamers

Minev was then asked about the power of streamers in getting the word out about his company’s newest gamified features.

This is due to the fact that streamers are able to reach their audience in a particularly immersive way, bringing many options for iGaming companies when they bring new, exciting gamified features to their audience.

It was also suggested a streamer may bring even higher engagement for traditional iGaming formats such as including them as a dealer in an online poker room.

The future

Wicén believes that in the future immersive gaming will continue to take more of a driving seat, with the features derived from virtual reality and immersive sounds.

Adding to this Manning also suggested that smell could be included in the gamified experience.

Join us in Malta for SiGMA Europe 2023

SiGMA Europe’s Malta Week festival brings together a diverse and international group of industry leaders for a convergence of expo, conferences, and networking. The event is held at the Mediterranean Maritime Hub (MMH), a larger, more dynamic venue that promises a raw, industrial, and unconventional space unlike anything ever used before.