GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 37 - February 2017

A call for transparency bodies — proof that operators have the funds to operate a gaming business. In reality, there are plenty of under-financed gaming operations out there.    Consumers can look at the financial health of publicly traded gaming companies and make their own decision. Or they can assume that if it’s a big brand, it must be safe. That’s a fallacy, but at least they’re putting their money in something they sort of trust. When it comes to privately held companies, they have no guidance. That shouldn’t have to be the case. I’m not advocating opening up the books of private companies. That’s a step too far. But publishing gaming revenue numbers for each licensee by type of gaming, or even type of game, is a good first step. New Jersey does this already. It’s useful information to have. Do you want to play (or work) with the market leader? Should you play at a site that’s experiencing growth? Should you risk it with an operation that’s trending in the wrong direction? Players should have access to this information. And so should affiliates. Affiliate marketing only works if the players like the product and keep coming back. But how are affiliates supposed to know where to send players? Which operators get the fewest complaints? Which operators will still be in business six months from now? A year from now? If you’re an affiliate, wouldn’t you want to know which oper- ators get the most complaints and which don’t? The regulatory and compliance burdens operators face are real. I’ve seen it firsthand. But so are the needs of the players and affiliates. It’s time for regulators to step up and give players and affiliates the data they need to make informed decisions. OPINION Should you play at a site that’s experiencing growth? Players should have access to this information. And so should affiliates. Do you want to play with the market leader? Should you risk it with an operation that’s trending in the wrong direction? Vin Narayanan has been involved in the gaming industry for more than a decade and is the former editor-in-chief at GPWA and Casino City Press. Vin is currently based in Hong Kong, where he runs Vinistic Gaming, a consulting group that helps iGaming operators and suppliers break into the Asian markets. Illustration by Bakhtiar Zein/Shutterstock w w w . g p w a t i m e s . o r g 28