In the next twelve months, Tommy Kearns – CEO & Co-Founder of Xtremepush – believes that there will be considerable steps made towards innovation in VR casino experiences, however this is largely dependent on the accessibility and affordability of such technologies.
Speaking ahead of next week’s SBC Summit Barcelona, Kearns shed some light on why he believes casinos which have made the transition towards online deserve credit before giving us a preview on what Xtremepush will be showcasing at the event.
What are you looking forward to at the SBC Summit Barcelona?
First and foremost it’s going to be wonderful to actually meet people in person again. I think the virtual events over the last 16 months have been a success, but there’s no substitute for face-to-face conversations. That’s always been the most important thing for us, sitting down with operators and looking at how we can help them solve their problems and enhance their player engagement.
What are you promoting at SBC Summit Barcelona?
Xtremepush will be exhibiting our world-leading customer engagement and retention platform. Over the past 6 years, our multi channel solution has become the go-to choice for sportsbooks, casinos and, more recently, fantasy sports operators.
In particular, we’re looking forward to showcasing our player journey orchestration tool, which is enabling operators to automate key campaigns throughout the lifecycle, especially during the onboarding process and to re-engage players at risk of churn.
What industry innovation will capture the most attention in 2021?
I think that over the next year or so there will be a lot more innovation around VR casino experiences. Widespread adoption of this is, of course, dependent on the technology becoming affordable for the consumer but its potential is massive. It’s the next level up from the live dealer experience that we’ve seen casino operators offer.
Which casino operator has impressed you the most in 2020/2021?
This is a difficult question to answer, especially given the unique situation casinos found themselves in 2020. I think that any casino operator that managed to ride out the uncertainty and lean into their online operations deserves a lot of credit.
What casino partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?
The partnership between Rush Street and the Chicago Bears franchise definitely stands out. We’ve been working with Rust Street now for a number of years across many of its brands and it’s great to see their continued growth.
Which parts of the conference agenda have caught your eye?
The session around eSports betting will be interesting. We work with a number specialist eSports betting operators and we’ve seen the growth of their businesses first hand. I think more and more of the traditional sportsbooks are realising now that they need to offer markets on eSports, as it will continue to grow in popularity. And in a European context specifically, the session on the opening up of the Netherlands online market will be fascinating. The appetite there for licences in October will be fierce.
