Game On: Unlocking iCasino For U.S. Tribes

Article originally posted on iGaming Future.

As the economic might of legal gaming is realised in the U.S.A., debates over Tribal gambling rights and access to online gaming are heating up in several states, writes Jamison Selby, President of social casino platform provider Rubystone.

This makes it a pivotal time to discuss the evolving tribal gaming landscape – and explore new avenues to sustainable online casino growth for these seasoned operators.

An Evolving Landscape

Tribal gaming is the beating heart of the casino landscape across most of the U.S.

For many players, Tribal casinos remain the only way to access legal, real-money gaming without heading to the airport.

The Tribes are very experienced operators, and their efforts provide a vital source of income for their communities. But the U.S. gaming landscape has evolved significantly over the last five-years.

The challenges of COVID-19 exposed new risks for retail-only operations, prompting operators worldwide to escalate their online presence and explore new opportunities and markets, with the result that players have an increasing number of new options competing for their time and attention.

The geographic and regulatory barriers that retail operators could rely on in the past as economic moats are now being challenged by new technologies, new business verticals, and the on-demand entertainment expectations of Millennials and Gen Z.

These challenges are rolling across the entire entertainment sector.

Hollywood shows how these generational shifts in content demand and consumption are painfully impacting the bedrock economics of the existing industry firmament.

New Paths To Profit

Several Tribes have explored launching traditional free-to-play social casinos, using them as engagement tools and driving brand awareness.

Mobile on-premises offers exciting new gameplay opportunities for players, at least while they remain within the operator’s regulatorily approved retail footprint.

However, no online option and no related business vertical has anywhere near the potential of the social sweepstakes market to provide a significant and sustained economic boom for Tribal operators.

Eilers & Krejcik reported the industry generated over US$2 billion (£1.54bn/€1.85bn) in net revenue in 2023 alone. They have also projected player purchases in social sweeps could hit US$11.4 billion (£8.7bn/€10.5bn) in 2025.

That potential windfall is drawing new competitors, big and small, from around the world to North American waters.

The competition is going to intensify, and it’s going to happen quickly.

While new entrants are on the march, the Tribes are uniquely positioned to command a major slice of this category, given their experience and market knowledge.

Entering the market successfully requires navigating the complex compliance requirements of major industry partners, including banks and payment providers. It also requires access to the best games and engagement tools and a deep understanding of players and how to reach and retain them.

For Tribal operators, the complex compliance requirements of major industry partners, including banks and payment providers, are nothing new.

Their in-market operational knowledge and extensive network of industry relationships gives them an advantage no new entrant can easily match.

Power of Collaboration

What is new are the specific requirements of social sweeps operations, the state-by-state web of evolving law, the new technology platforms, the marketing channels, new games and new engagement strategies. And the sheer speed at which this is happening.

This is where full solution platforms like Rubystone’s SCION Rewarded Gameplay Platform shine. Rubystone offers Tribal operators a path for rapid market entry into social sweeps.

The SCION Platform is a full-service operation that offers top-tier payments, KYC, AAA games from the industry’s best providers, access to cost-effective online marketing channels, and a growing library of player engagement features.

Moreover, our Players First Responsible Social Gameplay program provides players the tools and information they need to prioritise responsible play.

Our platform can allow Tribal operators to expand their brands across more than 40 states and all of Canada. We offer a new path for them to leverage their market knowledge and brand power across a massive territory home to the world’s most valuable players.

As market churn accelerates in months to come, speed will heavily-impact success. And operators who act quickly can command a large slice of the market.

Collaborating with a platform like SCION offers the speed required to accomplish that winning goal.