Today’s casino players do not fit neatly into the customer segments the industry has relied on for years.
Some move between land-based casinos and online platforms, while others have only ever played digitally. Their motivations, expectations and responses to game mechanics vary considerably, yet many operators still rely on broad demographic profiles and traditional performance metrics to understand them.
SBC Summit’s Electronic Gaming Academy Masterclass is designed to help delegates replace those outdated assumptions through five and a half hours of practical, expert-led learning they can apply directly within their own business.
Taking place on Wednesday, 30 September, the Masterclass will be led by Lucien Wijsman, Gaming Consultant at Electronic Gaming Academy. Through interactive sessions, practical demonstrations and direct instructor feedback, attendees will learn how to better understand modern player behaviour, evaluate how customers actually experience slot games and turn those insights into stronger product, CRM and marketing decisions.
In this blog, we look at why the Electronic Gaming Academy Masterclass matters, what delegates can expect from the session, and who will benefit most from investing in the Education+ Upgrade.
Why This Masterclass Matters
An incomplete view of player behaviour affects decisions across the entire casino operation.
Product teams may select games using metrics that do not reflect how customers actually experience them. CRM teams may group together players with different motivations, while marketing campaigns can miss the factors that truly influence engagement and player retention.
The result is that commercial decisions are often based on assumptions about players, rather than a clear, data-backed understanding of how players actually behave.
Better player understanding can therefore support stronger portfolio decisions, more relevant communication and gaming experiences that better fit the customers they are built for.
What You Can Expect
Conference sessions introduce new ideas and show how other businesses have approached a challenge. This Masterclass builds on that, giving you the time, guidance and practical tools to tackle the challenge yourself, so you leave with techniques you can apply as soon as you’re back at work.
Here’s what you can expect from the masterclass:
- Practical frameworks you can implement: Build a more relevant way of distinguishing between land-based, hybrid and online-first players, rather than relying on broad demographic segments.
- Working examples based on real gaming experiences: Examine how players perceive slot mathematics during actual sessions and understand why RTP and traditional volatility metrics do not always tell the full story.
- Hands-on application of Expected Session Volatility: Learn how to use ESV to compare games, assess the experiences they create and communicate their characteristics more clearly.
- Direct access to an experienced instructor: Ask detailed questions, test your current assumptions and receive feedback from Lucien Wijsman on how the concepts could apply to your business.
- Techniques you can use immediately: Leave with practical approaches that can inform game selection, portfolio strategy, CRM segmentation, customer communication and responsible gaming initiatives.
Who Should Invest in This Masterclass?
- Casino Product Managers → Gain a better understanding of how players experience games to make more informed decisions around game selection, portfolio strategy and product development.
- CRM and Retention Teams → Move beyond broad demographic segmentation to create more personalised campaigns, improve customer journeys and strengthen long-term engagement.
- Casino and Commercial Leaders → Gain a clearer framework for evaluating player behaviour, helping inform investment decisions, commercial strategy and overall casino performance.
- Game Studios and Suppliers → Better understand how operators assess player behaviour and game performance, helping develop products that more closely match customer expectations.
- Land-Based and Online Operators → Learn how player motivations differ across channels and use those insights to create more consistent player experiences, whether operating physical venues, online casinos or both.
Meet Your Instructor, Lucien Wijsman
Lucien Wijsman has more than 35 years of experience in the casino industry. Through his consultancy work, he provides operators and suppliers with audits, training and strategic advice designed to improve their land-based and online casino offerings.
His work combines academic research with practical industry experience, making him well placed to challenge established thinking around player segmentation, game mathematics and how customers experience slot products.
Wijsman has worked with leading gaming companies and casino operators around the world, including:
- IGT
- Novomatic
- Sun International
- Casinos Austria
- SBM Monte Carlo
- Genting Casinos UK
- The Hippodrome Casino
How the Afternoon Works
The Electronic Gaming Academy Masterclass is split into two focused sessions: the first builds a deeper understanding of modern casino players, and the second turns that into a practical framework for evaluating the games they play.
Session 1: The Player Does Not Exist
Wednesday, 30 September 2026 | 12:00-14:30
This session will examine why traditional player segmentation no longer reflects how casino players behave today, introducing a more modern framework for understanding player motivations, expectations and gaming experiences across land-based, hybrid and online environments.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Identify and cater to different player profiles, including land-based, hybrid and online-first players.
- Understand the behavioural drivers behind eight gambler archetypes and how they influence product choice, engagement and retention.
- Apply motivational psychology and limbic profiles to build a more detailed picture of player needs and expectations.
- Map player expectations across the extended marketing mix, helping teams assess how product, place, promotion and experience shape behaviour.
- Use player insight to support practical decisions across casino operations, CRM, product selection and marketing.
Session 2: Beyond Volatility
Wednesday, 30 September 2026 | 15:00-17:30
This session will examine why RTP and traditional volatility metrics do not always reflect how players experience slot games in real sessions, introducing Expected Session Volatility as a practical framework for evaluating and communicating game experiences more effectively.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Understand why RTP only tells part of the story, and where traditional metrics can fall short when assessing player experience.
- Explain the relationship between variance, volatility and player perception, helping teams understand how game mathematics feel in practice.
- Apply the Expected Session Volatility framework to model and compare different slot experiences.
- Assess real player sessions more effectively, using ESV to understand how games may perform across different play styles and environments.
- Compare land-based and online gaming experiences, identifying where player expectations and session dynamics differ.
- Use ESV to support practical decisions around game selection, responsible gaming and customer communication.
Education+ and How to Secure Your Place
The Electronic Gaming Academy Masterclass forms part of Education+, SBC Summit’s dedicated learning upgrade for delegates who want a more practical, classroom-style experience alongside the main conference agenda.
The upgrade gives attendees the opportunity to choose a Masterclass or Tech Academy, with each session designed around specialist instruction, applied learning and practical skills that can be taken back into the workplace.
Alongside the Electronic Gaming Academy Masterclass, the wider Education+ programme includes learning opportunities across areas such as AI, marketing, Web3, player experience, sportsbook trading, electronic gaming and responsible gaming marketing.
Masterclasses are CPD-certified, meaning attendees may be eligible for employer funding through their professional development budget, adding even more value to their SBC Summit experience.
To attend, delegates must add the Education+ Upgrade to their SBC Summit pass and register their interest in the Electronic Gaming Academy Masterclass.
Get the Education+ Upgrade.
Register Your Interest here.
Can the €249 Education+ Upgrade Pay for Itself?
The value of the Masterclass lies in the decisions attendees make after it.
A stronger game-selection decision could improve portfolio performance, while a better-informed CRM campaign could increase engagement among valuable player groups. Clearer communication around game characteristics may also improve the customer experience, while a deeper understanding of player behaviour can support more relevant responsible gaming interventions.
When even one improved product, marketing or player-management decision can generate measurable value for a business, the €249 Education+ Upgrade quickly justifies its cost.
