Industry News
Degree 53 UX review shows operators still have work to do to meet Apple’s design guidelines
Degree 53, specialists in the UX, design and software development for the online gambling industry, have published a new UX review which shows that operators still have a long way to go to successfully meet Apple’s native UX design standards with their current products. The team reviewed ten UK leading sports betting mobile apps against the latest Apple Human Interface Guidelines to find out how likely they are to be approved with the deadline looming in March. With this report, Degree 53 aim to showcase how operators can improve their products for a successful App Store submission.
The team at Degree 53 revealed that while bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes and Unibet scored the highest (54-55/100), all of the reviewed brands received rather low ratings overall. None of the operators stood out. Some of the common low-scoring areas were web-like functionality and a lack of a clear user journey. This is mainly due to all of these products being container apps (website wraparounds) that don’t fully support the native standards required by Apple.
Last year, Apple set out a brief guideline advising that apps available on their App Store, including real-money gaming, need to provide a great user experience that is true to the platform, being as app-like as possible. Moreover, any HTML5 content will need to be embedded in the app binary without directing customers to an external site. This means the new standard affects any sports betting, casino, lottery and bingo apps. The deadline is March 2020 and it’s still unclear whether apps that will fail to meet these requirements will be removed or their updates not accepted.
Jade Daniels, design director at Degree 53 comments: “Apple has disrupted the online gambling industry by enforcing its design standards to real money gambling apps, giving very little time to operators to make any significant changes. It can take a large operator around a year to develop a native sportsbook app from scratch and requires a big investment. Many of our clients were in this situation, so we started looking into different solutions and studying Apple’s design guidelines to best meet their requirements. This report reflects our findings and recommendations on how to achieve this.”
“While not many can afford to build a native sportsbook, making it as app-like as possible will increase the chances of approval. The common problem that operators have is that their apps are derived from their sportsbook websites, still using web features in navigation and UI or even opening content in a browser. Today, product owners need to adopt the mobile-first approach, which Apple is trying to enforce, as that’s how the majority of people engage with digital products. Online gambling is a huge industry and it’s time it caught up with retail, entertainment and travel to support mobile engagement and provide a great customer experience.”
The Apple UX Guidelines Review follows a number of reports on Betting and Gaming services in Degree 53’s portfolio. The team has shared insights on the UX to help operators optimise their services and create an engaging betting experience. Degree 53 have a diverse project portfolio and have worked with global operators, such as Betfred, GBG, Penn Interactive Ventures and Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Apple Design Guidelines UX Review can be accessed here.
IAGA
The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) Announces 2024 International Gaming Summit in Washington, D.C.
The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) will hold its 41st International Gaming Summit Monday, May 27 through Thursday, May 30, 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C.
As a premier event that brings together leaders from all global gaming sectors, the Summit will provide operators, suppliers, attorneys, investors, bankers, regulators and other advisor delegates with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and discuss the most important issues facing gaming.
“We are looking forward to holding this year’s 41st Annual International Gaming Summit in Washington, D.C., and are pleased to announce an agenda that includes a specific focus on some of the key sports betting issues the rapidly expanding US market is facing. As part of this focus, we will bring together representatives from global sports betting operators, regulatory agencies, professional sports leagues and other experts to discuss how the industry’s sports betting stakeholders can better work together to ensure a sustainable, responsible sports betting environment that is built on best practices lessons learned from other markets,” John Stawyskyj, President of IAGA, said.
“Beyond our sports betting focus, our diverse agenda includes discussions on other issues of importance including the growing impact of fraud and cyber breaches on regulated operators, a look into the federal and state lobbying process, an update on what’s happening in other gaming markets outside North America, a deep dive into new technologies and how they might impact gaming and more. I look forward to welcoming our delegates to Washington and participating with them in lively discussions about these critical issues and more,” Stawyskyj added.
Charlie Skinner
Marker Trax Appoints John Henderson as Senior Vice President of Operations
Marker Trax, a leader in cashless payment solutions for the gambling industry, has announced the appointment of John Henderson as its senior vice president of operations.
As the company continues solidifying its cashless payments sector leadership position, Henderson joins the team to play a key role in leading strategic planning efforts, executing new operator and customer initiatives, directing pursuit of key performance indicators, and ensuring overall product and technology quality control. He reports directly to, and will work closely with, Marker Trax President Charlie Skinner.
Henderson is a seasoned, energetic industry veteran who brings to Marker Trax more than four decades of success in delivering technology-based business solutions, leading innovation-forward companies seeking to increase their industry footprints and to solidify their market shares.
“We’re cementing our leadership position in the cashless space, and John is the right leader, at the right time, to help guide us there. He has tactical expertise, and a long track record of success in the IT space. More than that, though, he’s always eager to innovate – which aligns perfectly with our philosophy and goals. We’re lucky to have him on board,” Charlie Skinner, President of Marker Trax, said.
Immediately prior to joining Marker Trax, Henderson served as chief information officer at WorldStrides, a global leader in educational travel services, and helped the company navigate a business and IT transformation program. Henderson has also held client partner roles at Accenture, IBM, and Cognizant, and has served numerous global brands including Choice Hotels, Hilton Hotels, MGM Resorts, Wynn, Disney, and Royal Caribbean.
“Every step of his career, John’s shown natural aptitude for client relationship management and large-scale systems integrations, and a keen, tactical eye for optimizing performance at all levels of an operation. At Marker Trax, we’re increasing our market footprint through continual innovation, and John’s tactical leadership will be of tremendous benefit to reaching our goals,” Skinner said.
Henderson’s addition caps a prolific run of recent accomplishments for the company. It recently unveiled its innovative consumer product, Moolah Play, secured renewed commitment from partner and global payments leader Euronet Worldwide Inc., and is introducing its cashless credit technology into more markets around the country.
Affinity Interactive
Affinity Interactive Appoints Scott Butera as President & Chief Executive Officer
Affinity Interactive has announced the appointment of Scott Butera as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Mr. Butera, who most recently led AI’s Sports Information Group (SIG) business, brings over 30 years of experience in gaming, hospitality, media, entertainment, and sports to the pivotal role. In his new capacity, Mr. Butera will set strategy and oversee operations of the Company’s diversified portfolio of casinos resorts across Nevada, Missouri, and Iowa. He will also continue to oversee all print and online media platforms, including Daily Racing Form.
Mr. Butera is an industry veteran who has a history of leading growth and innovation at numerous companies. As CEO of SIG, he led initiatives to develop retail and business products and optimize ecommerce sales for the Daily Racing Form. Under his leadership, SIG experienced significant growth in market share and revenue. Previously, Mr. Butera served as President of Fubo Gaming at Fubo TV Inc. He has also held CEO and President positions at MGM Resorts International, the Arena Football League, Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Tropicana Entertainment, and Trump Entertainment, among others. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investment banker for more than a decade, gaining valuable financial expertise that he later applied to strategic decision-making in the gaming industry. Mr. Butera has a B.A. from Trinity College, where he served as a Trustee, and an MBA from New York University.
“Scott’s operating acumen and deep knowledge of the gaming and entertainment industries have helped AI and Sports Information Group expand product offerings and improve the sports and gaming experience for consumers around the world. I am confident Scott will integrate seamlessly into this expanded role, and under his leadership, Affinity will achieve greater success, continuing to deliver world-class experiences to nearly 1 million users and guests across platforms,” James J. Zenni Jr., Chairman of Affinity Interactive, said.
“Affinity’s mission to elevate the gaming industry through advanced technology and unparalleled customer offerings – both across digital media platforms as well as in-person gaming – remains a driving force behind the business’ success. I am eager to collaborate with Jim and leverage my familiarity with the business as well as my passion for driving innovative change to execute on AI’s long-term strategic priorities,” Mr. Butera said.
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