SIGA panel examines omnichannel data for Saskatchewan players

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority presented research conducted with Environics Analytics at a Global Gaming Expo panel on Tuesday, examining differences between its land-based, online and omnichannel players. Environics vice president of client strategy Sophie Marai and SIGA director of marketing Kacey Pambrun presented the findings in a session titled "From Casino Floor to Online Play: Using Data to Understand and Unlock Omnichannel Growth."

Marai said the Canadian market is at a stalemate, with millennials now outnumbering boomers and Gen Z showing little brand loyalty online. Canadians were found to be adopting artificial intelligence at a rate of 82%, outpacing the rest of the world, and to channel 65% of online play to unregulated sites. Saskatchewan has roughly 929,700 residents, a figure projected to pass one million over the next decade, and Marai described the market as diversifying with an influx of Filipinos, Southeast Asians and Black people.

Marai pointed to an opportunity gap, since just 63 percent of the customer base is already engaged. She described Canadian players who spend CAD$2,800 a year on gambling yet show only a 5.2 percent SIGA penetration rate, and she put it this way: "They’re not playing at SIGA, but they’re spending in the market." In her view, SIGA's media buying should focus on the Saskatoon and Regina metro areas, home to the largest share of untapped players, younger demographics in particular.

Pambrun said SIGA knew its land-based customer well but could not assume a digital overlap, which prompted the research. She said the aim was something actionable for branding and media buys, and that the bigger objective was the next phase of growth, namely a digital strategy congruent with SIGA's seven casinos. SIGA's online operations lack the advantage of the SIGA brand, she said, adding: "There’s a significant opportunity outside our established customer base."

Pambrun said acquisition cannot simply mean spending more money and that the data is changing what SIGA already does. She said the company did not know its digital customer until this data, and that open communication within SIGA's branches is the most important thing. Asked by a panel attendee whether reaching Generation Z is worth the effort, Marai said it is, adding that not doing so can leave money on the table.