The company is confident that it has what it takes to compete in one of the most fiercely competitive markets in the world. And with good reason – MGM Resorts International is one of the biggest and most well-known casino operators in the United States
The Head of Poker at BetMGM, Luke Staudenmaier is confident that their site has several things going for it when competing with sites like Stars and GGPoker.
These competitors operate in various markets around the world, which means they have large pools from which to draw players who want access to regulated games only these days – such as Ontario’s case here.
However, Staudenmaier expresses his perspective during an exclusive podcast interview with pokerfuse. The Director stated that with its brick-and-mortar facilities in its growth plans, and its strong online presence, BetMGM is all set up and poised for success against its rivals.
The assets enumerated will help BetMGM will be an essential element in attracting not only new poker players but also bettors of online casinos and sports betting in general.
PokerStars changed the industry when they took a big leap and focus solely on poker gambling. The move made sense because of how many players prefer playing cards over sports, but it also meant that other companies had to shift their strategies as well if they wanted any chance at success in an increasingly competitive market
Staudenmaier believes there was once pushed back from operators who thought having strong products for both poker and betting would help them attract more customers. However, the Director of Poker pointed out that BetMGM, together with other operators are leaning towards the old ways.
As the US is much more leveled and organizations may try different blends of strategies to catch up but should note that it comes with enormous risk.
“Poker is a boutique business with potential…poker can be a direct acquisition product because it’s a peer-to-peer skill-based game. It can allow for different messaging, and different advertising that brings in players.”
Consider that there is no US operator that is enormous — no operator is impossible to catch like it would be if you were starting from scratch in Europe. It’s very, very difficult to change course in that circumstance.
Staudenmaier also stated that having a retail presence is even better as online casinos attract players to online poker and vice versa.
“If you have branding and access to your product on a brick-and-mortar property, it’s going to help. Aligning brands allows you to cut through some of the problems with getting players to try online poker.”
“The more that you have a land-based presence and a virtuous cycle between digital and land-based play, you can cut through a bit of skepticism and ease players on their journey a bit more.”
